MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 7, 1999

Billy Andrade

BILLY ANDRADE: Obviously without any wind, plays a lot easier than what I'm used to, coming here, in all the years I've been coming here, which has been a long time. I started playing when they first moved up here to the Plantation. I feel very comfortable on the golf course, enjoy the course. Going in, I just knew that a lot of guys were going to play well. I went out. I've had some good practice days. I've hit the ball very well. Felt fairly confident going into today, and it showed. I hit the ball solid. It's great to get off to a great start anywhere, especially when it's the first one of the year.

BILLY ANDRADE: I've never been out of shape. I've never lifted, never worked with somebody. This off-season, I actually got a guy that helped me out, and lift weights that won't hurt you, but help. I have no idea what to lift or whatnot to lift. I think you can really hurt yourself if you're not properly coached. I worked with this guy in Atlanta, Jay Marshall (phonetic). We hit it off pretty well. I just felt like once the season was over, I wanted to get fired up for this year, so I decided to just get in better shape. I continue to run a lot more than I was doing. I got lazy for a couple years. I decided that I wanted to get in better shape. My wife was kind of sticking it to me to get in better shape. Between the combination of the two, I decided to do it. A golf course like this, it really helps you, obviously. I just think over the course of a year or a career, it can't but help.

BILLY ANDRADE: You know, I do. I feel more energy. Like I said, though, I've never been in bad shape. I've always been in pretty good shape, but I'm just a little better, I think. I feel stronger. I don't look like I'm a muscle head here (indicating), but I feel a lot better about myself.

BILLY ANDRADE: Not really, no.

BILLY ANDRADE: No. I just did it pretty much for a better life than better golf. It's been good. You know, once the season is over, you don't want to just sit on the couch, just kind of lay around. I'm 34 years old. I figure it would be good to try something. If you notice, a lot of guys have done that. Look what David Duval has done losing weight, getting in better shape. Brad Faxon is a big work-out guy. There are a lot of guys that are doing that it. It's only going to help them down the road.

BILLY ANDRADE: Every other day I'd lift with him, then every day I'd run or do some cardio. It was more for fun.

BILLY ANDRADE: No. Same stuff, Titleist, Southern Company. I'm looking for maybe a patch deal, if you could help me out (laughter). Golf Week would look nice.

BILLY ANDRADE: Well, I birdied 5 and 6. 5 I hit a 4-wood about 20 feet and 2-putted. 6, I hit a wedge about 20 feet there and made that. 9, I hit a 4-wood on the green there, about 20 feet, 2-putted. 10 I hit a sand wedge to about five feet. 12 I hit a sand wedge to about five feet. And 15 I hit a sand wedge to about three feet. So I really wasn't in any danger of making a bogey. I had a lot of opportunities, so it was a great, great start.

BILLY ANDRADE: Yes.

BILLY ANDRADE: Yeah, yeah, I did. I think most everybody is going to do that here. Unless the wind starts to howl, I think the greens are so big. The greens, regulation stats this week. They are going to be pretty good, even for a guy like me who is terrible at hitting greens (laughter).

BILLY ANDRADE: I've been coming here since '88.

BILLY ANDRADE: 11 straight years. When did they start playing this course?

BILLY ANDRADE: '91. Quite a bit.

BILLY ANDRADE: I'd rather see the Trades just because it makes everything so much more difficult. I mean, I'm hoping that this weekend the Trades will come. I think guys that have been here before are really going to take advantage and it's really going to help guys like myself and Davis and guys that have been here a lot, Steve Pate. When you don't have the Trades, I think it brings everybody in a little bit, just becomes more of a putting match. It's fun. It's kind of cool when the winds are whipping. Makes it interesting.