GREATER GREENSBORO CHRYSLER CLASSIC

April 23, 1998

Hal Sutton

HAL SUTTON: I like shooting 65. I hadn't shot one of those this year, so it was a pleasant surprise. But I thought we got lucky to even be able to play. It was awful wet out there. I am sure glad they were playing it up.

HAL SUTTON: Hadn't been that long. I can remember it was sometime last year.

HAL SUTTON: Yeah, Buick Challenge. I played pretty low there. But, October of last year, something like that.

HAL SUTTON: I hope so, yeah, I have been working hard on it. It has been a struggle this year. I played six different sets of irons this year and it has been pretty difficult to develop any continuity. Plus, when the wind is blowing and we played in a lot of weather this year, when you are playing with a new set of clubs every week it makes it pretty difficult. And, I switched balls this year, too, and that was big -- it is always hard to switch irons and balls in the same year.

HAL SUTTON: Yeah, before I signed a contract with Hogan and I got a set of clubs that I really like, but I just got those two weeks ago. Prior to that I tried a lot of different sets of irons.

HAL SUTTON: It was about four, five different manufacturers, yeah.

HAL SUTTON: I kind of play a dinosaur though. I play a traditional blade club and people don't want to make those dinosaurs anymore. Hogan does a nice job with them, though.

HAL SUTTON: Yeah. But you know what? If you go run those numbers on those stats over there, anybody that has real high numbers greens in regulations, their putts drop. Only way you can win that putting stat is to miss a whole lot of greens. So, I am not being defensive with you there. I am just telling you the truth. I need to make more putts, but I think there is 100 -- how many people start this tournament -- 156 guys this week that want to make more putts? That is always the name of this game. I have actually putted the ball extremely well this year. Had I got the ball close to the hole this year, I would have had a lot better scores. Driven the ball really nicely. Something is always wrong it seems like.

HAL SUTTON: No, but I did it out of necessity. I wasn't because I really wanted to do it. I really like my equipment situation right now. I really like the ball. I am playing the Strata ball. It is a great ball. And, I have got Hogan equipment and it is great. I have got a Taylor Made driver. I really like it. So, no messing with the equipment.

HAL SUTTON: I don't know. And it doesn't matter either one way or the other. 54 more holes to go and that was the best I could do today, so, that will have to wait until tomorrow now.

HAL SUTTON: I hit a lot of really good iron-shots. I mean, I birdied all 4 of the par 3s today. When you do that on this golf course, that is -- you have done something right. I just hit a lot of good iron-shots; gave me a lot of chances.

HAL SUTTON: 4-iron.

HAL SUTTON: 4-wood.

HAL SUTTON: Well, I don't know that you can predict that in any kind of way. But, I feel like my game is really beginning to come around and I think the main thing that I have got to do right now is to make sure that I keep myself in the hunt. A lot of times, if you hadn't been there very often, you know, it is easy to get a little bit conservative out there and not press yourself as hard to make birdies sometimes. You get in there 10 foot with a downhill putt; instead of thinking about making that birdie putt, you are thinking about if it's downhill and it is kind of slick, you are thinking, well, I will ease it down there and if I make it, that is okay. But, you have got to try to make birdies. Regardless of where you are at, you have got to keep on making birdies because somebody is going to make them.

HAL SUTTON: I am trying to make birdies. I am.

HAL SUTTON: 6, yeah.

HAL SUTTON: Both those putts, I hit it exactly like I wanted to. On the fifth hole, I sat there watching Jeff Maggert's ball go straight and mine breaks left. The next hole I knew I was in a jam when I drove it by the hole because I had a spike mark, looked like a tree right between me and the hole. I had to hit it; deflected the ball to the right. I knew I hit my line because I hit the spike mark. Couldn't do anything about it. But, you know, when things aren't going very well, you really are frustrated by that. It really aggravates you and carries on to the next hole. I mean, I knew I hit those putts the way I wanted to. I could get caught up in the fact that they didn't go in. I mean, that is what everybody else gets caught up in is the fact this they don't go in. But if you have done the best you can you have got to be willing to accept the results.

HAL SUTTON: Well it has been frustrating whenever I am not getting the results with the irons that I wanted, you know, but they worked good today.

HAL SUTTON: Actually I did miss a few fairways today. I missed four fairways, I think. Two of them I was on the short rough, I think, but I got lucky on the first hole, the 10th hole I had a good lie in the fairway and actually hit the green with it from there. Then on No. 3, I drove it about a foot edge of the left rough. I mean, I pitched it about 50 yards. Made a great 4 there. But....

HAL SUTTON: If you hit it in the rough.

HAL SUTTON: Oh, yeah, you are pretty much thinking par be the best you can do if you hit it in the rough. You might make a birdie if you hit it in the rough on a par 5, but.... A rough is not very forgiving out there.

HAL SUTTON: 10, birdied 12, I hit it about probably 25 feet. Made that putt. Then 17 I hit 4-iron about six inches there. 18, I hit 6-iron about six feet. 2, I hit a 4-wood about eight feet made that for eagle.

HAL SUTTON: 230. And then 4, I hit a 7-iron about eight or nine feet, made that. And then 8, I hit a 4-iron about ten feet made that. Then 9, I hit a sand wedge about five feet, made that.

HAL SUTTON: 6-iron.

HAL SUTTON: I don't know if I have here or not. I am sure I have somewhere, but I don't know about here. They have got some good par 3s here.