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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 21, 2007

Scott Gutschewski

AVONDALE, LOUISIANA

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Scott, for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Nice solid third round, and not sure really what's going to happen the rest of the day, but looks pretty good right now.
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, I'll take it. You know, obviously I think I'm going to move up the board today, so that's kind of the objective today.

Q. Did you feel like you were in good shape going into today, even though you played in the afternoon, I guess, when the wind got a little higher maybe?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, I mean, I was in a better position than if I was 3-under, I guess. You know, I've been playing all right. I haven't been making a whole lot of birdies, but I haven't been making many mistakes this week. So I figured if I kind of do the same thing, maybe make a couple putts, I'd be all right.

Q. How would you characterize your year coming into this tournament?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: It's been very choppy. You know, I've gotten into -- I think I've gotten into five events before this one on the big Tour, but I haven't gotten to play consecutive weeks yet. I played Hawaii, then I had a couple weeks off; then I played San Diego, had a week off; played Pebble, had a week off; played Mexico, had four weeks off, you know, because I didn't get any -- I didn't make any money really, so I shuffled down.
So didn't play in Florida or anything, so had four weeks off. Played Houston, no good. Then played a Nationwide event last week and played good. This is really the first time I've played two weeks in a row all year, and it's, what, April? I'm not Tiger, so I don't do that on purpose.

Q. Based on that, are you surprised with where you are after three rounds so far?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Not really. I mean, I played good last week. I had a good event down in Georgia in the Nationwide event, you know, felt like everything was going in the right direction. I mean, you know, I had played good. I think I finished fifth or sixth down there. It was a good week for me.
You know, it's the same thing. I mean, it's a different stage, but the hole is the same size, so it shouldn't matter.

Q. How frustrating is it with the limited field events? You've got your card and you can't go tee it up.
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: I mean, it's frustrating. You know, you go through the Nationwide Tour or Q-school and you get your card, and you're like, great, I'm going to get to play in all these events. You actually get into -- unless you're really high up in our category, and you stay really high up in our category, a lot of that stuff you don't get into. You have to play well so you have to earn it. You know, nothing is given to you out here.
I mean, it's frustrating, but it's more frustrating, I guess, because you control your own future and you haven't been able to do it.

Q. But given that, how important is a week like this then?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: I mean, yeah, it's important. When you're in my situation -- I mean, I should get -- it seems like everybody in our category kind of panics this time of year thinking you're not going to get to play at all, and when it's all said and done you've played 25 events, and you're like, why did I waste my time worrying about that at the beginning of the year.
So I've just been trying to take advantage of the events I get. I'm in a better spot than I was last year. Last year I played in the 126-to-150 category and only got 19 events. I have an idea of what it's going to be like. You just try and make the most of the events you have.

Q. You said you had been playing a little better. Did you feel like you had a round like this in you today when you got out today?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, I felt like, you know -- yeah, I felt like it was out there. It's a good golf course and it's tough, but, I mean, if you can keep it in play and make a couple putts, you can put up a score out there. Kyle showed that Thursday.

Q. Do you watch the leaderboard? When did you see how this whole thing was unraveling?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, I tend to look at the leaderboard a lot. I don't know if my caddie really likes that, but I do. Yeah, I was kind of surprised because I think I was at 7 or 8, and I saw -- I think I was on the second or third page, and then all of a sudden I made a couple birdies, and I was like, tied for the lead. I was like, what? That was kind of weird. But whatever, however it shakes out. Whatever.

Q. Did you get a little nervous when you saw yourself on the top of the leaderboard?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Nervous, excited, yeah, I mean, a little bit.

Q. Adrenaline?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, more adrenaline, I guess, yeah.

Q. Any one hole in particular get you going today or any shot --
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Not really.

Q. -- that was indicative of your day?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: I kind of hit my driver way right on 6 today. I got a drop, and I was over on the mulch and I hit a big hook on the green and I made the putt, and I was kind of like, whoa, I think that was my second birdie of the day maybe, third birdie of the day, and I was kind of like, this is -- when something like that happens, maybe it's going to be a good day.

Q. You said when you saw your name at the top of the leaderboard, you were kind of like, what? When was the last time you had seen it up there?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Last week, but in a big event -- well, I played good at The Western last year and I played good in New York, but I -- so either of those weeks. We played at Turning Stone, and I played good there, as well.

Q. Can you talk about the 16th, first of all, the hole itself? How did you play it? Did you lay up?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, I've laid up every day. I joked to my caddie, I said, "How far was it to the front today," after I laid up with my 5-iron, and he said it was just 300 to the front. I said, "I should have given it a go," and he said, "You weren't getting that driver out of the bag." I had been hitting it so far left all day.

Q. Does it set up where you can take a shot at it, and maybe tomorrow afternoon is it something you might make a run at it?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Probably not. I don't think I can get it there. No, probably not. I mean, I didn't even -- I mean, I kind of casually looked at it in the practice round but never seriously considered it, didn't think the tees would be moved up or anything, and the wind direction probably isn't conducive to it, except maybe Bubba. It probably doesn't matter which way the wind is blowing for him.

Q. What about the risk-reward? It's a pretty small landing area. Is that the biggest detriment for you going for it?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, it looks pretty narrow up there. At first glance it looks like there's a lot of room right, but like I said, I haven't really taken a look at it, so I don't know.
And it depends on where they put the pin, too. If that pin is over on the left side, there's probably not a real big advantage to getting it up there on the green.

Q. So your caddie conveniently forgot to tell you it was 300?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Yeah, I wasn't going to -- the driver was going so far left that it was -- it passed through my mind, but I knew it was stupid.

Q. What's his name?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: His name is Van.

Q. Last name?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Silver.

Q. How do you think you'll -- being that this stage is new to you, how do you think you'll react tomorrow to it all, if you're like the final grouping, say?
SCOTT GUTSCHEWSKI: Hopefully well. I don't know. I guess that's why we practice, you know, to see how you'll react in these situations, because everybody out here is trying to win, and that's why you put in the hours on the range and the putting green and the chipping green and you do everything that we do to get ready to play is to see how you'll react.
You know, if you don't react well, you go back to the drawing board and you work on stuff some more, and hopefully the next time you're in that situation you'll react better.
JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Scott.

End of FastScripts

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