OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE PRO-AM

February 24, 2006

Mark McNulty

MARK McNULTY: It's easy to go through the round and tell you exactly, you know, hit a 5 iron, whatever it might be. But I think let's just talk about the golf course, the tournament, and just a little bit about my round today. I think as the TV guys just asked me, I feel the golf course must be playing a club longer than it was last year because they are not getting quite as much roll, even though we had a lot of rain last year.

It's a funny thing, they have overseeded the fairways, and. I think what Outback have done is fantastic. It's lovely to see a lot of people out there supporting and obviously playing with Kerry Brooks today, a lot of boo hooing and that was fun, and he finished off unbelievably well. He made a birdie on 18 and had those Tampa Bay guys shouting, so that was good. You know, as far as Outback inviting a lot of celebrities, I think it's only going to get better and I think this is going to be a great tournament down the line.

As far as me today, I haven't really started out the year quite as well as I would have liked. The ball hasn't been coming out of the middle, but together with David and I over the last two weeks trying to figure a few things out and kind of solved yesterday with a little bit of adjustment. And went home last night and I said to my wife, "At least I think I'm hitting the ball better."

And it's nice to come out. And I'm always leery of saying too much because this game can bite you back very quickly. But at least I'm back on the right track and it's great to shoot a round like I did today. It was a little tricky at times, but I must say, to play this golf course, have six birdies and no dropped shots is a nice round. Apart from me telling you exactly what I did hole by hole, what have we got?

DAVE SENKO: Just want to get your birdies real quick starting at 3.

MARK McNULTY: I hit a 9 iron 15 feet.

4, I hit a 6 iron for my second a little bit closer, let's say ten feet.

9, I hit must have been my best shot of the day. That hole was playing a little bit longer than I anticipated. I think I had 205 to the hole and I hit one of those utility clubs to about two feet from the hole.

No. 12, I hit a 5 iron for my second about ten feet and holed that for an eagle.

And 16, I hit a 6 iron to 25 feet.

Q. Do you have good feelings here because you won your first Champions Tour event on this course and does it make it easy?

MARK McNULTY: I think it's a known fact amongst any players who play the game, regular tour, ladies tour, if you come back to a course which you've done well on, it's always got to do something with it fits your eye. And it fits my eye. It's more than that here. I think last year and 2004 when I won, I was playing particularly well. Today was one of those rounds where I played particularly well again. But it does help when you come back, no doubt. Horses for courses, isn't that what they say?

Q. Along that same idea, does it set up well for you because you've had success, or is it the chicken and the egg?

MARK McNULTY: I think it's a bit of chicken and the egg, what comes first. As I said, I was playing very well and obviously was the first time around. But, you know, when you come back to places that you've played well, you do have good vibes and that definitely helps. Even when you're playing poorly, it sort of revitalizes you and you're able to pick yourself up so you can find your next trip here and produce. You sort of draw back on things from the past, and it definitely helps, no doubt.

Q. Does the pace of play and the large field, over 150 players, by the weekend, does that become a factor here more than the regular standard event?

MARK McNULTY: I think it can be. One has got to understand the mechanics of the tournament, and how it works and operates. You know you're going to have times where you might have two amateurs where on a particular hole might struggle, or sometimes you get two amateurs and a hole struggling on a pro and then you've got to wait, sometimes ten or 15 minutes for a ruling or this or that.

You know, as long as you can switch the old brain box off and when it's your turn you can switch it back on, that's the key to these tournaments and experience. Having played these tournaments before, we've played them all tours; I played them in Europe, I've played them in South Africa and I've played them in the regular tour and here, so you just use your experience. Today was a little bit slow but just switch it on. I think you can get the gist of my answer.

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