DORAL-RYDER OPEN

March 5, 1999

Greg Chalmers

GREG CHALMERS: Sure, I mean, I just putted a lot better than yesterday. Start off on the back 9, I holed some nice putts on 11, 12, 13, from about six feet, 15 feet, about 18 feet. And then I played really solid through the tougher holes, mainly 18 as the key I think. 3 as well. Fortunate to pick up a birdie on 1 and 2, which were -- one was just up-and-down from about 4-footer, two was about another 18-footer. Then sneaked a birdie in on the tough par 3 which I was thrilled with.

GREG CHALMERS: That was a 6-iron.

GREG CHALMERS: About eight feet.

GREG CHALMERS: 12, was a 7-iron to about 15 feet.

GREG CHALMERS: 13, was a 5-iron to about 18 feet.

GREG CHALMERS: Just up-and-down from just right of the green, right of the bunker.

GREG CHALMERS: Two, 9-iron about 18 feet.

GREG CHALMERS: 6-iron to about six feet.

GREG CHALMERS: Probably the 9th, I got up-and-down on the 9th from over the right with not much green to play with, it was a nice way to finish off.

GREG CHALMERS: Yeah, the wind was picking up then, I only had about 165 yards, I think.

GREG CHALMERS: Yeah.

GREG CHALMERS: It has taken its time. Still not -- it has just taken me a while to get used to just playing with these guys basically. I have been watching this on television for so many years, it has just taken a while to get relaxed in this atmosphere, put it that way.

GREG CHALMERS: It can be, yeah. I just find sometimes I can't get comfortable because I am just walking around sort of looking at Norman, Woods, and, you know, I mean, the list just goes on. You constantly sort of -- oh, he is a great player, look at him. He is a great player. You forget that maybe you can play a little bit yourself sometimes. It is just so hard to, yeah, just get used to seeing those guys around, that is all.

GREG CHALMERS: There is a lot of good young players down there. Hopefully over the next few years -- on our Tour at home at the moment I think they have played eleven events, all of them have been won by guys 30 or less, the age of 30. So hopefully over the next five or ten years we will see a few more guys cropping up over here. We have got a handful off to Europe this year, so...

GREG CHALMERS: Well, it is hard to a put a finger on it. Because, to me, coming over here was sort of wiping the slate clean and starting all over again because I have never been through anything really over here much except the Q-School. So, it gave me a lot of -- just gave me a little more confidence and because that is our biggest event at home. But I think really it is just a matter of starting over again once you got over here.

GREG CHALMERS: It was a very easy decision. Well, I have got to be careful how I put that. There are events that clash with events at home over here, but this is my first year, I really didn't feel like I was in a position to knock back five or six starts on the U.S. Tour on my first year here. Which would have put me to the bottom of the rank and may not be playing next week or whatever. So, I really felt like I had to come over here and play.

GREG CHALMERS: I had a lot of positive feedback, actually. I have been really happy with it because I think it is always a worry when you do so well, you don't want to sort of ruin at the end by saying something silly, so it is always nice to get the words right.

GREG CHALMERS: Sure, I mean, we had, I think Couples came down and Fred Couples and Billy Mayfair because Presidents Cup was the week after an event. I mean, the more that come down, the more credibility and the tougher our tournaments are.

GREG CHALMERS: Yes, it is an interesting point. I'd say, it is a possibility, sure. And there is a lot of money to be played for over here. I mean, and I think it is really up to -- hopefully we can get some of our own players who are international players to make sure they are always going back and playing in their own country. Having said that, I haven't done. But that is what I am hoping to do is get myself in a situation over here where I can afford the time to go and play in Australia as much as I'd like.

GREG CHALMERS: That is hard for me to gauge.

GREG CHALMERS: Not -- well, not amongst -- maybe amongst the hierarchy, I am not sure, you would have to ask them. But amongst players, I haven't discussed it with anyone, really. But it is an interesting point.

GREG CHALMERS: A lot more difficult this morning than this afternoon. Yesterday afternoon was fantastic compared to the morning, almost an advantage to be one of the last groups out. But this morning, it was fairly demanding, yeah, the wind was up - some tough holes out there.

GREG CHALMERS: Only through watching it on TV, watching mainly Norman. I know a few shots that he has hit, but to be honest, I have only had pay TV at home for a little while so it is very difficult for me to watch some of these events.

GREG CHALMERS: Just the grass, that is basically it. But we have got this stuff at home in the course in Queensland or in Queensland I have played on this a ton of times. Only weeks I have done any good, actually, like Riviera has got the same grass as my home club and this course has got the same grass as three or four tournaments at home, I think, so.....

GREG CHALMERS: Yeah, I have got a ton of goals, it is really -- I always struggle to talk about them, that is all. I'd like to get -- the situations that I'd like to get into, I'd like to be competitive over here, just get in a situation where maybe I am in contention or coming down the stretch just to learn a bit more about the game and myself and see if I can handle it. I haven't -- I have tried not set too many sort of, I want to make so much or do so much, because I have got enough pressure on me as it is without me trying to think about that.