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CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

October 28, 2006

Tom Kite

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA: Third Round

TOM KITE: I didn't hit the ball nearly as well today as I had the first few days. I struggled a little bit. Jay got off to such a good start I was hoping that some of his good golf would rub off on me. Unfortunately, it went the other way and I rubbed off on his game. I was hoping he would give me all the good vibes, but it went the other way.

Neither one of us finished up playing strong the last few holes. And, you know, I shot 70. And the places I put it today, I guess that's about the best I could hope for, even though there were a couple disappointing putts on the last few holes that were hit well and didn't go in.

I need to play better tomorrow. Wasn't very sharp today. Drove it very poorly today after driving it quite nicely the first few days. Really struggled with it off the tee today.

So I didn't get into any rhythm. I felt like I was battling on every hole. Really, it was kind of like the whole front 9 I never hit an iron shot you know, iron from the fairway. Felt like I did on the first hole. I had a wedge on the first hole, and then 2 played entirely on the rough.

3, I was out of the rough.

4, I was in the bunker.

5, I was in the rough.

6, I finally hit a decent shot in the fairway and ended up making birdie there.

But, 8 I hit it in two and then 9 I was in the rough.

So the whole front 9 I had one, maybe two, I guess, iron shots that I consider hitting an iron. Others I was just slashing and thrashing it out of the rough. I was off balance all day, and I need to play better tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Birdies, start at 6.

TOM KITE: Right, bogeyed No. 4. Put it in the right bunker. Hit a good bunker shot out considering the lie, but it went about 12 feet past; just missed the putt.

Birdied No. 6. Finally hit a fairway there. Hit a 9 iron from about 140 yards or so up about 8 feet and made that.

Birdied No. 8. I hit a good drive and hit 3 wood on the green. 2 putted from 35 feet.

THE MODERATOR: Bogeyed 12.

TOM KITE: Yeah. Actually got a ball on the fairway but hit a very poor iron shot that landed short and sucked back off the front of the green. Misjudged the first putt and well, it was probably 50 feet. Knocked by about 6 feet and missed it coming back.

Birdied the par 5; hit good 3 wood there. And then finally hit a good quality iron shot on the Par 3. Hit a 3 iron best shot that I hit all day probably 8 feet and made that.

THE MODERATOR: What did you hit on 12? You said you hit 4 iron.

TOM KITE: 9 iron.

THE MODERATOR: Okay. Questions?

Q. Tom, on number 9, one of your better par saves.

TOM KITE: Wasn't that a great bunker shot? I was proud of that.

Q. The rough wasn't too bad except it hit the bunker.

TOM KITE: I had 70 yards to the front of the green. That's all I had to the front. I think the pin was 30 or so, so a hundred yards to the hole, and I had no chance to get to the green. I WAS trying to put it up the left side, kind of run it in between the two bunkers there. But my angle wasn't good, and it just didn't come out of there.

I don't know of anybody that well, I mean, Tiger's done some amazing things. But not many people could have put it on that green from 70 yards from the green. It was just a horrific lie. But I played a nice bunker shot there.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TOM KITE: The pin was back, I think 31 or 32. Of course, I was in the front bunker, so a little short of the green. So it had to be 35 or 40 yard shot.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TOM KITE: Yeah. I read the putt inside right excuse me, inside left knowing it was going break a little right. It broke more than I thought it was going to. Kind of snuck in the side door.

Q. How long was the putt?

TOM KITE: 2, 3 feet.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TOM KITE: No, I was not aware of that. You know, Jay started out like a house on fire. Looked like he was going shoot 60 nothing out there today. And I kind of expected him to keep it going, so I was locked into my game trying to hang close to him.

Because he was really playing very, very well that first nine holes. You know, really other than a 3 putt on number 7 which kind of surprised me, he played flawless on the front 9. And then something happened. I don't know. Like I said, maybe I rubbed off on him. He's too good of a friend for me to try to take him down like that, but, we you know, were pretty randy on the back 9.

Q. Another good shot on 11. What were you thinking when you stood up to that second shot?

TOM KITE: You know, actually it was kind of one of those things. You know, I've hit so few fairways, and the swing felt so off balance all day, that I'm almost thinking hitting 3 iron off the tee on 11. Because I know the pin is off the front.

Low and behold, I absolutely smashed the tee ball and it was by far the best dive drive I hit all day. I got it up there where it really had no play. Hit it too close. Couldn't spin it. Let's see, I only had 42 yards to the edge of the green and the pin was 5. You can't bounce it up.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TOM KITE: Yeah. That was a good drive. You know, they were few and far between today, so I'm relishing the few good shots that I did hit, that's for sure.

End of FastScripts.

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