ADVIL WESTERN OPEN

July 4, 2002

Jonathan Byrd

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Jonathan, for joining us for a few minutes. Great round today of 5-under 67, second group out. Why don't you make a couple comments on the conditions, your round and then we'll go to some questions.

JONATHAN BYRD: Thanks. The conditions are great out there. It's not real firm out there yet. The fairways are getting a little firmer and I'm sure the greens will be firmer this afternoon, but the course is in great shape. Perfect speed on the greens to make a lot of putts and no wind, so it was kind of there for the taking today.

I played solid all day, made a few silly mistakes on the back 9 on the par 3s, played the par 5s well and drove the ball really well, only missed 2 fairways. That's the name of the name with this thick rough. Just played solid.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Questions?

Q. I know you were in the bunker on those two par 3s on the back 9, just a case of miss-hit or something wrong?

JONATHAN BYRD: Combination. Bad direction. One hole I hit just a bad shot on 12. It went right. And the other one I probably picked a bad target. It was 10 feet from being 15 feet from the hole and just hit poor bunker shots.

Q. With the young guys on the leader board early like Lee Porter and David Gossett, do you feel like it's a coming out party for you guys?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, Gossett has already had his day. He's already won, but he's been looking to get another one. I'm sure like all of us are trying to win. Yeah, we're pretty hungry. We're just as tired of watching Tiger win a lot as everyone else is, so we want to get out there and win our first one. It's good to see Lou playing well today, nice to see him playing well in his home town.

Q. Do you feel you're overshadowed by Tiger this, Tiger that, Tiger everything, and you guys are the generation behind him?

JONATHAN BYRD: I mean, I'm glad to be overshadowed. I mean, he's made the sport younger, there's been more opportunities. The younger guys have gotten more sponsor exemptions because they want to see what young guy is the next new talent. Just more doors have been opened and it's been fun because I'll always be two years younger than Tiger. We're just trying to get better and improve our games.

Q. Any long putts for you today?

JONATHAN BYRD: No, not really. Maybe 15 feet. That was it. I mean, I birdied the par 5s. I didn't get to all four of them, and hit a couple wedge shots inside of 12 feet and made a couple putts, just two bogeys.

Q. What's the difference in terms of opportunities in a tournament Tiger isn't playing versus a tournament where Tiger is playing? Do you have more of an opportunity to make a name for yourself with Tiger not here?

JONATHAN BYRD: I think you can see if from both sides. I'd rather him be in the field because everyone wants to beat him. That's the easiest way to get your name out is to beat him but, yeah, of course, he's the best player in the world right now. You have to have a better shot to win when he's not here, but everybody out here wants the best field possible and nobody wants anybody not to be here. We just want to see how good we can play and you want to play the best.

Q. Jonathan, in your mind, have you been close to winning, no matter what it says on the board? Have you looked at the board and said, hey, this is my shot?

JONATHAN BYRD: I think so. I think this is my 19th tournament and this is the 19th chance I've had to win. I've screwed it up a bunch. But no, I've had a couple good rounds but haven't had the good Saturday, really get in the hunt, or the good Sunday and -- I haven't been in contention. I've missed a lot of cuts this year unfortunately. I think my first round scoring average is pretty poor this year. That's what's been holding me back is my start because my weekends have been fine when I've been around.

Q. Is there a reason why your starts have been bad? Are you going out there and trying to win the tournament from the first day?

JONATHAN BYRD: No, I don't think so. I don't try to win a golf tournament from the first day. Maybe too much pressure on myself. I've just played poorly, made too many mistakes, too many bogeys. And it was nice today. I made two bogeys on the front and didn't make anymore, so really didn't make anymore mistakes.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Jonathan, can we go through your birdies and bogeys please?

JONATHAN BYRD: Birdied 10. I hit lob wedge on 10 to 12 feet, made birdie.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Par 5?

JONATHAN BYRD: Par 5, I hit driver, 5-wood in the right rough right of the green, about 30 yards from the hole, got up and down, made about a 10-footer.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Par 3?

JONATHAN BYRD: I was trying to hit a little 6 and I hit it from the right bunker and hit it out about 12 feet and missed it. The par 3 I hit a 7-iron in the right bunker, hit it to about 6 feet and missed it. The par 5 I hit driver, 3-iron just over, got up and down, chipped it to about two feet. What's the next one?

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: 17.

JONATHAN BYRD: I hit driver sand wedge to about 4 feet, made birdie. I've got to tell you about my par on 18.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Okay.

JONATHAN BYRD: I hit it in the right bunker off the tee and chipped out to a wedge and hit it about 10 feet and made par. That was my biggest hole of the day.

Let's see. 3, I hit 3-wood, 9-iron to 12 feet and made birdie.

5, I hit driver, 4-iron to the middle of the green and 2-putted.

Let's see. 8, I hit 3-wood, wedge to about 6 feet, made it.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Anymore questions?

Q. Jonathan, getting away with par when you put it in the bunker and making the turn, that must have been big.

JONATHAN BYRD: Yeah. I didn't hit a bad drive, just pushed it a little bit and hit it in the bunker and I just duffed it out. I took some extra time on the wedge shot and it was a good shot, spun it back to about 10 feet from the hole and made the tough putt. That was big. You don't want to lose a shot going into the front 9, so that was nice.

JOHN BUSH: Thank you, Jonathan for joining us.

JONATHAN BYRD: This is my first time in here, so thanks.

End of FastScripts....