MCI CLASSIC

April 18, 1997

Lennie Clements

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Well, you didn't want to say anything yesterday because, you know, things can change and turn. But, I think it was a better day than anybody forecasted, really. Certainly, I think if you played late today again, you had tricky conditions. Wasn't any gift out there. But, certainly makes a big difference. If it is warmer the ball, it is certainly going to fly further. Good to feel freed up in your swing. Early up, had a break. In all fairness, with the field, the way the wind was yesterday, they put a little more water on the greens and played it with more reception for shots with the irons. Fairways were still fast, which was nice. But, the course is in such good shape. I mean, these conditions are brutal, and you are seeing some good scores because -- you have got to give the greenskeeper an assist this week.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Couple of real solid pars. Nothing too major 10, 11 and 12. Hit a nice tee shot into the wind at 13 with a driver and had about 119 to the hole and hit a 9-iron just left and past to about 20 feet, made a nice birdie there. 14, was another little key. You always want to get by that hole with the pin back a little more and stretched out in there 15 yards, made a nice swing and 2-putts. So, that continues my motivation, making a good swing there and not losing anything. Perfect lay-up and a pitching wedge from about 115 yards on 15 and came up short, surprisingly. And made about 22 footer there. Centercut it, very nice putt. Now, we are turning the corner a little bit. As you know, the wind is starting to howl a little bit. Probably it is hard to speak for what is going on now, because we are sheltered in the trees, but it was howling at 16, and ripped a drive, 6-iron, and 2-putts from about 30 feet. 17 was probably the worst swing of the day. I just got -- trying to keep it to right. I just missed the shot right of the green and hit a pretty good pitch and had a 10-footer and missed it. So, that was the first bogey. But, there again, I mean, you are still thinking, I have made a nice putt, nice par at 16, so that -- still got 18. Really hit a real good drive there and 4-iron just off of the right fringe. Probably about 35, 40 feet from the hole. Almost chipped it in. Left it a foot. So, I think, any time you finish with -- you have got it going, you finish with par where the last hole, 18, plays like that, you feel like you have almost made birdie. We are heading into the trees now and good drive on 1, hit a 9-iron from 143 about three feet just in there underneath the hole for a nice birdie. Second hole, our thinking there - because I am not as long as some guys - it is just to keep it left and try to squeeze it down the left center and have a nice angle in. Actually, I pulled it into the bunker. But, still, it was so downwind, I knocked it, a 4-wood from 235. I had 250 to the pin, actually hit it to the back fringe and had two putts from about 30 feet there for birdie. There, again, another nice position where you are kind of keeping it going because you really, you know, there are some tough holes coming up to make birdie -- to make birdie at 2, really keeps the momentum going. Just a basic par at 3, actually drove it a little bit left and hit a nice shot, had to turn it around a tree and two putts from about 25 feet there.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Yeah. That hole is pretty gentle today, even though it is a tough hole. Hit 5-iron, and I hit another good shot as I did yesterday there. I had it about eight feet behind the hole, made a nice putt for birdie. Two putts on the next hole from about 15 feet, par 5. And same on 6, I hit it about 15 feet behind the hole there, two putts same thing. On 7, just short of the hole about twelve feet and missed it. Good drive at 8 up the left side. But 8 is such a good hole that I can't afford really to hang anything right, so I stayed aggressive. Got it may be a little left, but had 195 in and hit 4-iron that ran just through the green on the left, and I guess it could have been maybe the wrong club. , but it is just kind of playing fast up there, chipped it down about ten feet and hit a good putt, missed. Then 9, I have got to figure out a new strategy on 9. I have had 4-wood both days, and it has just been too much. That fairway is playing fast, and I -- basically, today I had 98 yards to the win. I really didn't even have a shot. Left center of the fairway, not even the far left side, didn't -- hit actually a pretty good shot hooking a sand wedge around. I was just off the green and long, and didn't hit too good a chip. It ran by about ten feet and made it for par, which was a huge putt. You hate to feel like you really didn't miss a shot on the last couple of holes and make two bogeys, so even though you know this course can play that way, just have to make a better decision tomorrow.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: The jury is still out on that. It certainly can calm down. To get through there at 1-over, that is not bad. You think that maybe -- I mean, if you really had to pick the conditions, that finishing there late might be better because it could calm down. But, I think it stayed pretty consistent. Certainly, as you said, you sort of are alleviating any chance for a big number coming home, although that front side got plenty of trouble. This golf course has plenty of balance through the first 8 holes. It actually might be a tougher 9 than the backside. It is not the 9 that gets all the coverage, kind of like Augusta, but -- certainly it is a good 9.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Yeah, very happy. My caddie, like I said yesterday, he has been so frustrated the last few years missing this tournament. And no disrespect to the tournament. Mike Stevens is a great guy. MCI, it's a great sponsor. This has been always been our Easter break right around it, being from San Diego and playing a strong west coast through Florida, I have just been skipping it. Certainly committed for a few years now here, and I have missed it. No question, it is a course that suits my game, because with the small targets, it really becomes a first course, and I have always liked that. So, yeah, I am real excited about it. The position is great. And who knows how it will hold up. I mean, second, third, fourth, whatever. Obviously, Nick is right there, and -- I am very happy.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Not really. But, I mean, you still play. Since my resurgence off the Hogan-Nike TOUR, 1993, when I started having top 10s out there early on, I realized that that wasn't going to get it done with a wife and two kids. So, right away I changed my line of thinking to winning, because that is what you have to do to make anything out there. And it is just ironic what motivates you, but I had just gotten in a rut where. I hadn't been close in winning in quite a while. That just kind of, you know, whatever you need to do to make the 125 would be sufficient. And sooner or later that theory is going to catch up with you, because there are too many good players in the pecking order. So getting back to the thought of the win is -- since 1994 I have been playing to win every tournament, and because when you get a taste of it, even if it is a club championship, or whatever level you are at, to win is great. That is what you are there for. Obviously there is only one guy that can win per tournament, and all these different tours with 150 guys in the field that are good. Certainly, to win even out there was big for my thinking. And, I think that is one of the reasons I came out and played pretty well the next four years. Maybe it was 1992 I was on the Hogan -- because '93 -- yeah, whatever. I mean, you can look it up. The last four and a half, five years, it has been a different train of thinking that I played with the previous four or five I mean, you look at Tiger and you listen to what he says, sometimes you kind of can't believe what is coming out of his mouth. I mean, but he is there to win, and he proves it. And, he looks good doing it. And, I think that you are going to hear a lot about that, his attitude how it -- he set the perfect standards of how you have got to take each tournament.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: It has helped a little bit. I actually live in San Diego and I play out in La Quinta. I am out there practicing. We get some windy conditions. It certainly helps. It doesn't really swirl because we don't have the trees there that you guys have here, but you know, with the greens being small and the fairways tight, you just play each shot as it comes. You do the best you can. Caddies is a big plus here because you need somebody that knows your game. So, you can kind of double check the conditions because one little mistake can be, you know, a huge, huge swing from maybe taking the right club and hitting it in from 165 yards close for birdie to, you know, miss-clubbing over the green and the water and making triple bogey that could be a 4-shot swing. So, conditions here are tough. And, I feel comfortable in the wind.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Dennis Tuirning.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: No, he is from Connecticut. He has been on TOUR quite a while though.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: I mean, he just -- he knows I am a pretty good ball-striker, that is his feeling. I think he just felt this golf course was a good course for me. He looks at the guys that play well here and I think he just felt that if you are choosing your tournaments based on conditions for me, I mean, which I think most guys do, it is not about money, really. I think you like to play courses that suit your game and places where you enjoy coming to. My mistake for not being here more. Even my wife, it is our first trip, she is saying, you know, "Why haven't we been here more?" I said, well, I am with you for Easter break or something. She is having a great time.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Yeah. (puts finger over mouth making the "sshhh" sound) We will talk about that on Sunday.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: Please don't print anything crazy.

LENNIE CLEMENTS: We might have brought them. Easter was at Jacksonville this year. Obviously, that is one tournament nobody skips. I brought them. I think we might have brought them. They are just so active in sports, little league, volleyball. Certainly that has been fun to watch. Everyday we call home and see how they did.