SCOTT CROCKETT: You said you look forward to playing your fellow countryman. Talk about that.
TIM CLARK: I think that's just going to be more fun than anything. Obviously Ernie knows this place and he's playing really well. I can go out there and enjoy myself and learn a little bit from him. I'm playing nicely. I think I can put up a good match. You never know, if I'm on my game and he's a little off, you never know. So I've just got to go out there and play my best.
Q. How do you counteract the aura of Els?
TIM CLARK: I think playing with him might make me play better. You're certainly going to try a lot harder and impress him anyway. I don't see it as any sort of negative. We are all really proud of what he's doing and how well he's playing. If I wasn't playing with him, against him tomorrow, I would be rooting for him. I think it's just. I think it's great what he's been doing but I'm certainly going to go out there and try and beat him. I've got everything to gain tomorrow, not a whole lose lot to lose. So that's the way I'm going to approach it.
Q. Any chance you will be paired with him in the Presidents Cup?
TIM CLARK: That would be an honor, for sure. Obviously we have two different style games, but in that format it might be a good combination.
Q. When you say you have a lot to learn from him, how do you mean, golf-wise?
TIM CLARK: It's tough when I hit it about 220 off the tee and he's hitting about 320. His demeanor on the course, the way he handles himself, which he does incredibly well, and I think that's something everyone can learn from.
Q. Play with him in the Presidents Cup?
TIM CLARK: I haven't really given it much thought. All of the guys are great players. It comes down to who gets along with each other and whose game complements each other. There could be a number of people I play with.
I think there was a few people he could have chosen and I didn't really expect it, but obviously I had a good performance at the PGA and the Masters this year. So he looked probably at those bigger tournaments because obviously Presidents Cup is going to be a pressure-packed situation and maybe that's what he took into account.
Q. How much of a factor was the wind today?
TIM CLARK: It was so strong -- I think it was just constantly strong out there. What made it tough was being downwind with those front flags we just couldn't stop the ball. Particularly on No. 1, and No. 5, it was really tough to get it anywhere near the hole. Best you could do was about 40 or 50 feet. I think it was just really out of the east all day and so that wasn't too tough to read.
Q. Turning point in the match?
TIM CLARK: I was 2-down and won three of hose holes. Those holes, I can't pick one of them. But when I went 1-up, that was a big jump for me. That was my first lead of the whole day.
Q. Stephen a little rusty?
TIM CLARK: Possibly. This was the first time I played with Stephen. He seemed to hit a lot of good shots he hit a couple of poor shots but his short game seems to hold that pretty well.
Q. Have you surprised yourself this year?
TIM CLARK: My goal is get into the Top-50 in the Money List in the States, which I'm right on track to do. My main goal is to win a tournament this year which I have not done, but I've had a pretty consistent season, I feel. My goal really is to win a tournament.
End of FastScripts.
