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BUICK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 27, 2005

Ben Curtis

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Ben Curtis nice round today, 67, you had four shots to headache up, from Justin Rose and you made up three of them. Good position going into tomorrow. Are you happy with your position?

BEN CURTIS: To be only be one back on the final day, that's all you can ask for. I had a few chances where I could have took the lead but didn't happen, and Justin hung in there and played well despite the start he had. I'm looking for Justin to play well again tomorrow and so I'm going to have to play well again tomorrow.

Q. Inaudible?

BEN CURTIS: Well, I think every player knows that goes through their career that there's up and downs and downs. The last year has been a big struggle. I think I got in the habit of trying to be like Vijay. You know, you go home for a week and instead of playing, you just practice for three or four days and you practice long and hard, and that just wasn't the case for me.

I found out earlier on in the year that I just need to go out there and play. Just learn to score the ball, because you're in the going to hit it good every day, but if you can try to get the best out of what you have that day, then that's all you can ask for.

I still work hard on the game practicing, but I think that's the biggest thing. I wasn't hitting it very good, I started hitting it better, gave myself some opportunities for birdies, started making a few and just get the confidence going and kind of fed into that.

Q. The weather the last couple of days, the wind, did that have any effect on shot making?

BEN CURTIS: Today it was playing tough because the wind was switching around. It was a lot like Thursday but a little more the wind was a little more aggressive today plus going the opposite direction. The course was playing totally different from what we've been playing all week. It's just one of those things that you've just got to deal with what you've got and try to move forward.

Q. Since winning the British Open, how will it be in the final round inaudible?

BEN CURTIS: Well, I had a good chance at Chicago. I had a good chance with nine holes to go but played bad on the back nine. Obviously tomorrow is my best chance so I've just got to go out there and try to learn from the past. Hopefully feed off the British Open win and learn from the mistakes I made the last few weeks.

Q. Being in that position, what did you take from Chicago?

BEN CURTIS: In Chicago, the confidence wasn't all there yet. It was my first good week, so you know, the confidence was kind of down and I made a few bogeys after I got off to a good start and just kind of, you know, I was just fighting with the game. I felt like today for the first four or five holes, I was fighting with the game as well, but kind of got in a groove and settled down and made some good shots.

I think that's what I have to do tomorrow is just kind of stay patient. You know you're going to make some bad swings and hopefully you get away with par and maybe make a birdie.

Q. Is it more difficult with the wind change?

BEN CURTIS: I think the first three holes were playing downwind, were playing real short. When it plays the opposite direction, you know, you've just got to especially it was playing different all week. It's a totally new golf course. You try not to look ahead to like 15: "Oh, you know, I can get 3 wood there today." You can't be thinking that. 13 is obviously a tough par 5 now into the wind. The first day I hit 6 iron in there and today I can't even get there. So totally different golf course and you've just got to take what lies ahead.

Q. What happened on 17?

BEN CURTIS: Well, you know, I probably got a little greedy. I felt really comfortable with the swing and just tried to hit a little cut out there. Started down the middle of the fairway, left center, hold up against the wind and pushed it a little bit. It was probably just a 2 iron shot but I just felt comfortable with the way I'm swinging and why not try to get up there where I can get wedge in my hand.

Q. Being until the final group on Sunday inaudible?

BEN CURTIS: Not really. Probably make Justin and I a little more relaxed out there. We know each other quite well. Our families get along well. It's just one of those things, I think it could help us. You know, when you play with somebody for the first time, you just don't know how to react. I've played with Justin quite a few times and you know how he reacts and go out there and just have fun.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Maybe a couple comments about Justin's round today. He had four birdies and four bogeys, a little bit up and down, obviously in good position.

BEN CURTIS: Yeah, he definitely is. He didn't get off to the start that he wanted, but he hung in there and made a good birdie on No. 6, and then made a great shot on No. 7. So that kind of I think settled him down and got him going again.

Yeah, he played quite well other than I mean No. 10 and 14 just from a couple of bad swings and left himself in difficult situations but bounced back with birdie. So my hat's off to him. Obviously he's a great player and you expect great things from him in the future.

Q. What will you do tonight?

BEN CURTIS: I'm by myself this week, so just go get a quick dinner and try to get some rest and get off the feet a little bit and save my energy for tomorrow.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: First birdie of the day came on No. 3 the par 4.

BEN CURTIS: Hit a great 4 iron in there about I'd say ten feet and made that.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Birdie on 7.

BEN CURTIS: 7, hit a little wedge from probably 130 yards to three feet so it was perfect.

13, hit a little wedge in there, just kept it under the wind, about three feet behind the hole.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Birdie on 15.

BEN CURTIS: 15, pretty good drive. Just a 3 wood I was trying to turn it over a little bit. Obviously you want to stay away from the water. Hit it in that bunker I hit it in on the first day and redeemed myself by hitting a good bunker shot and made a nice putt there.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: You talked about the bogey on 17. And then 18 a par, almost a birdie there.

BEN CURTIS: You know 17, 18 I had two good putts. I wish one of them would have went in, but just one of those cases where solid putts and maybe misread them just a hair but I played the best I could.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Ben Curtis, thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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