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GINN CHAMPIONSHIP AT HAMMOCK BEACH

March 30, 2007

Raymond Floyd

PALM COAST, FLORIDA

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Okay, Raymond, 4-under par, 68, low starting round of the year, interesting day with the wind?
RAYMOND FLOYD: Start of the decade.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: No, I was there at Pensacola.
RAYMOND FLOYD: That wasn't a starting round.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Just a couple of thoughts about the round?
RAYMOND FLOYD: I played very well; I hit the ball solid. I think I hit 14 greens, and obviously that's why -- and that wind, to do any good you have to get the ball on the green. I 3-putted the 17th.
I felt like I could make it; I got overzealous and made a terrible strike and made bogey, and the last hole I bogeyed 18 in the rain. That's a tough hole. Overall I was thrilled with the way I played, and I putted well.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Did you want to take us through the round? A stretch of three birdies in a row on the backside?
RAYMOND FLOYD: Second hole I hit a driver and a rescue club on the back of the green, about 45 feet and 2-putted for birdie. Then the third hole I put it in about 10 feet and made that for birdie. Then the 6th hole I made bogey. That was right against the wind, a pretty tough hole. No, that's a par 5, I'm sorry. I get these things confused. 6th, par 5, I hit a driver, laid up with a 4-iron and then used a pitching wedge and made that for birdie. Then 8, the par 3, I bogeyed. I missed the green right and put it up about 8 or 10 feet and missed that. Then I missed -- then I hit a good putt at -- I missed the 9th green and made a good up and down from way left and putted about 4 feet and made that.
On 10 I used a driver and put it on the green with a rescue club and putted from about 22 or 23 feet. 11, I hit a driver and I put a sand wedge in about 6 feet and made that, and 12 I hit a 4-iron up to about 4 feet and made that. 13 I put it in the front bunker in two and had about a 12-footer for par; not a good bunker shot, but it was a long one. Made bogey there.
Then 14, par 5, I hit a driver, a rescue club, and I put a pitching wedge in about 8 or 10 feet and made that.
Then 16 I hit a rescue off the tee, made that. 17 I hit it right up to the hole and ran it through 3-and-a-half-feet and missed that and made bogey, and the 18th I hit a driver and a rescue club back against the bleachers. I was away from it; I didn't have to drop, and I pitched it up about 12 feet and missed that.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Can you talk about the golf course? We've had numerous players in. Most players seem to think it's one of the Jack's better courses.
RAYMOND FLOYD: It's fabulous. The scoring with the wind, certainly I'm surprised myself, but it goes to show you if you hit the ball solid and you make some putts, the caliber out here, you can get some scores put up. The golf course is fair; it allows you to play in these conditions, so it's a good course, and I've heard nothing but positive things from everybody.
Plus, as an overall venue, how could it be better? Most of us are right here on the grounds, and you walk out. Makes it pretty nice.

Q. Raymond, what would a win here mean for you?
RAYMOND FLOYD: Well, I don't know. Something I've never thought about at this stage of my career. You know, I don't come to golf tournaments any longer with the thought of winning. I'm playing. I think that by continuing to play as much as I do, which isn't a lot -- I played, what, 10 or 11 events on this TOUR last year. I think it's good for this TOUR, and I'm trying to contribute.
Also from a selfish side, I think it keeps me in good health, you know? I don't want to come out here and embarrass myself, so I don't want to let myself go, so I work out a little bit and TRY to stay fit so I can compete. I don't want to come out -- I will not play golf when I cannot, you know, not embarrass myself, let's say that.
So I'm playing pretty much under those terms for me, not that I'm coming to try to win.

Q. Just -- I know the weather is kind of bad out there today, but what were your thoughts on the gallery and the fans?
RAYMOND FLOYD: Well, when we started there were a lot of people here. There were a lot of people in yesterday's Pro-Am, and I think with better weather we're going to have a pretty good representation over the weekend, I would think.

Q. Play a lot up there on the island. Did that help you at all, playing those courses?
RAYMOND FLOYD: Well, I think the key -- all of us at this level know how to play in inclement conditions. In one respect that, to me, means rain, but I'm not fond of playing in the rain. But when it's windy, all of us know how to play at this level, but it goes back to the statement that I made earlier, that you need to be hitting the ball solid. That's the key in the wind, is hitting the ball solid, where the wind doesn't -- any misstrike in the wind it exaggerates it tremendously.
The 18th right here, I hit a good fairway utility club, what I've used as a 5-wood, and I hit it good and solid and it peaks. And with the wind coming across there, and the rain, it took it to the right, and it's hard to make yourself hook it up against the ocean out there. You know, it's difficult. So the key is to hit it solid, commit and go. And patience, you know. Bad weather, patience, boy, you don't want to be out there.

Q. How difficult was 9 today at the time you guys came through? As far as the time you played each hole, was that -- how close was that to being the hardest hole?
RAYMOND FLOYD: 7, 8 and 9 -- 7, I hit a good drive and a 3-wood on the green. 8, I tried to hit a 4-iron because I carry two rescues. I didn't want to get the rescue up in the wind, and I missed the green way right. At 9 I hit a driver and a 3-wood. So that was right into the wind when we played that side. Then you come back around on the other side, and you're playing 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 on the back.
All of those are kind of against the wind, and then 18 on that crosswind, I don't know -- and the way that green is designed, I don't know -- you might finish here today, and there might not be anybody put their ball on that green, unless it was one of the guys in the first group that played that side earlier. I mean, it's -- the thought of putting your ball on that green would be pretty nice.

Q. What's your caddy's name?
RAYMOND FLOYD: Bo Redmond. Good man.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: See you tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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