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SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 14, 2006

Chad Campbell

HONOLULU, HAWAII

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Chad, for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Sony Open in Hawaii. 8 under par today, 62, great round. Looked like you were completely in control, just talk about your day.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Obviously it was a good day. Any time you shoot 62 is a great day. It was nice, me and David just kind of fed off each other all day. You know, he played great and I was able to kind of follow in his footsteps.

It's just nice to see the wind calm down a little bit so you can that I can a few birdies out there. A little bit easier today to hit the fairways and get it closer to the hole.

Q. A little modest, isn't it; David talking about the fact that you were the one that seemed to be in control most of the day and he was more following you until the end.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I think it works both ways. It was a great day for both of us. I did get it in the fairway quite a bit today, which was nice. You really can attack this golf course when you do that. When you start hitting the rough, it makes it tough to control your ball. Even though the wind wasn't blowing as hard, it's still tough when you hit it in the rough.

Q. When was last time you felt that way, Bay Hill, Tampa?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Probably Tampa last year.

Q. And what does that what are you feeling out there?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I feel like I'm really patient right now and not really getting too upset with anything.

Q. What is there to be upset about.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Well, that's true. But, you know, the last couple of days, you could get upset with the wind kind of driving you crazy a little bit. I just feel real relaxed after the two months off, I wish I could always be this way.

Q. When you're making putts like that and hitting shots like you want them, are you almost running to the next tee box you're so excited, or do you have to stay back and let it come to you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I think you've got to stay out of your own way. That's the worst thing that can happen to you if you start thinking about it or get going too fast. You know, just stay out of your own way and just let it happen. It's easy to say; it's hard to do.

Q. Do you measure your success strictly by wins, and in that respect, how do you measure last year, was it disappointing, did you recover okay?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I feel like anytime you don't win in a year, it's a little bit disappointing. I was able to play pretty decent at the end of the year and maybe have a little bit better attitude about the whole year. I feel like if I don't win, it's kind of a disappointment.

Q. How much of the club testing last year was a factor for you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: It was a little bit. Kind of undecided on a lot of things. I really only had two sets of irons and I'm hitting the irons right now that I hit last half of the year. But messing with that all year, that was kind of in the back of your mind all the time. It's nice to be set on something now.

Q. Speaking of clubs, no head cover on the driver this week?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No.

Q. No story behind it?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No. Just don't have one. I have one, just didn't use it, I don't know.

Q. Where was it today?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Where was it? I haven't had it the whole week.

Q. Did you not bring it with you from

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, it's in my locker.

Q. Did you forget the combination?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No, I've got it. I know how to get in there. I don't know, just didn't put it on there. (Laughter).

Q. Is this a first?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No. Just don't carry it. You hit it every hole, no use in taking it off and putting it back on.

Q. I agree entirely. Have you done this before in tournaments? Is this like Freddie not wearing a glove; Chad doesn't have a head cover?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not really. (Laughter). I don't know, just kind of didn't put it on there, just let it go.

Q. If you win this week, you'll never have a head cover again. (Laughter.)

CHAD CAMPBELL: Possibly, you're right.

Q. Did 59 ever cross your mind today?

CHAD CAMPBELL: You know what, it really didn't. I was just playing. We were both playing so well, just kind of tried to keep making birdies. Never really thought about how many under I was.

Q. Did you look at a leaderboard at all?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not really, until the end.

Q. First time you were aware you and David had pretty much left everybody behind?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I'd look up there, but I would never catch the first part. I'd always see the 4 and 5 unders. I just had a feeling that we were kind of separating ourselves a little bit.

Q. Should we take anything from the fact that you're from Texas, he's from Louisiana and you guys have a 7 shot lead on the field on in a wind tournament; is there something to that, do you think?

CHAD CAMPBELL: There could be. I enjoy playing in the wind, as much as that is possible. I think you've got to be pretty creative and hit different shots. Can't just stand up there and rip an 8 iron from 155.

Q. Do you enjoy playing with David? I asked him this question, too.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I do. We've gotten to know each other pretty well over the last few years. He's a great guy. I really enjoy playing with him.

Q. What kind of goal is Ryder Cup for you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: That's probably No. 1 goal. That was so much fun last time, even though the outcome was not what we wanted, that's kind of the ultimate, Ryder Cup. So that's kind of forefront in my mind right now.

Q. Start looking ahead, you've got guys, it looks like Furyk and Tiger are kind of a team for a while; and Phil and DiMarco, they are going to play together. If you're one of the guys on the team, maybe David is a guy that you seem comfortable playing with him.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, just leave that up to the captain. That's their job. These guys, like David and Phil and Tiger, those guys will play Jim, they have played on tons of them, so they have all the experience. So they just tell me what to do. I just want to be on the team.

Q. You've got to have a head cover if you play.

CHAD CAMPBELL: That's all right. I'll put a head cover on.

Q. Not to turn this into a commercial, but how long this driver has got to be new for the year?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Mm hmm.

Q. Did you finally find something that you stuck with the latter half of the year or were you still searching?

CHAD CAMPBELL: As far as driver? Actually this driver I started hitting last Friday. I got it last Friday.

Q. Late last year, were you still bouncing?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I was hitting the kind of whatever, other driver.

Q. What kind is this driver?

CHAD CAMPBELL: It's a Nike SasQuatch.

Q. Without getting into details, were you playing the same driver every week toward the end of last year?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I was.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Let's go through your birdies, starting on 3.

CHAD CAMPBELL: 3 was wedge, 135 to about eight feet.

7 was 6 iron to about four feet.

8 was 8 iron to about 20 feet.

9, hit 3 iron to about 15, 18 feet for eagle, 2 putted.

10 was 60 degree wedge to about eight, ten feet.

12 I hit sand wedge to eight feet.

14, 8 iron, had to punch under the trees to about four feet.

16 was pitching wedge to about two feet.

Q. On a couple of holes, 14 and 16 in particular, where you're in there stiff and David's not, are you thinking a little bit of separation? What are your thoughts when he pours them in?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Honestly I'm not really thinking about anything. He's such a good putter, he can make them from anywhere, like he did today, 14 and 16. He made a lot of great, long putts. 16 was a really long putt.

You never really think about, wow, I can pick one up here. You can't ever. You're kind of always expecting him to make whatever put he has. I guess that's kind of a match play situation, mentality.

Q. Is that what you'll have tomorrow?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No. Not really. There's still if the weather is like this, I think it's supposed to be somebody could go out and shoot 62, 61. It's not easy but it could happen.

So just got to go out there and control what I can control, and that's just myself.

Q. So is this the first time you've been able to string some good rounds together on this course?

CHAD CAMPBELL: On this course, yes. I love this golf course. It's one of my favorites but I haven't really had much success here.

Q. What was holding you back?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I have no idea.

Q. You didn't just figure it out this week?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No. I just like the way the course sets up. You know, maybe previous years I wasn't hitting it as good or putting as well. It suits my eye pretty well.

Q. Are you playing next week?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I am.

Q. Was there a part of you that thought: Maybe I'll just wait and start in California instead of coming all the way out here?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Really not. Like I was saying, this is one of my favorite courses. Kind of traditional, cut through the trees.

Q. Anything like this in Andrews?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not Andrews, no. It's flat like this in Andrews.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Chad, appreciate it.

End of FastScripts.

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