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FUNAI CLASSIC AT THE WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

October 19, 2006

Charles Howell III

LAKE BUENA VISTA: First Round

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Charles, for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Funai Classic. Great start to the week, especially on the Mag Course. I think you're probably the low player in the clubhouse so far, a couple more players out there. Just talk about what you're doing well out there and the conditions this afternoon.

CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, any time you tee off and see a guy is 8 under through ten holes, it gets your attention, no matter what golf course that he's on. You know, every year here the scores are lower than you think they will be. You know, today was an odd day. There was absolutely no wind for an afternoon tee time. I can't think of the last tournament here or day in October where the wind wasn't blowing in Orlando. With that said, it's going to get the scores up.

But any time you're going around there and you see a 12 under up on the board, first of all, it would have been cool to see him get to 13 for the magic number of 59. But then it gets your attention and it reminds you real quick that you're at Disney.

Q. You seem to be making progress. The week of the PGA, you played pretty good there, and then the next couple of tournaments. Are you still making progress?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yeah, you know, I've been around the block with golf instructors and teaching series and everything, and right now I'm just at a lot more peace and happiness with what I'm doing, doing some work with David Leadbetter and Kevin Smeltz, and it's nothing new, nothing that we haven't done in the past, it's just that I'm 100 percent happy to be there. You know, David just to see David, it was just amazing how quick he sort of got things feeling better. Obviously things have to start feeling better before the scores show up.

You know, I'm 100 percent happy where I am and what I'm doing. There's a lot more comfort in myself knowing what we're working on and what we're doing.

Q. What's clicking right now?

CHARLES HOWELL III: You know, the funny thing is that I've worked on the same thing in my golf swing since the PGA, and that's been a rarity with me. I've always I like to tinker. I'm very mechanical. I grew up with a video camera. I've never I was one of the I've always thought I was one of the first of my age group that really grew up with video cameras and golf instructors.

You see a lot of the guys before we started that talked about "I'm a feel player," like a Joe Durant who's a great ball striker but really didn't grow up with a video camera and a golf instructor. Same thing with Joey Sindelar, we see things totally different, not to say one's right or wrong.

You know, I have to be at peace with what I'm working on because I do use video cameras and I do like to tinker and I do look at stuff. As long as I'm feeling comfortable and feel okay with it then the scores will show themselves. Any time I'm not happy or tinkering or whatnot, it's hard to play around that and to get it in the clubhouse, and that's the one thing we're working on is just a way you hear Tiger talk about it; even when he doesn't have it that day, just find a way to get it in the clubhouse. Whether you hit cuts or draws or three quarter shots or whatever it might be, just trying to expand the things that I can do versus say just hitting it hard or whatever, learning to hit three quarter shots, learning to improving my wedge game, obviously improving my short game, just sort of broaden the horizons that you see the top players in the world doing.

Q. Are you hitting more greens? Is your iron play better? Are you driving the ball better or are you chipping it much better?

CHARLES HOWELL III: That didn't answer it?

Q. What specifically are you doing that's working well right now?

CHARLES HOWELL III: You know, I'm not really a stats guy, so I don't know what the stats say I'm doing better, but I know a feel a whole lot more comfortable on the golf course, and that to me is enough. I haven't looked at the stats. I don't like the way the stats are done because they're done throughout the whole year so if you're struggling in an area you can show great progress and it won't hardly change the number. My guess would be I'm hitting a lot more greens. I haven't looked at it specifically to compare it.

The driver was really okay the whole time. I didn't really struggle with it as bad. But I would say I'm hitting more greens, which inevitably takes pressure off the putting and chipping. Is that better?

Q. This might seem like an obvious question, but would you rather be 7 under and having played the Mag Course or 12 under and having the Mag Course coming tomorrow?

CHARLES HOWELL III: I would much rather have the 12 under at Palm, absolutely (laughter). Yeah, there's a lot of these supposed to be's in golf, like the Magnolia Course is supposed to be the more difficult one. You know, the hole locations aren't set up that terribly difficult, being it is a Pro Am, so there's plenty of birdie opportunities on the Mag, as well.

Today all four par 5s are reachable on the Mag, which is very unusual. In fact, the ball was bouncing out there and it wasn't picking up mud. So that's another unusual thing here. The 8th hole, which is an extremely long par 5, which as you know that fairway is extremely wet and never reachable in two, it's reachable in two today.

Yeah, I would much rather have Justin's position right now, but I'm not complaining with where I am, though, sitting up here by this pretty lady.

Q. He's going to obviously be the focal point of the story as he had a 14 footer for a 59 on the last hole. He missed it pulled it left.

CHARLES HOWELL III: He didn't leave it short, did he?

Q. No, oddly he had a Pro Am guy with a longer putt who made his so he used it all up, so he knew exactly where it was going to go. He had the line and he missed it. You mentioned it would have been nice to see him get from 12 to 13 and I was wondering what you meant by that, just the cool factor of not seeing a lot of 59s out here?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yeah, a 60 is talked about for a couple weeks, a 59 is talked about forever. You know, I think you can remember you can think back off the top of your head, Al Geiberger, Chip Beck shot it, David Gossett shot it at Tour school one year. Yeah, the 59 is the magic number, and I know Justin well enough and we're good friends so I can say that I know he was wanting it.

He's been playing well for a while now, thinking back to the Canadian Open, last group on Sunday, right around there. He played well at 84 Lumber, I was paired with him there for the first couple days. He's been playing good for a while now. Not surprised to see that whatsoever, plus he played good here last year.

Q. What specifically impresses you about his game?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Justin is extremely steady. I think first of all you've got to look at any guy that turns pro at that young of an age and then misses what he missed, 19, 20 cuts in a row, you know he's tough and he's been through it. There was no one no one has given him anything. Especially the hard times that he's been through, obviously his father passing away, that's another thing that was just awful.

So you look at it, the guy has been through a lot of tough stuff. I know he's really happy with himself. He's fairly recently engaged. It's not a surprise to see all the things come together. Obviously he's very happy with his new instructor Nick Bradley, so yeah, just you've seen it kind of happen for a while here where he's been playing good every week.

Q. What's your take on looking ahead to next year, the Fall Series and all that? Presumably if you're still living in Orlando you would be one of the guys who would play in this thing. Do you think we'll see a lot of Top 30 guys or is this going to become "Nationwide plus" out here, as one critic put it?

CHARLES HOWELL III: I think the fall schedule is going to do great, and there's a couple reasons for that. Number one, it's still the PGA TOUR; you're still competing for obviously your exemption, if you want to win and get a two year exemption; you're competing for a lot of money; the purses and the prize money are phenomenal. Also you can get World Ranking points, which as we all know the World Ranking has become extremely important in getting into a lot of golf tournaments, be it the majors, et cetera, the World Golf Championships that use the World Ranking system to get in. You can improve your Money List position, as well.

You know, I mean, the TOUR Championship, where it is, okay, that's fine. I still think it's the PGA TOUR. I still think you're going to get a great field, I really do. If you've noticed, they're all in good places.

You have to think at the end of the year with this one being the last event, obviously there's going to be a mix there of guys trying to make their card, but also a lot of guys want to bring their families here, Disney World, it's good weather. So I think the Fall Series is going to surprise a lot of people and do very well.

You're still competing for everything but FedEx Cup, and we've never competed for FedEx Cup points before. You're still competing for exemption, World Ranking Points and great purses. I think it's going to do just fine. I hope it actually surprises people how strong it does and see that you can I will quit there. Yeah, it's fine. It'll do well (laughter).

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Can we go through your card?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Teed off on 1, birdied the 4th hole, the par 5, hit driver and a 3 iron in the right bunker, holed a four footer for birdie there.

No. 7, par 4, driver, sand wedge to six feet, birdie there.

8, par 5, sand wedge to four feet, birdie there.

No. 10, par 5, driver, 5 iron about 15 feet for eagle and two putted it.

13, the par 4, actually drove the green, had about a 20 footer for eagle, missed that one so it was a two putt birdie there.

14, the par 5, hit driver and a 5 wood in the left bunker, up and down there.

16, par 4, driver, wedge to eight feet, birdie there. Eight feet, three inches on ShotLink.

End of FastScripts.

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