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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 2, 2006

Ryan Palmer

DORAL, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: 7 under par 65, no bogeys, 15 of 18 greens today. Obviously you played well, 28 putts. Talk about your round.

RYAN PALMER: Just a solid day. I never put myself in trouble off the tee. When I did, I hit it far enough off line that it was in good shape. But I played solid. I've been hitting the ball well. I had two great days with the putter, and I knew I was putting good. I just gave myself chances that I was going to make a few. The hole just kept getting bigger and bigger.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Confidence is obviously a big factor in your play and a lot of others. Talk about your play this year, tied for second at Phoenix and just momentum carrying you from other things in the past couple of years?

RYAN PALMER: It is. Best start I've had to the start of the year in the last two or three years I've been out here. I started working with a trainer and I feel physically more fit. My swing is a lot more under control, I think and I just got a good start at the Bob Hope. It's carried over each week and that tournament in Phoenix, it gives me more confidence each tournament I come out here, knowing the situation I am, my last year of exemption, obviously. I've thought about that coming into the year. Definitely a lot has been listed with the start I got. Up to now I just have to concentrate on winning.

Q. What did you take away from Phoenix? Obviously it looks on paper like it was a blowout win on Sunday, but you got to 15 and you're still right there.

RYAN PALMER: Just the fact that I was in that situation, being in the final group and going head to head with J.B., until the 15th.

That's one hole of golf in a 72 hole tournament, obviously a little disappointed with the way it turned out, but I still was in the final group and still was in contention to win. That's the thing I took from it, and not worrying about what happened on 15. That's the way golf goes sometimes. Hopefully we get in that position again and it will go my way instead.

Q. What gave you more good vibes for the day, the A&M Texas game last night or the chip in early in the round today?

RYAN PALMER: I just felt good all morning. Got up and worked out a little bit this morning. I played good yesterday in the Pro Am. I was putting well. I felt good.

Getting off to a birdie, birdie start is huge. When I play well, I always get off to good starts, and that's the key I think. To go birdie, birdie the first few holes, I felt, okay, this is going to be a good day, keep going, I'm hitting the ball good and I'm putting good.

Q. It looks like when you go to bed tonight this all sorts out, you'll be up there somewhere in the vicinity, Tiger is up there, Phil is up there; does that give more of a buzz for you?

RYAN PALMER: Any time Tiger and Phil is up there, there's a buzz, obviously.

You know, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to go into the weekend hopefully playing with one of the two in contention. That's something I want to see how I handle it, that kind of pressure.

Obviously this is a good start, shooting 7 under Thursday, you can't win a golf tournament Thursday but you can lose it. This is one of my best starts of the year in the first round, and I'm looking forward to getting up in the morning and getting after it again.

Q. With all of the focus on Tiger and Phil tomorrow, as well, do you feel like you can, for lack of a better word, sneak up on some people with another good round tomorrow?

RYAN PALMER: I don't think I'm going to sneak up on anybody. I think I can.

Q. On public awareness, I guess.

RYAN PALMER: Okay, with the public, yeah, probably.

Obviously they are looking at two players. That's who they come out to watch. I just keep, you know, my focus on my game and if I just keep playing the way I have been, just try not to get ahead of myself thinking about Saturday or Sunday and going with Tiger and Phil. Just concentrate on tomorrow's round and just keep hitting the ball like I have been and putting the ball good, things will work out.

Q. What do you attribute most of your fast start this to?

RYAN PALMER: I don't know. Just excited about the year, knowing the position I am with Ryder Cup and that's one of the main goals I have for the year, and wanting to get back to the Masters.

Plus, like I said, I started working out with a trainer this year, and I think that's a big help. I'm not as tired as I used to get, and my swing is definitely more under control, like I said. I feel stronger, which my swing holds up longer.

Q. Had you done anything before?

RYAN PALMER: A little bit, not much. Maybe in the off season, just I'll stretch a couple of times a week and take the four weeks off and stretch a couple times again that week (laughter).

Q. You're on the sports writer's regimen.

RYAN PALMER: That's a big help, especially in the mornings when you get up and do a couple rotation exercises and then a good stretch and then afterwards, I'm not getting up as stiff in the mornings. I'm ready to go.

Q. Who and why, on the fitness things?

RYAN PALMER: Steve Adams, one of the Australians that works with a couple of players. Keith Slocum is a good friend and I've been talking to him about it. Steve helped me out a couple times last year with the few problems I had. He knows how to get in there and work it out pretty good.

I finally just decided, you know, I'm going to give it a shot and see what happens this year. If I don't like it, I won't do it, and obviously it's turning out pretty good.

Q. You had health problems?

RYAN PALMER: Not health, just a few muscle problems in my neck area. Nothing that came from playing, but a lot of aching and he knew where to go in and massage the right areas which relieved the problems.

Q. Did you watch the game last night or no?

RYAN PALMER: I watched the last half. I knew if they won, they would get in the tournament and if Colorado lost, I guess that was the huge thing. But it was fun. I saw Harrison Frazar this morning, I asked him, I said, "Did you watch the game?"

"Yeah, I watched it." And then Todd Hamilton, he's a Sooner, he said he wanted us to lose so Texas would not be so mad next weekend.

Q. Did you try to find Justin, too?

RYAN PALMER: No, I didn't look for him. It was nice. I guess you could it was nice to get up with a good feeling. It's always nice when a team like that wins and you can get up feeling good.

Q. How far were you picking when you do your tournament bracket?

RYAN PALMER: We'll have to see. They are good.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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