BUICK OPEN

August 10, 2000

Tom Byrum

TOM BYRUM: Well, I think the course surprised us a little with that front that moved in and it is playing a little differently today. I think if it's going to play hard this time of year probably playing a little harder right now than what it normally does when it is 90 degrees, but again, it is not playing not impossible out there -- you can tell the score are a little bit higher but they are still good scores and still a lot of players on the course that I don't expect to be leading this thing at all, probably at least two shots behind if not more by the end of this day.

TOM BYRUM: That's what I mean. They are still out there. You have got to putt well. I played a couple mistakes early. I guess I was still sleepy or something, a 3-putt and a wrong club kind of got me off to the wrong start. But I knew there were a lot of birdie holes left to play and luckily it turned out in my favor. Went through about 9, 10, 12 and 13 pretty well. So those are the holes you have to birdie around here. If not some others, but those for sure.

TOM BYRUM: I've been looking for about 540,000. What is first place? That is what I am looking for. Who isn't.

TOM BYRUM: Let's see, where did I birdie. . 3-putted No. 2 and then hit it long on No. 3 and made bogey as well. Birdied No. 5 -- 4 and 5. Just made a couple of nice putts. What did I hit? I don't even remember what I hit into 4. 5, hit 6-iron probably 15 feet. Where did I birdie?

TOM BYRUM: No. 9, I hit a good drive and I hit a little 8-iron; probably that was the longest putt of the day. Probably made a 30-footer there. No. 10, hit wedge about two feet. 12, I hit a little wedge probably ten feet. 13, again, a little wedge probably three or four feet. Then bogeyed 15, just hit a bad shot from the middle of the fairway. 16, made a nice putt. I hit a wedge past the hole probably 20 feet and made a nice downhill quick putt. Got some birdies coming after those bogeys - a little patience there.

TOM BYRUM: A couple. Not really. (laughs) I think it will. Depends on the wind. The wind was starting to kick up a little bit. That will be a factor and the greens are fast out there. I mean, you can't be on the wrong side of the hole and expect to make putts. You have to keep it under the hole and then you can be a little bit aggressive, but then again, you don't want to run it by again too far. The greens, with the speed they are, and felt like, to me, they were getting faster as the day went on; especially with the wind kicking up makes for a little tougher condition. You are not seeing 8-under in the first couple of groups out. There will be a good score too, I am not saying that -- but maybe there won't be as many. But if it stays like this, you won't just have to come out everyday and shoot 7-under or 6-under, whatever it is. I like the way it is playing versus the normal drier and hot. I think it is a nice change to see a little bit different golf course out there today.

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