DORAL-RYDER OPEN

March 7, 1997

Robert Damron

ROBERT DAMRON: I'm excited be going into the weekend, I haven't made my cut the last four starts. I've been playing all right, but not making any putts. So I'm really excited about it, anxious.

ROBERT DAMRON: I didn't hit it. I hit it solid, but not particularly solid. I actually kind of thought I drove it poorly, but I got away with a few good breaks.

ROBERT DAMRON: Wedge. I had 111 and 19. On 17, I've been kind of losing my driver to the right, on 17 the wind was glowing left to right, and I didn't weren't to lose it right and I steered it and made bogey and pulled it into the trap. I was disappointed with myself, making bogey after playing so well. On 18 ill admitted myself to swinging as hard as I could. I said I'm not going to steer it, I'm going to pound it and let it go as it goes.

ROBERT DAMRON: Out of the fairway or how close --

ROBERT DAMRON: Four or five feet.

ROBERT DAMRON: Yeah, that's nice, I think I had 8, 7.

ROBERT DAMRON: Wow.

ROBERT DAMRON: No. I knew it was going to happen eventually. It's just a matter of time playing this game. Just on the putting green last night after the round something just kind of fell into place, and then this morning I was crossing my fingers walking to the putting green that I would still have it and it would feel as good, and it did fortunately. And I carried it on the course with me.

ROBERT DAMRON: Not too much. It stopped a few holes and it blew a few holes. Yesterday 18 was straight into the wind for us. That's about it. Not too many other places I noticed a difference. I didn't really think about it too much.

ROBERT DAMRON: I really don't know. I wish I did know, that way I wouldn't let it slip again. It just kind of felt good. I wish I had an answer for you.

ROBERT DAMRON: Very, very, very satisfying. I've always liked this course. I hadn't played it -- yesterday was the first time I played it since they changed it. And so I didn't get any practice rounds in. But I've always liked this course. And I felt like my game was coming around the last couple of weeks, but I wasn't rolling any putts in, and I missed the cut on the number, and it kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. And I went home from LA and played a couple of days at home and was really ready to get back out. And so it was really, really nice to get in here.

ROBERT DAMRON: Yeah, I felt like I could. I felt like I was close. I don't want to get in just to be happy to be here. I don't want to settle for just being on TOUR, I'd like to do well and play as well as I think I can.

ROBERT DAMRON: I never really had too much problem with nerves or -- I played solid my first tournament out and I really -- the crowds don't bother me and the atmosphere doesn't bother me. It hasn't been too hard to adjust. It's just a golf course, like any other I play each week.

ROBERT DAMRON: I don't know if I can remember them all. 1 actually got me off to a good frame of mind because I made about a 20-footer. I got a good read, Paul Stan cow ski hit a putt just before me about 10 feet longer than mine. I got over it and saw the line well and hit it right in the middle. I felt good about that. Making putts where I hadn't made any for a while. I'm trying to remember where else I -- I hit it close on 5, just had about four feet. 6, I birdied -- I hit it close again. I hit a 9-iron on that hole. I hit it only about three feet. I guess I hit it better than I thought. Birdied 9, that was a great putt, that was probably the best putt I made today. It was kind of just slippery to the left and it was playing hard with the wind, and it's tucked over on the left and it was short, and so I hit a good shot and was happy with it just to knock it on the green, and then to make it was really nice. It was about 20 feet, maybe. And then --

ROBERT DAMRON: 6-iron. 10 I birdied. I hit it close with a 9-iron. Four feet. I missed about an 8-footer on 11, actually, for a birdie. And then I hit it about four feet on 12 and made it. And then, geez, all my birdies were close putts, I did hit good today. 14 I had a 6-iron in and I have no idea how I did going into the haul, the pitch marks were dead in line with the hole, the ball was dead behind the hole, and a tap in birdie there. After bogeying 17 I was really -- I didn't want to settle for 5-under after being 6. It's nice to finish with a birdie, and finish 6. You don't like to finish less than you were at any point in the round.

ROBERT DAMRON: Drove it in the left bunker and then hit it fat out of the bunker.

ROBERT DAMRON: No. One of. I mean I played solid. It doesn't really stick out as being great. It actually seemed kind of easy, just getting the rhythm of things. And like I said I just made a few putts. I don't feel I putted out stand, I don't feel like I hit my irons outstanding. It was just pretty solid all the way around.

ROBERT DAMRON: I'm just excited. I'm excited to be here. It's my first -- I guess assuming the wind kicks up I should be fairly close to the lead. It's exciting. I'm anxious to go out and try and see how I doll. I feel like I'm going to do well, but you don't know until it's over. It's great just to be in position and be in -- I don't want to say I'm in contention yet, somebody might shoot 7 under, and I'll be 7 back. But --