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THE INTERNATIONAL

August 10, 2006

Stuart Appleby

CASTLE ROCK, COLORADO

THE MODERATOR: After the first round of the INTERNATIONAL, you're on the leaderboard with 11 points. Good day for you. Some opening comments.

STUART APPLEBY: Interesting slowish front nine. Finished a slow front nine. I start off with some birdies there to get some plus twos on the card. But certainly let the (indiscernible.) Almost made a birdie by hitting the flag and just dribbling close but you really need to birdie to Par 5. And then nine I hit a poor drive in the water and made a bogey there. So certainly nothing sweet going in the back nine. Mentally I was thinking four birdies in the back nine gets me 8 points and that turns the round around. Didn't get my 4 birdies which really gives a good bonus and ended up with 9 points on the back for 11 total. The beauty of the points system being that you make eagles and you get a free birdie and a half.

THE MODERATOR: Questions? . Thank you.

Q. Is there anything special you have to do because the at attitude any extra training?

STUART APPLEBY: I haven't yeah I tried at 93 feet above sea level in Orlando. That really helped me. I was in a golf cart most of the time.

No, it was physically a tough course. You do find yourself having to calm down a bit on the tees because you just more stuff than normally are getting to them. But you know, there are yardage differences you get into. The toughest (indiscernible) the wind was blowing 30, 40 in the afternoon, and that was unbelievable. You have percentages to take into account, the wind, the downhill lie, uphill shot.

It was the most confusing golf I've ever seen here. Normally we don't get much wind and it's just a percentage, and I think I've been here, this is my 11th year straight, so I understand what's going on.

Q. (No microphone)

STUART APPLEBY: It is. I think they have had a bit of rain more than normal, so it's bit softer. But if we can get the heat is supposed to be hotter than normal, too. So we should get the course, by weekend, hopefully firm. The greens with are typically perfect.

Q. Do you prefer faster than it is

STUART APPLEBY: I don't see this course firm very often. It tends to get blue very easy, so it's a fine line. No you don't have to hit as much club, or maybe hit the 3 wood off the tee and things like that.

To answer your question, seemed like a while since I played, but British Open was the last time I played. Not today I am not as happy as I have been hitting it. So I need to hit it just a little better and putt it a little bit better.

But you can mask average rounds with you know, eagle helps, but today, without the eagle, that would have been a nice competitive opening round, but I need to sort of do that and more...

Q. (No microphone)

THE MODERATOR: We need to use the mic for the transcription services.

Q. You got some very good finishes here in the past. Is it the format or the course that sets up well for you?

STUART APPLEBY: Well, I'm not one of the highest birdie makers per round on Tour average, so I guess that any guy that fits into this bill is making four plus birdies a round would love this.

It's a long course, but the free yardage we get the course can play a lot of short holes a lot of birdies and par 5s and plenty of short Par 4s.

I played well here I know it, the course hasn't changed. It's there to be, you know, scored upon. The winners are shooting in the 40s, so you're talking about 8 to 12 everyday if the weather stays predicable.

I know the course. I haven't played well here for a while. I was second in '97 and some other nice performances, but...

Q. Talk about your performance at two Opens. How disappointed were you with them?

STUART APPLEBY: The opens, yeah. Yeah, disappointed. Definitely disappointed with the British Open. I felt like I had some more game. Had something there, but just managed to not be able to swing it good enough with my short iron. I didn't actually drive the ball a lot. I just wasn't able to put the club in a good position with my short iron. Just a little fault I have in my swing. That just put too much stress on the rest of the game.

I had a chance to definitely play a lot better. But if you're just not feeling good, you tend to get the worst bounces and everything goes against you. If you're playing well you get the right stuff. I felt like British Open is the tournament I can play the best at.

But I guess when I won Houston I played average in Augusta too, but I said, I'm going to work this thing out in my swing, and I did, I won Houston. But the game is a funny thing. What you do and what you feel aren't always the same thing.

In Houston I had the right feeling the whole week. I felt like the swing was doing what I wanted it to. Sometimes it does what it's supposed to but doesn't feel like it.

That's the beauty of the game. You don't get the same feel every week. Top then next week would be good. Feels like that's what my game can do.

Q. Can you tell us about the eagle?

STUART APPLEBY: Hit driver, 2 iron longish right into the back right trap. Had a very easy shot to get down to the flag, but probably not easy to stop it. I just hit it and it looked perfect all the way. Ran probably about 30 feet straight into the hole. It was a good shot. 4 wood is definitely what I was looking for, but 3 was a big bonus.

THE MODERATOR: Could we go through your round?

STUART APPLEBY: Okay. Laid up second shot knocked it to about five feet, made it. Second two put from about 40.

3, made about a fifteen footer for birdie. Par 3, two putted from about 35.

Two putted from about 25 to 30 on the next.

6, I missed a good chance there from about fifteen feet behind the hole.

Bogeyed the 7th tee shot. Not a great chip and putt. Made it lipped that chipped it into the flag and stayed out on 8.

And 9, I hit it in the drink, and then pitched and putted for 5.

10, poor drive right into the rough. Hit a miraculous shot out of the well, lucky. You can call it miraculous. I call it lucky. To about 15 feet and made that for birdie.

Two putted on 11 from about 35.

12, up and down out of the trap to about 3, 4 feet.

13, just missed the green to about fifteen feet, two putted. Par 5 driver, 2 iron, sand wedge or L wedge in the hole.

15, 3 wood, cut wedge to about 8 feet and made it.

16, great tee shot there at about 12 feet. Just misread it for par.

17, hit a bad tee shot but got a really great break and should have made a 4. Made a 5.

18, got up and down from about 40 yards short of the hole.

THE MODERATOR: So 9, hit 3 wood off the tee there?

STUART APPLEBY: No, I hit driver.

THE MODERATOR: Anymore questions?

Q. What would it mean for you to win this tournament?

STUART APPLEBY: I'd love to win this tournament. It's one of the events that I probably played nonstop since I turned pro. I've come close. It's a very dynamic tournament. Probably nothing like it around.

I think when Rich Beem won here it looked like he was giving birth on the back of the 18th green when he saw Steve Lowery coming it. He looked a mental wreck. I've just never seen a guy look so worried.

But, yeah, look what Steve did. He had no chance to lose the tournament really and he had it snagged out of his hands with a five and an eight?

Q. Yeah.

STUART APPLEBY: So that's just ridiculous. I'd love to win this tournament. Yeah. I can't say anything else.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. All right, Stuart, thanks.

End of FastScripts.

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