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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 24, 2007

Brett Wetterich

IRVING, TEXAS

STEWART MOORE: We welcome Brett Wetterich to the interview room here at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship. Brett is the defending champion from the 2006 EDS Byron Nelson, just came back from the ceremony, receiving his trophy from last year's event and recognizing a lot of the good deeds that Mr. Nelson did throughout the years.
Maybe if you could just kind of talk to us about what this week has been like. I know you got in late and obviously we're just one day into it, and the emotions or memories coming back from last year's title.
BRETT WETTERICH: I did get in late last night, and coming out here this morning it was nice. I got in here early and was getting help from Mr. Stockton on my putting and a few other things, and just walking in here I got the front row, I got the prime-time parking spot. I mean, you can't get a better spot. That was pretty neat.
Then just kind of walking back and walking to the locker room and being able to walk into the champions' locker room and see my name sitting there, it was a pretty special feeling.
STEWART MOORE: And obviously having known Mr. Nelson, having had a few years on TOUR and everything, what are your memories of him as a person and as a golfer, maybe historically? How do you take that and take the championship and try to carry his legacy through this year, so to speak?
BRETT WETTERICH: Unfortunately I didn't get to spend too much time with Mr. Nelson outside the golf course. You hear everything that he's done for the city of Dallas and all the kids and everything around here, it's pretty amazing, the things that he's done. And to be in his presence, last year sitting by him while I'll getting the trophy and saying I'm the winner of the EDS Byron Nelson Championship, it's a very special feeling, and just having him in your presence, it gives you the goosebumps.

Q. You said Mr. Stockton, putting tips? What came about? Was that a normal thing?
BRETT WETTERICH: He actually called me after Doral and said that he saw me on TV and he saw a few holes where I was putting, and he just called out of the blue and thought that he could help me, which I thought was one of the neatest things someone has ever done. No one has really ever gone out of their way like that, to call me up on the phone, that knows me from nothing, to say that he can help me. So we met together this week.

Q. You must have a similar style as him or something I would guess.
BRETT WETTERICH: I'm not sure if it's similar, but he saw something that was a very small change that he felt like he could help me, and we worked on it today, and it was a very little change and it feels really good. It hardly feels like I changed anything at all.

Q. Can you go into more detail on that?
BRETT WETTERICH: Just kind of grip. I changed my grip just slightly, and I'm trying to keep the putter head more down through impact instead of lifting up and out of it, so just a few little things that are simple and not that huge of a deal.

Q. Had you heard from him before at all?
BRETT WETTERICH: No, never.

Q. What would it mean to be the last person to win the event while Byron was alive, while Byron was here? Will that mean anything more special?
BRETT WETTERICH: You know, it's very special because I got to spend the time -- the little bit of time it was, but at least I got to spend some time with him and have him on the 18th green with me. It was very special. In its own right it's sad because someone who hasn't won this tournament before, they're not going to get that same feeling as sitting next to Mr. Nelson and having him sit there while they're giving you the trophy and talking about him. So it's sad in that right.

Q. What's it going to be like when you get to 18 any day this week because there will be an empty chair? They said they're going to leave the chair there.
BRETT WETTERICH: That will be tough to look at. I've only played here, I think this is my fourth time, but the other three times it's been there. Well, maybe not the other three because I was probably playing bad, and he wasn't there yet (laughter). Just about every other time he's been sitting there, and it's really neat to walk up there and see him.

Q. You hear so often he treated everybody the same. I'm assuming he didn't treat you any differently the one that you won than he did before you won?
BRETT WETTERICH: Not that I would ever remember. Like I said, no, I don't believe he would.

Q. Last year with your winnings here, it was obviously your largest career paycheck. Was there a major purchase or something that needed to be paid off at that point that you did with some of that money?
BRETT WETTERICH: (Laughing) to be honest with you, I already had everything that I wanted so I really didn't go out and splurge on anything. I might have paid a couple things off, but other than that, you know, I had everything that I wanted at the time and I still have the same things, so I didn't really go out and go haywire and spend a bunch of money. I'm kind of a saver, but if I see something I like, by the same token, I'm going to get it.

Q. This is the last year they're going to use Cottonwood in this tournament. Last year you got off to a pretty good start on that course. I don't know if you felt like that was a jump start for you in getting good vibes going. But what's your thought on taking that out of the rotation? It seems to have -- guys that have won here have always played well there, it seems to have kind of helped them.
BRETT WETTERICH: It's nice to get off to a good start no matter which course you play. If you're starting off at Cottonwood Valley, you kind of sit there and think you have to get off to a good start because it is an easier golf course, and then you have to come over to here and play this course. So it's nice to get off to a good start over there because I think it eases your mind that you have maybe a shot or two -- if you make a bogey or two, you'll be all right. You're going to still make some birdies coming in.
I think it's important to get off to a good start over there -- over here, by the same token. Either course you need to get off to a good start, but it is nice to play over there and shoot well.

Q. I think seven of the last eight winners here opened up at Cottonwood, including you last year. Anything to that as far as getting in the red? Just a fluke?
BRETT WETTERICH: I don't know. I think it's an easier course to start out on, for sure. So if you can take advantage of it and shoot 4- or 5-under, to me you're off to a good start in the tournament, so you're coming over here with a good vibe to this golf course, and if you can make a few birdies and come out of here 3-, 4-under, you're going to look good after two days. Now you've already played this course on Friday so you know what to expect on Saturday and Sunday. It's going to be a little closer as opposed to playing over at Cottonwood Valley on Friday.

Q. As a general rule you guys don't like playing two courses at one place, do you?
BRETT WETTERICH: It doesn't really bother us, to be honest. We are still playing the courses -- from day-to-day they're going to change, whether it's windy on one course as opposed to the next day. But you've still got to play and the pins are in the same spots, and you've just got to go out and play golf, and if you play good, you play good, and if you don't, you don't. You can't blame it on anybody else.

Q. When you're the defending champion what kind of service or treatment do you get in the hotel here?
BRETT WETTERICH: Actually I'm not sure yet. I'm checking in there today.

Q. Have you ever had a better parking place at a PGA TOUR event?
BRETT WETTERICH: Not unless I took somebody's sign and reversed it (laughter). Actually some of the World Golf Championships I've had pretty good spots because my name is close to Tiger's and he's always up front, so I've kind of lucked out there a little bit, too. But this is by far the best parking spot that I've had.

Q. You haven't played --
BRETT WETTERICH: I haven't played Las Colinas yet. I played like five holes over at Cottonwood Valley today.

Q. Did you play 14 by any chance at Cottonwood? That's the one where they moved the green considerably.
BRETT WETTERICH: No.

Q. What did you think of what you saw of it?
BRETT WETTERICH: I played I think the first five holes over there, and I didn't really notice anything.

Q. Obviously this win here wasn't your only success last year, but how does it feel coming back and defending a title?
BRETT WETTERICH: It feels weird because it's the first time that it's ever happened for me. But at the same token, I've had I think three second places last year from winning here, so I know I'm good enough to be able to win them, and definitely I think I'll be a lot more comfortable this year than I was last year, I can tell you that much.

Q. But it is a new experience of defending the first time. Is there anything in your mindset you think you have to do, or do you take it as a normal week?
BRETT WETTERICH: I think you have to take it as a normal week and go out and do the same things you did last year and two weeks ago, three weeks ago, four weeks ago.

Q. When you came into last year you had already had some success leading up to this, but I'm wondering are there a lot of guys out there that you think just clicked? You've been on this run for a while, and obviously before that you had gotten your card in 2005. I'm wondering what was it that turned it around? Was it a mental thing?
BRETT WETTERICH: Not sure, really not sure what turned it around. I know I was making more putts, for sure. But I think you see it every year. You see different people that they get into rhythms, and it might not be every week, but they're going to be up there a lot of the weeks, and it's been like that for me for a year now. Since winning here I've been playing pretty steady for a year, and hopefully it keeps carrying over for me.
But you'll see it a lot in guys. I think there's different people that you'll see that are there time after time.

Q. I mean, it's almost like you just needed to get out here.
BRETT WETTERICH: Maybe, and just be comfortable with being out here and knowing that I belong I think is the biggest thing, and learning more of how to play out here is important, too.
STEWART MOORE: Brett, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.

End of FastScripts

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