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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 2, 2006

Scott Verplank

DORAL, FLORIDA

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Scott for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center. Good start to the week, 66, and great conditions out there.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Perfect. No wind, greens are soft, relatively speaking. You know, when you play early, they are smooth. So you hope to take advantage of it.

Q. When you come back here, do you have mostly good memories, despite getting struck by lightning on the 18th hole a couple of years ago, generally?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, that year, I played pretty well and I did a lot things kind of coming down the stretch to get in and have a chance to win.

I said a minute ago, I hit kind of a bad drive into the right rough and I hit, for me, what was a pretty spectacular recovery shot up on to the green. I was feeling pretty good about myself.

Q. Reaching for the putter.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, I had the putter in my hand going, all right, I might be able to get out of this hole. I didn't look like I was in very good shape. Kind of had an all or nothing second shot and pulled it off and got it on the green about 30 feet from the hole. I still don't know what happened to that ball.

By the time I got to the green, it was gone. I was on the green. Yeah, like I said, I was feeling pretty good about myself, and the guy hits this nice looking shot, goes in the hole, and that was it. Picked my putter up, went back and shook his hand.

Q. Did you see the plaque on 18?

SCOTT VERPLANK: I forgot about it, and then all of my Pro Am partners yesterday pointed it out: "Hey, remember that?" (Laughing.) No, I forgot about it. Bit's not even in the right place; it's like six or eight yards too far to the right. I know exactly where he was standing because he started jumping up and down and his feet never got off the ground (laughter).

Q. Why do you think you play well here? And the reason I ask, there's a lot of focus going from Phoenix, big, blasty course; Riviera, navigate; and Doral is put in that group of bombs away type thing.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, you know, to be honest with you, I think Riviera is bombs away more than navigate. It used to be navigate back in the mid '80s and late '80s. It used to be work your ball and all that. Riviera now is a bomber's.

I was playing with J.B. Holmes today, and I could see that Phoenix isn't that tough if you're hitting it 350 down the middle most holes. He drives it real nice. Phoenix is all about fairways in my opinion. That's why I think I can still play there. Obviously it helps to hit it 350, but I can still play there because it's got enough position on the golf course.

Here it's kind of similar. They have grown it in on the sides. There's more rough, the fairways are a little bit more narrow. Obviously it helps to bomb it on any golf course, as long as you can find it.

I've had pretty good success around here. I like the golf course. It sets up pretty well for me. Other than that

Q. Where do you see Riviera as a bomber's course?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, every hole. You know, especially like the ones that they have added, 12, 13, 15, 18, they have added enough yardage there that it makes a big difference on what club you're hitting in.

Q. If you're not bombing or hitting more club

SCOTT VERPLANK: You're hitting too much club into like 12 or 13, more than the hole was originally designed for.

And the ball doesn't go as far there early in the year. It's usually a little cooler. That's why I like coming here so much. I can start compressing the ball again, so I can actually get it out there a little bit further (laughter).

Q. Because you're warmer and looser and all that?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, and the ball is heated up a little bit. I always look forward to I say it every year, Tuesday at noon when I get here every year and open the door to that airplane, that hot air comes rushing in, it's like the greatest day of the year. It's adios, California.

Q. You mentioned playing with J.B., David Toms says that when he's playing with bomber's, to this day, he fights himself to not get out of his own game. Does that get to be a struggle for you at all?

SCOTT VERPLANK: No, it doesn't. Like I said, I just had a chuckle on most holes walking off the tee about how hard the guy was hitting and how far it was going.

I mean, I can't hit it that far. I'm not even going to try. I know what I do good, and I know what my strengths are, so I have to continue to try to play to those.

You know, last I checked, I was still doing okay.

Q. Do you think Lehman could be a playing Ryder Cup Captain, or is that too much to ask in this day and age of scrutiny and expectation and outside demands?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Oh, I don't know. That would have to be a very personal decision.

Q. He said he was probably if he was in that decision, he would ask the players what they thought.

SCOTT VERPLANK: If he was playing good enough, you'd sure like to have your best players. If he's playing that well and felt like he was going to contribute points to a victory, why wouldn't you? I mean, you have a couple of assistants and they have both been around that competition several times and they have been pretty successful, they know what's going on. You've got Loren and Corey, they can handle a bunch of the little minute BS stuff that you've got to do.

Q. You've had a couple of years where you get to a Ryder Cup year and you know the formula, but this year, it's a little more volatile, up and down, is it different following it this year?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I don't know, it's so early in the point count, I guess. I guess it is more volatile because you can make bigger gains with a victory and the points are I guess they are quadrupled. You'll catch more of the guys playing well this year. It's more on par with what the European side does; they use a one year deal. It's probably the best thing to do.

Q. Do you really focus on it right now?

SCOTT VERPLANK: You know what, if I play well and have chances to win and have high finishes, then, you know, points will add up. Otherwise, I mean, you can't manufacture any points without playing well. So just try to do the same things I always do. Just play to my strengths and watch these guys hit it 350.

Q. Is it mostly bermuda in Texas or a little mix?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, bermuda fairways. I grew up on bermudagreens, but they were not anything like this. They were more like the fairways probably.

But, yeah, they do a great job. These greens are great greens. Once you figure out how to read them

Q. Not much grain with the overseed.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Not a lot, but they have little subtle breaks in them that after several years of playing here, you start figuring out a little bit.

Q. Have you always played about the same in California or do you find yourself playing more?

SCOTT VERPLANK: I'm playing less in California, is that what you're saying?

Q. You're playing less in California?

SCOTT VERPLANK: I played Palm Springs and Phoenix, desert, nice greens, good conditions. I keep going back to Riviera, but I think I'm done with that. And thank God they moved the Match Play. Moved it to Tucson, so I'm fired up for next year. (Laughter) I'll go to Palm Springs and that will be the extent of my California golfing.

Q. Do you think that the way the schedule shakes out next year is going to maybe steer more guys to come play on the West Coast?

SCOTT VERPLANK: It could. That's all theory and you never know what's going to happen.

When you stack all of the good tournaments up in a row, it will be harder to skip, starting in about March until the end of August or whatever. So you might look at the thing and say, well, I'm going to have to play a ton coming up, so you may not hit it as hard starting out.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thanks.

End of FastScripts.

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