PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 20, 2006

Chris DiMarco

roll like this, 19 , 20 under and you're just trying to dog paddle to keep your head up?

CHRIS DiMARCO: In 2001 was that the year it was when he won three majors? 2000 and 2001. He's on a pretty good roll right now. He's all right.

Again, I think that this course is a course where he doesn't have to hit driver. Any time he doesn't have to hit driver, he'll hit it right down the middle. It definitely favors him in the fact he doesn't have to hit driver and he's hitting a lot of 3 woods. When he's putting the ball in play off the tee, it's pretty scary.

Q. It's such a different one. I mean, you definitely had a shot at him at Hoylake. I mean, it was right there and you knew what was right in front of you. This one he kind of just kicked it into fifth gear.

CHRIS DiMARCO: Yeah, he does that (laughter). Like I said, it's a course that the one thing about Tiger that he's always been able to do is if people are pushing him, he's going to shoot 6 , 7 under and win, but he has the luxury now he can put the ball in the middle of the green. And when you do that enough, you know these greens are not the biggest greens, so if you just put them in the middle of the greens, you're going to have 20 , 30 footers, and they're rolling perfect and you're going to make some putts.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS DiMARCO: I don't think so. I shot 8 under and it was like 11th or 12th. It's still just a number. It's just a number we're shooting. It's nice to hit it in the rough and actually think you can hit it at the pin. That's when you make some tough scores. I mean, you go to a U.S. Open and shoot it in the rough, it puts you out; there's nothing to it.

The shot Tiger hit on No. 18 yesterday was ridiculous. I was sitting there watching him, and I didn't see his ball and he flies it all the way to the pin. I might be able to hit a 6 iron or 5 iron here and run it up to the top of the green. But if that's a U.S. Open, he still might be able to do that. It actually gives you more of a chance, it really does. I think it's great. I think it's the way it should be.

Q. He's got a 54 hole lead and you're watching on TV in the locker room with the rest of the fellas. Do you boys shrug and say, Oh, boy, here we go again? He just doesn't give it up; it seems like there's an inevitability to it.

CHRIS DiMARCO: You would think going to the first tee that he would feel the pressure because everybody is expecting him to win, and it's the exact opposite. The guy playing with him feels the most pressure. You would think with the pressure that he feels nobody is giving him a chance. But it's the fact that you have to go face to face with Tiger, and he's a pretty intimidating guy, no doubt about it.

Q. Somebody said when you walk into the final group of a major like that, you're walking into his world.

CHRIS DiMARCO: I've never seen anybody, take away Jack Nicklaus, he's the only other guy I've ever seen, who looks more comfortable leading on the back nine of a major than playing the first hole of a tournament, and that's pretty scary.

It's unbelievable that he can feel that comfortable. I mean, it's almost like he comes into his comfort zone in that situation and just relishes the fact that everybody for the most part wants to see him trip. People are, like, please make bogeys, other people make birdies, and he just puts the hammer down.

At the end he wins by four or five, and your hat off to him. He's the best.

Q. Do you feel like Tiger is playing as well as he did in that stretch of 2000 and 2001?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Well, let's see. This is four tournaments in a row he's won? Three in a row. And the majors. He's doing okay. I think his career is okay. I think his longevity is okay (laughter). I played with him at the U.S. Open that year, and it was scary how good he hit the ball at Bethpage. It was scary, unbelievable. I had to move because I couldn't see where the ball was coming down because it was right on line with every pin.

End of FastScripts.