home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC

February 11, 2006

Kevin Stadler

PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA

GORDON SIMPSON: For the third day running we have Kevin with us. That was a very big eagle putt on 18 to give you a nice cushion over the field going into the last day.

KEVIN STADLER: Yeah, definitely. The scores seemed to be pretty low today. Everybody was getting up there to 13, 14, 15 it looked like. So expecting a lot of the same tomorrow. So as far as ahead as I can get, the better.

GORDON SIMPSON: What did you hit at the last?

KEVIN STADLER: 6 iron.

GORDON SIMPSON: How far?

KEVIN STADLER: To about ten feet or so.

GORDON SIMPSON: The Aussies are all ganging up on you, weren't they?

KEVIN STADLER: It seemed like it, yeah.

Q. What do you think the winning score will be?

KEVIN STADLER: I have no idea. I don't even know what I'm at to be honest with you. I'd say at least 20 to I'm sure it's going to play tougher tomorrow. I have to think that I have to shoot at least four or five, something like that tomorrow. Stayed right there with me and I shot six (under) today, so I expect it to be pretty similar.

Q. Were the greens holding?

KEVIN STADLER: Yeah, they were a little softer today, with the early tee times. It was getting pretty tough out there yesterday in the afternoon. Shots were holding a little better today. I don't know if they are going to turn that water off tonight or what the deal is going to be. I'm sure the pins will be a little bit more difficult.

Q. Would you like it to play that way, firmer tomorrow?

KEVIN STADLER: I don't really care to be honest with you. I'd rather not try to be in total control of the ball today. I like having it stop a few times, help you out a little bit on these greens. Sure, obviously if it's harder, if it plays tougher, I'll probably have to maybe get away with a little higher score tomorrow, but either way is fine.

Q. Are you excited about tomorrow?

KEVIN STADLER: Yeah, definitely. Obviously it's right where you want to be after three days going into the last. So, it should be fun.

Q. We don't want to get ahead of ourselves here but if you win tomorrow, you'd be exempt on The European Tour

KEVIN STADLER: Yeah, that's 24 hours away who knows what's going to happen between now and then. But obviously, yeah, that would be kind of a crazy turn of events.

Q. You'll probably try to play on the Tour in the States rest of the year?

KEVIN STADLER: Yeah, probably give me the best shot of getting back out on Tour next year.

Q. Have you talked to your dad in the last three days?

KEVIN STADLER: No, I can't talked to him at all. Been firing some e mails, but haven't been in to check since the week started.

Q. Would you consider ringing him, is that the sort of thing you would do?

KEVIN STADLER: To be honest with you, I have no idea what time it is there. I imagine it's in the middle of the night right now. I might ring him later tonight, sometime in the morning. I think it's nine, ten hours.

Q. Inaudible?

KEVIN STADLER: Just a couple I think. I played one mini Tour event at home and then I played San Diego last week.

Q. You mentioned the other day that you had won an event right when you turned professional, where was that?

KEVIN STADLER: I was in Colorado where I grew up, just the State Open there. It's just a mini tour event in the States. It's one of the better ones.

GORDON SIMPSON: Is there one thing that you can put your finger on that's got you into this strong position?

KEVIN STADLER: I feel like I've been driving it pretty well, keeping it in play and holing the putts that I need to. I made a share of good par putts, that always helps, that I made over the three days, from 10 or 12 feet for par. I think I've only made a couple, two or three bogeys. Here the 5 pars are going to get you chances for birdies and if you decent make too many mistakes you'll get a couple more along the way.

Q. And the chip in?

KEVIN STADLER: That was a bonus, two , three show swing there. That was 5, I guess, I hit it long and left of the green, pretty much just dead. Couldn't decide if I was going it pump it, dump it fluff it or what, and just fluffed it up there. I thought it stopped a couple feet from the hole, and as I was walking up the hole it dropped in. It was one of those where it could have been just going back to your feet, up the hill and down the hill the whole time and fortunately dropped in there.

Q. Sometimes players get to a venue and they see the golf course for the first time, they feel pretty positive about it and go on to have a good week; is that the way you felt about this course?

KEVIN STADLER: Definitely, I liked it a lot when I came out here Tuesday morning. First time I had seen it and I hit it pretty well and felt like I made a lot of birdies. I wasn't really playing for a score but I was hitting a lot of good shots around here and liked the feel of the course. You just figure, the greens are a little different from what I'm used to and there's a lot of different slopes that you can use to your advantage. I felt comfortable from the start out here.

Q. Were you close to getting into the Walker Cup team as an amateur?

KEVIN STADLER: Not really. I didn't really play too many of the big amateur events when I was in college. I played my fair share, but I didn't play it seems that the majority of the ones I looked at and qualified for those were back on the East Coast. I had finished playing for the school, golf, and just took a little time off at start of the summer, so I missed the first couple. They all seemed to be back in the northeast. I played the U.S. Amateur a few times and the Western Amateur a few times. I really wasn't looking to play a huge schedule of tournaments in the summer. I played enough in college and just wanted to be ready for the following year. Obviously it would have been good to play there but I don't think I played enough.

Q. What are your career goals?

KEVIN STADLER: To be honest with you I don't really have an answer for that. I just like to get back out on Tour and play there for the U.S., I'd like that to be a mainstay. As far as career goals, I've never really said anything like that.

Q. What about winning at least two majors?

KEVIN STADLER: Sure, that would work obviously. Winning one would be fantastic. I think I don't know, right now, I just want to get back out there and if I can for the if I myself out there, I can change from there.

Q. Have you got your regular caddie?

KEVIN STADLER: Yeah, he came down with me.

Q. Can you compare this at all to the Argentine Open?

KEVIN STADLER: It's pretty similar I guess. I was playing pretty well down there and putting pretty well. The course there was pretty difficult. It was kind of some similarities. The greens were crazy, made these things look like they were part of the table. They were very firm. I think myself and Cabrera were the only two out of the tournament that were under par.

As far as the scoring, it's a lot different. The style of golf is a little similar. But the greens were hard and fast and the fairways are really tight there. I feel like I'm striking the ball about the same as I did.

GORDON SIMPSON: Kevin, well done again.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297