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BARCLAYS CLASSIC

June 6, 2006

Carl Pettersson

HARRISON, NEW YORK

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Carl Pettersson, thanks for joining us. Congratulations on your win last week at the Memorial, jumped up to 29 in the official world golf ranking and you get into the U.S. Open and probably most of the WGCs and the rest of the majors the remainder of the season, obviously some good perks. Talk about your win last week.

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I still can't quite believe it. You know, it's definitely opened a lot of doors, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the year.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Go through the win a little bit if you could for the people that weren't there. Obviously a long weekend but probably even longer for you having to sleep on the lead and sit through some delays. Kind of go through the week if you could.

CARL PETTERSSON: Sleeping on the lead wasn't that big of a deal because, you know, golf, it really doesn't matter until the last nine holes on Sunday because anything can happen in a couple holes. It was a little strange on Sunday, we had a weather delay after 11 holes, and they kept us out there for 30 minutes, which was kind of unusual just to sit around for 30 minutes and then come right back and play again, but it worked out good.

Q. Can putting carry over from week to week?

CARL PETTERSSON: I think so, definitely. I would say I putted very nice the whole week, especially on Sunday, but I think so. It's just like any part of the game, once you start doing something well, you usually are very confident in that area of the game, and it can carry over here.

Q. As opposed to, say, hitting off the tee or long irons, would you say that those areas of the game can leave you quicker than putting, or is it all the same thing?

CARL PETTERSSON: I don't know, golf is such a strange game, anything can happen. One day you can shoot 62, the next day you can shoot 84. This game is just purely day by day. You know, one day you've got it and one day you might not, but hopefully sometimes you can get into a run where everything is kind of clicking.

Q. Did you have an Open qualifier set up?

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I was going to do it in Columbus yesterday.

Q. Knowing what an ordeal that is, I've got to think that was one extra perk.

CARL PETTERSSON: Exactly. I wasn't really thinking about it when I was playing because I had to play on Sunday, and that was Monday. I was just trying to win the tournament and trying to play well. It was just an extra bonus I didn't have to do that.

Q. You've done that, I'm sure, played 36 hole sectional qualifying before?

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah.

Q. How much of a grind is that to play one week, play a 36 hole qualifier and then potentially play the week after?

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, sometimes it can wear you down the week after, especially your legs get tired. But we play so much golf anyway, it's not that big of a deal really I don't think. If you make it, it doesn't seem to hurt as much, but if you don't make it, you feel more tired.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: You were 51st on the official world golf rankings, the cutoff for the U.S. Open.

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I just missed it the week before, so I thought I might be able to get in the U.S. Open, but I stayed at 51. I was kind of happy not to do it.

Q. Were there a couple elements the last year, 18 months, that have kind of allowed you to win some tournaments, increase your stature, the way you are now?

CARL PETTERSSON: Well, I think I've played I turned pro in 2000, so I've got a few years under my belt, kind of learned from my mistakes. I think it's just a learning process. Finally last year I managed to win, and it carried a lot of confidence over to this year that I could do it. I drew a lot from that on Sunday last week, and it really helped.

Q. Was there anybody that you worked with or anything that you've worked on in particular from college days or anything like that?

CARL PETTERSSON: No, I'm pretty much self taught. I don't have a coach. I haven't had a coach for years. I kind of try to figure out my own game. Sometimes that's good and sometimes that's bad, but nothing I just kind of play along and try to work on stuff I'm not very good at and try to get better at it.

Q. What are sort of the keys to winning, or is it something that you're aware of, the things that it takes to kind of knuckle down and find the way to win?

CARL PETTERSSON: You've got to make a lot of putts. When I won at Chrysler, I putted really well, holed out really well. I think it comes down to chipping and putting. You've obviously got to hit it fairly good, but if you can get it up and down, most of the time you're going to have a chance, and I was able to do that in both my two wins. I got up and down nearly every time.

Q. Do you know Robert Karlsson well, and if so, had he won the World Open before you teed off on Sunday?

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I was actually watching it because we had to finish the third round Sunday early, and then I came back and I was taking a little nap watching it, and I saw that he won.

I know Robert a little bit just from playing in Europe for two years, but I haven't known him for years, just the last two years.

Q. Some inspiration from a Swedish guy winning on the other side of the Atlantic?

CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, a little bit. If he can do it, why couldn't I do it? Not a huge inspiration, but nice.

Q. How did you get over to NC State?

CARL PETTERSSON: Well, my parents moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, when I was 16, so I did my junior and senior year in high school in North Carolina. I was going to go to NC State out of high school, but my grades weren't quite good enough (laughing). I had to go to junior college and then went back to NC State.

Q. So you knew someone from the area that kind of got you there?

CARL PETTERSSON: No, actually the coach recruited me, Richard Sykes recruited me when I was playing junior golf. I liked him, so I ended up going back there.

Q. What do you hear about Winged Foot?

CARL PETTERSSON: Actually a friend of mine who went to NC State is a member there, so all I've heard is how tough it is. So I'm kind of looking forward to playing it to see how tough it is.

Q. You've never seen it?

CARL PETTERSSON: No.

Q. Are you going to try and sneak over for a practice round or anything?

CARL PETTERSSON: No. I'll play my practice round on Monday next week.

Q. Is it distracting knowing that it's five miles from here and obviously everyone is going to be there next week? Is it hard not to look a week ahead?

CARL PETTERSSON: No, I don't think so. This week we've got a tournament, Barclays, on a great golf course. You might think a little bit about the U.S. Open next week, but you've got to concentrate on this thing and do as well as you can here and then obviously Sunday night you might start thinking about the U.S. Open.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Carl, thanks.

End of FastScripts.

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