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WGC CA CHAMPIONSHIP

March 24, 2007

Brett Wetterich

DORAL, FLORIDA

LAURA NEAL: Brett, great round, thanks for joining us. You have to be pretty happy with 67, put yourself in contention in these conditions today as well.
BRETT WETTERICH: Very happy with how I played today. Like I said earlier, I hit a lot of solid shots today and hit a few there close and made some putts for birdies and I also made a few good par putts.

Q. Can you talk about the last hole, the drive?
BRETT WETTERICH: You know, it wasn't the best of drives. It looked a lot worse I think because it hit the path and went even further right. But I had a clear shot over there. I had 150-something I think to the hole. I hit 7-iron, just trying to put it in the middle of the green. That didn't work out like that.
But you know, I hit a so-so chip and I made a great putt for par there.

Q. You were on the Red Course there; did they charge you extra?
BRETT WETTERICH: We'll find out. I haven't got the bill yet though.

Q. Wonder if you've played with Tiger before in a tournament round or even a practice round over at the Ryder Cup, and what you think about that going forward tomorrow, given the aura that dude puts off when he's got the lead?
BRETT WETTERICH: I definitely feel a lot more comfortable around Tiger after spending time with him at the Ryder Cup. I wouldn't have said that if I didn't get time to spend with him. I haven't played with him in a tournament round, but we did play nine holes together at the Ryder Cup.
I'm sure it's going to be a little different tomorrow, if I will be paired with him. Who knows if I'm going to be or not. I'm sure it will be a little different.

Q. He goes out and eagles the first hole today; is that something you saw, and when you do see it --
BRETT WETTERICH: From him?

Q. Is that something you notice?
BRETT WETTERICH: I think you've always got to expect stuff like that from him. That's what he does. He's why he's so great. You hope he's not going to if you're up in the lead. It's going to happen and he's going to do things like that and I think you have to try to push it out of your mind.

Q. You talked out there about how being in the Ryder Cup makes you think you belong out there; is there still a part of you that thinks until you win more you have to still prove yourself?
BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, I definitely still have a lot to prove, not only to myself, but I think to guys out here. It would be nice to be able to win a few more tournaments. I think if I could do that, I would really feel like, you know, I had a great career, being that I played in the Ryder Cup and win maybe three or four tournaments, five tournaments, who knows. I think that would be a good career.

Q. At Honda you came pretty close; just how did you handle it afterward and what did you take away from that?
BRETT WETTERICH: I was a little disappointed. I kind of got a bad break on the last hole, but that's golf and everyone can say that. I was just glad that I went out there and I gave myself -- make a birdie, par, I'm in a playoff. I was happy with it, I had a great finish. It was just nice to get a Top-10 under my belt.

Q. Who is longer off the tee; you or Tiger?
BRETT WETTERICH: Geez, I don't know, I guess it depends on who is madder. (Laughter)
Q. You're obviously a long hitter out here. Do you think that will help negate any intimidation factor; you talk about playing with him at the Ryder Cup, do you think that helps?
BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, I don't know, you know, I think we're going to be close off the tee.
But I don't know how to answer that to be honest with you.

Q. You went on quite a streak on the front nine with birdies, were the conditions that much easier today? It seemed like a lot of the scores were lower.
BRETT WETTERICH: The first two holes I think you've got to take advantage of. It's a very reachable par 5, and then 2 is a short hole. You can hit driver, flip a lob-wedge into there. I think you really need to take advantage of those two holes for sure.
The rest of the course, it played as it did the first two days. It's tough out there. You've just got to hit some fairways and hit solid shots.

Q. You talked about playing nine holes with Tiger; he was your teammate at that time. Should it happen tomorrow, he's going to be trying to close you out. How much of a difference do you think that could make?
BRETT WETTERICH: It's going to be a big difference. He's going out there and he wants to win, you know, and so do I. I'm sure even if I play with him, we might say a few words and laugh and giggle a little bit but for the most part I think it's going to be pretty much all business.

Q. Tiger's record after 54 holes, he's won 38 out of 41 times when he's held that lead. Is that something that you are aware of --
BRETT WETTERICH: I wouldn't even have known that if you didn't tell me that. (Laughter)

Q. Sorry to tell you.
BRETT WETTERICH: Facts are facts.

Q. How will you disregard that thought when you go out?
BRETT WETTERICH: I'm not going to be thinking about that stuff. I'm just going to go out, like I said, and try to hit some good, solid shots and wherever that takes me, it does.

Q. What did you learn about him when you guys went out to dinner in Akron that maybe you didn't know before?
BRETT WETTERICH: Oh, geez, I don't even remember what we talked about in Akron when we were there to be honest with you. It was more kind of just bull-crapping. It wasn't anything in major detail.

Q. Is there an opportunity here for you obviously tomorrow to take down the No. 1 player in the world -- is that a way that you could frame it, a great opportunity?
BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, I have a chance to, for sure. Anybody within maybe a couple shots has a chance.
So it's just, you've got to go out and play your own game, and that's what I'm going to try to do and try not to pay attention to whoever I'm playing with.

Q. You were at Q-School finals at the end of 2005?
BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah.

Q. Can you talk about the whirlwind you've been through in the year and a half since then? You're playing WGCs now in the last group with guys some people think might be the best ever.
BRETT WETTERICH: Yeah, it's been a whirlwind, that's for sure. I went to Q-School and I even played a Nationwide Tour event in 2006, because I wasn't getting tournaments out here, and then I started playing well and then I finally won. You know, had a couple of seconds, got to play in the Ryder Cup; it's been a big change for me.
Then you get tournaments like this. I guess that's the reward for your hard play.

Q. Did you sense something like that happening?
BRETT WETTERICH: No.

Q. It's been a really fast tidal wave.
BRETT WETTERICH: I knew I had the capability of playing good out here, just wasn't happening. I don't know if I just wasn't comfortable out here. I'm not sure what happened, but everything kind of changed around for me. I'm going to hold onto it as long as I can.

Q. Have there been any recent adjustments that got you back in the groove?
BRETT WETTERICH: Nothing, I'm just kind of weird like that. You know one week I'll play good and the next week I'll miss a cut and the next week I'll play good again.
LAURA NEAL: Thank you so much.

End of FastScripts

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