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CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP

October 28, 2006

Jim Thorpe

SONOMA, CALIFORNIA: Third Round

THE MODERATOR: Jim, thanks for joining us. 67 today. 5 under. And 13 under going into tomorrow. Maybe just give us a quick recap of your day and we'll get some questions.

JIM THORPE: It was as very, very solid day. Any time I shoot 5 under on a golf course with the greens firmed up, you got to put the ball on the fairway.

Missed a few early, 25 or 30 feet and I think my first birdie came on No. 3. I hit it about maybe two feet there and, as a matter of fact, I had a couple of those today, three, four, five feet to the hole.

Basically that's what have to do out there. When you get a chance to put a wedge in your hand you have to take advantage of that. I did that well. The only holes that kind of bet me up today I didn't birdie one of the Par 5s, and I was in good shape to birdie pretty much all the of them.

But the greens are very tough to read and putt. We cannot hit any putts with any speed on them, because if you miss the putts they go four or five feet past the hole. I thought for a minute there when I was kind of going along with nothing but pars, 12 and 13, here he goes, you know, and then I made I birdie 10, 11, 12, and 13 on the back 9.

And Jay I figured was at 14 under at one point. I figured he would get 13 to go to 14 under, but he made a couple of bogeys somewhere there.

The problem this week is that it's so easy to make bogeys this year. Whoever wins this is going put the ball on the fairway tomorrow. There's a lot of guys left and guys in the tournament. Anybody can within four or five shots can the put the a lot of pressure on the guys in the back.

The golf course is setup very, very well for me. I'm kind of a gutsy guy. I take chances. Sometimes it rewards me and other times it goes against me. But, I really wanted to birdie 18 after hitting such a great tee shot. Probably hit it too far, probably hit it 320, 325. But I just had enough of the tree where it bothered me. So I had to be a little bit firmer with my lob wedge than I wanted to be.

And, you know, but yeah, those are things you have to do. Those are things needed to win. I missed some shots and I realized that. We all going to miss some shots. You just got try to take advantage of the good ones.

THE MODERATOR: Do you remember, Jim, on your birdie shots on 10, if you hit it to 3 feet.

JIM THORPE: I hit 8 iron from probably 145 I'm sorry, 149 to the hole. I just hit a little 8 iron to the green. I knew the ball would be to (indiscernible) to the hole, headed back, which was a perfect pin for my little draw shot. But still had a tough putt, three feet right of the hole straight down the hill.

And Loren I mean, I knew before Tony even said a word about it. Don't put a lot of speed on this putt. If you miss it, it's going twice the distance. I realized that.

11 was a real key shot. I hit a big drive off the tee and I hit about 66 yards to the flag. I lobbed a beautiful lob shot up there. Just stuck it right there and the ball barely moved a foot up the line. I felt that was a very good shot.

12, I hit 9 iron from 141 and I hit that in there probably three and a half, four feet. Just right of the flag there.

And the Par 5 I played it very, very smart. Like I should be playing all the Par 5s. When they put the pin on the left side I knew if I hit a hard 4 wood I don't carry a 3 wood. I hit a hard 4 wood and missed it left I'd have no shot at all. So I lined it up about 70 yards from the flag there and wedged it about 5 feet, which was perfect.

That's how I should have played the other two Par 5s. I mean. 2, you can't reach. We kind of play it that way. I should have played 8 and 16 the same way. I'm pretty good with the wedge shot from the fairway. I just had a good depth position. I can zero in on those little 65, 70 yard shots. I wish I had played it that way.

I think the key for me this week is I've only had a couple of 3 putt greens. And you know normally that's my the one thing that beats me to death. I get a little bit (indiscernible) Tony and I worked every night. Pretty much the last one to leave the putting green. Worked on my tempo and that sort of stuff.

With greens this quick you can get jerky with it. Any time you tee up with the last group the butterflies are still there. So you need to get out there and settle down, make something happen, make a good 6, 8 foot birdie for par. I hit some good shots and the game was on from there.

I need to go out tomorrow and shoot another 5 under par round. I think the winner's score will be somewhere around 17, 18 under par.

And, you know, I played with Loren Roberts today. He's such a magnificent player. He hit 4 or 5 putts that we thought he made it and it didn't go in.

And you know, we all know Jay can take it low, Tom Kite is playing beautiful golf. Just so many guys, Tom Watson finished 10, 11 under. A lot of guys still playing great golf. I need to go out there and make birdies.

I thinking the key for me is to get off to a rock solid start. There are some birdie holes in the back 9. I think the turning point is going to be holes like 14 and 15. I think those are two tough holes. Par 3s playing about 220. You don't know if the ball is going to stick on the green if you get it on; if you land it short it won't bounce up.

So 15 is a hole where we hit tee shots and they both went straight through into the rough. So if you played too much with the right side those can get you. So you're caught between a rock and a hard place. Tony talked about hitting 4 wood off the tee the, but I don't want the 5 or 6 iron shot to the green. I'd much rather have the 8 or 9 iron shot. So I know I'm going to take some chances. I'm going to go out and try to good pin hunting early and try to force the action.

Q. Why do you play so well in (Inaudible.)

JIM THORPE: You know, I think it's a combination, I'm one of those guys that I learned to play the game in the caddie yard. And basically, we based ON the trajectory of the ball is how far we was going to hit it. And one thing I found in California is my 9 iron maxed out on the 137. It's not going no further than that. I think other places we play it kind of takes off on you.

Here, I guess because you're so close to the ocean the ball just doesn't travel like it does down in Arizona or someplace, Florida. Just seem to travel further there. You know, 137; in Florida, my 9 iron goes 145. Out here, it seems to be perfect distance with me club control.

And, also, I like poana greens. I like greens that have a mixture of po. They can get a little nasty, but basically what you read is what you get there. I kind of like that. These greens that we have here this week are perfect but this was nothing that the staff could have done to make them any better this week. I still the golf course is in absolute perfect shape and thank God we have the wind if the wind had blowed the scores wouldn't be half as low as we shooting. I just enjoy winning in northern Cal.

Q. (Inaudible.)

JIM THORPE: Oh, yeah. Well, the thing about it a lot of guys talk to me this week about the lead, and I don't let bother me because I'm going to go out there and do what I can do. If somebody beats me, they beat me. From the very first tee, I'm going to set it up and try to get it up and get a wedge in my hand. If it happens, it happens and if not, suck it up and go to the next hole.

But I mean, it's very, very difficult. I think 2, 3 years ago I think I led every round, and you know, of course we think about it, but still we done it a thousand times. We need it relax and execute and make it happen. As long as I go out there and keep my patience and stay focused and don't let it get out of hand, I think I'll be fine.

Q. To see Jay and Loren obviously separate themselves from the pack, for them to be right in the mix in this tournament, what do you think about that?

JIM THORPE: Well, I think one of the reasons that they have been separating themself from the field earlier this year, because we play golf courses that when you miss a shot you can still make birdies.

Here, when you miss a shot, you're going to make bogey. You're going to hustle your butt off trying it make par. They're both great players. I don't guess Loren is a rookie I don't guess neither guy is a rookie. But they both are great players and have great careers. Won a lot of golf tournaments.

I think back years ago, when the both of us turned 50 and we first came out we thought we could win every tournament we tee'd up in. At 57 I don't think I'm over the hill yet. I'm still in pretty good shape.

I am one of those guys that I like it when the going gets tough. You know what I mean? Playing with Watson first round this week and Kite yesterday and Loren today. That pumps me up. That makes me want to go out there and play well , because I know how they can play. The records show that they're winners so and that fires me up to play out there.

So tomorrow, whoever I get, Tom (indiscernible) they both tough green. They both hit it close there.

So tomorrow I know Loren can get it going and set it on fire. I know that. So I have to go out there and make sure if I make a couple mistakes I need to keep myself in position if I'm close.

Q. One more thing. A lot of guys either wear contacts or have had Lasik surgery. Have you had that before?

JIM THORPE: I've had Lasik surgery twice. It just doesn't work. I'm a Ray Charles's brother. It just doesn't work with me. As a matter of fact, I'm probably the only player I travel with six pair of glasses. But the Lasik surgery don't get me wrong, I can see without them, but I'm wearing the glasses to make it sharper.

Probably every three to four months I get my eyes checked. But I'm going to get that Lasik surgery again. I'm just going to finish my career with my glasses on.

End of FastScripts.

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