CHRYSLER CLASSIC OF GREENSBORO

October 17, 2003

Stephen Ames

TODD BUDNICK: Not as easy today as it was yesterday, a little chillier, windier, and four bogeys in your first five holes. Not the way you want to start a round.

STEPHEN AMES: Definitely not. For me, I just couldn't get awake. It was too early for me. I don't know. That was unfortunate for me, the way I started. Other than that, the rest of the day I played really well.

TODD BUDNICK: Other than not being awake at that point in time, were you just hitting it all over the place?

STEPHEN AMES: No, for me it was just a matter of visualization. A lot of the shots I was visualizing. Until I got to the 5th hole it was like I wasn't seeing anything, I'm just standing and hitting the golf ball. From there I started seeing what kind of shot I wanted to see, what kind of shot I wanted to hit. Every time I did it, the shot came out, hence the reason for the birdies and the eagle on 15. I played better from there.

Q. When you start off four of five holes with bogeys, how hard is it to keep it in there?

STEPHEN AMES: It's tough, especially with the wind.

Q. Were you thinking 80?

STEPHEN AMES: No, I wasn't thinking that. I was trying to figure out why I started that way and what was I missing, was something wrong here. I felt I hadn't made a bad shot there and now I'm 4-over par, there's something wrong here. Like I said, as I went along, okay, I think I need to see this shot more, if not verbalize my shot more to my caddie, my brother. As soon as I started doing that, out came the shot, the score changed, everything changed and I started playing really good golf from then on.

Q. Is that something you do when you're struggling?

No, it's something I struggle with, I don't do enough of. For something like that, it's a very difficult thing to practice. You have to practice it on the range, or when you play your practice round, you take it on the golf course and practice that. For me, I don't do it enough.

Q. Did your brother give you that suggestion today?

STEPHEN AMES: No, that was my suggestion. That was me. That's just what I felt.

Q. How much harder is the golf course playing today?

STEPHEN AMES: Probably about three or four shots tougher with the wind. Pins are tucked more, the greens are firmer. A lot of the holes you can't really get too close to them. You have more 20- and 25-footers than you will have 8- and 10-footers, like I did yesterday, but definitely it's playing tougher, without a doubt.

Q. What's your brother's name?

STEPHEN AMES: Robert.

Q. And you got an eagle on15?

STEPHEN AMES: On 15, yes.

TODD BUDNICK: Walk us through the round, starting with that bogey on No. 10.

STEPHEN AMES: Let's forget the first four holes. It was right up the middle with the drive, missed my 6-iron, put it in the trap, hit it to about 10 feet, missed the putt.

11, 2-putted for par.

12, that was a bad decision on the club. I hit it long, over the green, chipped it up very short, 25 feet, 2-putted there.

13, just short of the green in two, made 6.

14, 3-putted from eight feet, and then basically that's when I pulled my head of you know where.

And 15, I hit a beautiful drive and hit a 5-wood 231, I hit it to about 25 feet, made that for eagle.

18, I hit 3-wood, 9-iron, to about 18 feet, made birdie there.

I made a good par on 1, because I hit my drive right, chipped it out left. I hit lob-wedge to about four feet and made that.

2, I hit driver, 3-wood into the swell in the green. That was two good hits together today. Yesterday I hit 3-iron, today 3-wood in there. You can tell the difference.

6, driver, lob-wedge to 5 feet, made birdie.

9, just short of the green in two, missed my 3-wood a bit, chipped it up to about eight feet and made birdie there, made the putt.

8, I pulled my tee shot left, missed it in the wrong spot again.

Q. What kind of position do you feel you're in? How do you feel you're playing for the weekend?

STEPHEN AMES: I'm comfortable with my game right now. My golf swing feels pretty intact, putting feels really good, it was nice. I have to see the shots before I hit it. I think that's going to help me. It will definitely help me.

End of FastScripts.