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BAY HILL INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD

March 18, 2004

Chad Campbell

ORLANDO, FLORIDA

TODD BUDNICK: Chad, 6 under 66 has you tied for the clubhouse lead with Darren Clarke.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Wasn't happy with the way I played the first part of the year. Played pretty good last two weeks. I was really excited about today and came out and hit a lot golf shots. Didn't give myself any trouble. Made some putts when I needed to.

TODD BUDNICK: This is a course, it's not playing as it has in the past, but you went bogey free today.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I think the rough is down a little bit from the last two years, and obviously the rains on Tuesday, the greens were a little bit softer than they had been in the past but I'm sure they will only get harder.

Q. What's happened over the last couple of weeks to make you play better?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I don't know. Just kind of hit me, I guess. I'm glad to be down here in Florida where it's a little bit warmer, too. I like to sweat a little bit when I'm playing to get loosened up. I really don't know, to be exact.

Q. What are you working within with guy oh out on the range, is it swing stuff, head stuff, combination, tune ups?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Just being confident in what I'm doing. Mainly on the range, just focus on target instead of worrying about how to get it there. Just don't worry about how to do it; just hit it at the target. Easier said than done.

Q. Did you realize you were so popular, with the gallery following you around here?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Clapping for me every green and everything? (Laughs) It was great, get to go play with Arnold. It was quite an experience. Definitely an honor to be able to get paired with him. We owe so much to him.

Q. How did he play?

CHAD CAMPBELL: You know what, he played real well. He we started on the back. He played real well on the back. I think he turned 4 over. Probably got a little tired on the back nine. He played all right.

Q. I assume that was the first time you've ever played with him?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yes.

Q. Did you ever catch yourself watching him play golf instead of focusing on your game?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No, not really. I was just trying to do what I do and not really worry about going what's going on around me. But like I said, it was definitely a privilege to be able to play with him.

Q. Was that a milestone? Everybody grows up going, I'd like to play with Arnold Palmer, and you got to do it.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I was second round yesterday and a lot of my buddies are calling me saying, "You're playing with Arnold." It was pretty exciting, to be able to play with him. I don't know how many more tournaments he'll play. I guess he said this will be his last Masters. It's nice to get a chance to play with him.

Q. You spent so much of last year playing very well, trying to get that first win under your belt. And now that you have a win does it sort of change the way you kind of approach your year, does it free you to not think about winning so much or do you think about winning more now that you know you can win out here?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not really. You know, that's still my goal is to win golf tournaments. Obviously, I want to get the second one. The first one took me a while. Hopefully the second one won't take me as long as it took me to get the first one.

I don't really think so. I think that's what I play golf tournaments for.

Q. Playing with Arnold, what do you talk about when you play with Arnold? Do you go up and say, "Hi, Mr. Palmer"?

CHAD CAMPBELL: You know what, I don't know what you say. We didn't talk too much. Just little things, not really anything in particular. Just kind of small talk.

Q. The fans do pull him along, don't they?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, they do.

Q. Charisma coming out his ears?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, walking up to every green, they are clapping, standing ovation for him every green. Just appreciative of what he's done, as well as I am.

Q. Did you get any keepsakes or anything from the round?

CHAD CAMPBELL: He gave me, what is that, a lapel? Is that what it's called? A ball marker. Bay Hill lapel ball marker.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your six birdies.

13, 3 wood, wedge to about eight feet.

16, driver, 2 iron, just off the green. Chipped up to about 15 feet and made it.

2, hit just short of the green with 5 iron and chipped in from 40 feet, 30 feet.

5, 3 wood, 9 iron to about ten feet.

7, 5 iron to about 12 feet.

8, driver, 5 iron to 12 feet.

Q. A lot of guys have been going low today, which is a lot on these greens, how much do you think it's going to firm up between now and tomorrow or now and Sunday?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I think it probably will quite a bit. You can already tell they are quite a bit harder than they were yesterday.

You know, there wasn't much wind out there today which made it a little bit easier.

Q. Do you think today's good round had absolutely anything to do with Palmer being there, just an emotional boost, showing off?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, showing off. Trying to impress him. (Laughter.)

I don't know. I was real excited about coming out to play today if, that that could have an indirect or obviously a direct effect on the way I played. Consciously, no.

Q. Do you think it's going to be more memorable, assuming you're sharing the first round lead, or playing with him?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Probably depends on what happens the rest of the week. For me, it's pretty memorable experience, definitely.

Q. How much does the fact that Tiger is going for his fifth in a row add juice to the whole week for you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No, it doesn't really just like any other golf tournament for me, really. Kind of got the same objectives.

Q. Earlier when we were talking to Tiger, there was a discussion about physical fitness and the significance to golf. Do you embrace that? Do you think it's overplayed?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I don't know. I think it's definitely a good idea. Right now, I don't do any working out or anything. Probably should. Couldn't hurt me, that's for sure.

Q. I didn't dare say anything in front of Tiger, but it wasn't, what, two weeks ago that Craig Stadler and John Daly won on both tours, and neither of those guys are what you would call exactly fit. So I'm very interested in this whole philosophy.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Well, you know, I look at it as, it can't hurt you. I guess some why don't I do it? I guess I'm too lazy, I don't know.

I don't know, I just really haven't gotten into it that much.

Q. But you have lost weight, haven't you?

CHAD CAMPBELL: That's what everybody tells me. The scales don't tell me that.

Q. You must be wearing the right color scheme.

CHAD CAMPBELL: That's right. A lot of black.

Q. What work you've done is reconfigured the way you're carried.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Maybe. So redistributed.

End of FastScripts.

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