THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 25, 1999

Hal Sutton

HAL SUTTON: I played solid. I played real solid on the front 9, and the golf course is in great shape. Greens are a little bit firm, and the wind gets swirling there at the end of the round, and it made it -- you had to pay a lot of attention of what was going on there. But overall, I felt like I played well.

HAL SUTTON: It can be, yeah. There is plenty of trouble out there lurking if you -- that is what I meant whenever I said the wind gets swirling and you have to pay attention to what you are doing. I couldn't get a real handle on where the wind was on the last nine when we played it, kept moving all around, really had to pay attention when it is doing that here.

HAL SUTTON: Maybe everywhere except Augusta. Got to pay attention at Augusta to it.

HAL SUTTON: Yeah, I think so. It has got a lot of similarities. The greens seem a lot alike to me in a lot of ways. Not quite as much slope in these greens as there is at Augusta, but other than that, there is a lot of similarities.

HAL SUTTON: I don't really have an issue with it really. Somebody is going to accept the winner's check at the end of 72 holes every week, you know. If you get caught up in complaining about it or wishing it was a different way, it is probably not going to be you accepting that winner's check. We have all got to play them, so --

HAL SUTTON: Well, I don't know. I was late getting started this year because we had our twins early in the year. And I just now kind of feel like I am going -- this is my third tournament in a row here. So, I just now feel like I have got some continuity in what I am doing.

HAL SUTTON: Yes.

HAL SUTTON: Right.

HAL SUTTON: Well, I will probably do some of both. There will be some daylight hours to do some practicing, then I will have to do some baby-sitting too probably.

HAL SUTTON: Well --

HAL SUTTON: Obviously would have liked to have been there. But under the circumstances, I was a whole lot more needed at home than I was over there.

HAL SUTTON: I can't really give you an answer on that. I don't think it would have made any difference one way or another. It is just another tournament that I would have played in. Obviously, I mean, it had a significance that others don't have, but I don't think it really hurt me by not being there.

HAL SUTTON: It is pretty good right now. I don't think I was quite as solid as I was then. But I still -- I think I am doing a lot of good things right now. At the end of the year last year I was playing a lot of tournaments, kind of hit in a groove. Felt like I was in a groove, kind of getting to -- that is what I was saying earlier that this is the third tournament in a row. I feel like there is some continuity to this so far.

HAL SUTTON: Yeah, I am pleased with my first-round score. I didn't get to play very much. I have had a crick in my neck, I only played 11 holes this week before the tournament started, so I wasn't real sure. And I didn't play the beginning of the back 9. That is where I started today. So starting out, I wasn't sure how firm the greens were on that side, and so I was really happy to get that start.

HAL SUTTON: I putted good. I really did. I hit a lot of really good shots in. They were close, so didn't have to make a lot of long putts. I think about a 12-footer is about the longest putt I made. But I made the putts I needed to make. I missed about a 6-footer on the next to last hole; that is the only putt I really should have made that I didn't.

HAL SUTTON: No, not really. There is a lot of rough out there and the greens are pretty firm. It is hard to get it close. They had a lot of really tough pins to start out with. In fact, I thought they used some of their very toughest pins on the back 9. Actually the front 9 too. I think they used some really tough pins today.

HAL SUTTON: Where they use tough pins right off the bat talking about?

HAL SUTTON: I don't know. I think it -- it makes you get down and dirty right off the bat.

HAL SUTTON: Started on 10, hit a 7-iron about five feet there: Next hole, great hole. I drove it perfect there. I was right at the outer limits of me being able to go for it. I tried to play the conservative shot and lay-it-up and I hit that tree that hangs out over -- I hit the very end of the limb, kicked it straight back right into the rough. I had one of those lies that said, okay, I am pretty easy, you can go ahead and go for it. It just didn't come out at all. It hit the boards and came back in the water. So I had a heck of a 6. I got it up-and-down from 11 yards for a 6. Next hole, hit it from 100 feet, made a good bogey -. 5, hit a little 6-iron in there about twelve feet. Then on 8, I came off my 3-iron; hit it in the right bunker -- real good bunker shot out about six feet, missed it.

HAL SUTTON: No. I wanted to be back in the groove as quick as possible. I felt like The Masters was waiting a little bit too late. I feel like I haven't played quite as much as I would have played had we not had the twins, but obviously having the twins was a very large event in my wife in I's life, I was happy to be there and starting late was okay.

HAL SUTTON: I am certainly appreciative of what it takes to get ahead in this game having been through what I have been through. But I do enjoy golf a lot. I am not as quick to anger now, I don't think, as I was before. Because I am like it will be okay, we can get through what is going on, I have gotten through a lot already so we can get through some more. I have had a real learning experience over the last 15 years. The roller coaster I have been on has been a worthy of Disneyworld or something, I don't know.

HAL SUTTON: Oh, yeah.

HAL SUTTON: I only hit it one time today and I hit it good and the wind didn't bring it back on the second hole for the second shot there. I didn't make birdie but I hit a good shot. So... You know, one thing you learn after being out here a long time is - good shots don't always produce results and you have got to just realize in your mind that you hit the shot the way you wanted to. If it didn't produce all that you wanted, maybe it will the next time you swing at it.