JOHNNIE WALKER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

December 17, 1993

Steve Elkington

STEVE ELKINGTON: I played very well today. I was very consistent. Kept out of trouble; got my ball in play off the tee and basically just played down the fairway all day. The course is more typical of what we have seen it like last two years today, wind blowing off the coast, although not too strong, so it was still very playable.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Save on nine, I was over the green, pitched back to three feet par.

STEVE ELKINGTON: 234.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, the wind certainly reminds me of, you know, playing in Australia or playing in England. We don't really play much golf like this in America, maybe other than Doral. The course is not a difficult course if it is played on the fairway, but it is very difficult if you are in the rough. You have got to keep the ball in play. That is the whole key of this course. If there ever was a secret to playing this course, it must be out of the fairway. It almost doesn't matter what you hit off the tee as long as you are in play.

STEVE ELKINGTON: I missed 6. I missed 6 and 9, hit 10, hit 11, hit 12. Hit 13, 14, 15, 16, 17. 18 holes. I missed 3. But not bad.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Actually the scores -- were they better today than yesterday? Probably?

STEVE ELKINGTON: I think most of the guys feel really comfortable with this wind, most of the players. There are not too many guys that are here that are first time players that feel comfortable with this wind. It is very familiar, this course, with the wind off the beach, so I think the guys felt, you know, pretty comfortable. Plus it made the 2 or 3 difficult holes we had yesterday easier, 1; 18 played shorter. It didn't surprise me. Montgomerie shot 5 under on the back nine playing with me. He was 3 over in the front and 5 under in the back, so I thought we both played well.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, the weather, I think, is the factor this year. That is why the scores are good. It was really tough. The first year, the rough was probably higher than anybody wanted it, including the people that put it up there. The last year, I think the course was reasonably set up very tough, and then we had really bad weather. This year I think they have got a good combination. The course is set up ideally, rough like that, and then we have had good weather. But I don't think the scores are unrealistic. I mean, that is damn good golf to be 9 under. It wouldn't matter how hard the course was if you are playing -- I know I have played well, and all the other guys that are 6 and 5, just played good golf; no pushover. Half the field is playing good.

STEVE ELKINGTON: I don't know. I feel like I am playing well, that gives me a bit more enthusiasm. Struck form when I was down in Australia the second week at Greg Norman's tournament. And when you are playing well, I mean, you have always got a lot of enthusiasm, but when you are not playing, you get more excited about the prospect of playing well. I have been swinging well and had got a fair amount of confidence from my round yesterday; that is why I played well today. Got a lot of confidence from shooting that good score yesterday.

STEVE ELKINGTON: I am not going to push it too hard. I just like to get in contention. I really haven't been in contention that much. Had a lot of top 10 finishes, and won on a team event with Raymond Floyd, that was sort of like being in contention. There was enough pressure there to get your attention. If I get in contention, that is -- that will be my goal this week and get that feeling again around the leaders, trying to play well.

STEVE ELKINGTON: 195 pounds.