WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 23, 2002

Tiger Woods

Q. Seeing how low the scores can be, there's a 63 out there today. What are your thoughts heading into the weekend, knowing the low numbers are there?

TIGER WOODS: As soft as the greens are, you can shoot a low number, you have to get the ball in play, and then from there be aggressive at the flag. If you short side yourself you're more than likely to make bogey. So you still need to be careful going at the flags.

Q. For '98, 9 under, par 71 versus par-70, I understand, but we're already above that. It's a stark contrast?

TIGER WOODS: Yes, the golf course is much easier than it was in '98, because it's so soft. You get any golf course, I don't care how long it is or how short it is, with the greens soft, guys are going to go low. Just because they can be aggressive, fire at flags. You hit 5-irons at these flags -- I hit a 4-iron on 12 and it only rolled about 6 feet. That's normally not how it's supposed to be, especially at this golf course.

Back in '98 we were hitting sand wedge and it was skipping 20 feet past.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: You have to shoot low, because the guys are going to continue to shoot low.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: Depends on how I'm playing. If I'm playing well, yeah, I can be; if I'm not playing well, then I can't.

Q. Are you playing well?

TIGER WOODS: I didn't play as well as I did yesterday, no. I am playing -- I didn't hit good shots today like I did yesterday. Yesterday I made one really bad swing over there at 17. Other than that, I hit the ball really well. Today I didn't hit the ball particularly well. I'm just not hitting it -- didn't hit it flush today.

Q. Is this course a good fit for you?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it's a great fit, to be able to hit 2-irons and 3-irons and 3-woods off the tees like that and get it down there. Anytime you can do that, you feel like you can put a lot of balls in play.

Q. Your girlfriend is here. Does it help to kind of have her here?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, it's always great to have friends and family around. No matter how tough we think we are, we can't do it alone. You always need support. And I have a wonderful family, have a great girlfriend, have a great family, friends. There's a couple of my buddies out here this week. It's great to have them here, go out to dinner and have a great time this week.

Q. What makes her different than maybe some of your family members that makes you play better as a player?

TIGER WOODS: I think you can share things, obviously, with your partner a lot more than you can your family and friends.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: No, I'd much rather be up near the lead. Trust me. I need to go out there and play well tomorrow, and hopefully get it going early and keep it going.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: Challenging? Well, they were all challenging the way I was playing today. Just committing on each and every shot was tough.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: I had two. 15 and 18.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: There's really no need. If I hit 2-irons and 3-irons and 4-irons off the tees like I have, I still have 6-iron, 8-iron to the holes. Those are scoring irons, anyway, because you can be pretty aggressive. With the greens this soft you can be aggressive. But I'd much rather get the ball in play.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: On 6, I hit a cut 4-iron up there. I had 189 to the hole. Actually the 3-wood down there I hit it good, just hung it a touch, hung it up on the first cut.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: Well, I was trying to pad my bounce back stat, so it wasn't pretty at all starting out. It was either making birdies or bogeys. And you can't make too many mistakes on this golf course, because it's so hard to make birdies, especially if you're not playing well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: I don't know, what is it? 63? Depends on how many holes you give me.

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