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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY MORGAN STANLEY

June 1, 2007

Rod Pampling

DUBLIN, OHIO

STEWART MOORE: We'd like to welcome Rod Pampling to the interview room here at the Memorial Tournament, Rod with a great second-round 68, four birdies, 14 pars. If you could talk a little bit about your round out there today.
ROD PAMPLING: Obviously got off to a really nice start, made a good par on 1. Yeah, we played nice golf through there, made a really good up-and-down on 4. But then after that, it just wasn't as sharp as yesterday's, but we managed to sneak it around and make a lot of nice six-foot par putts which kept it going in the middle.
And then midway through the back nine, I made a nice second shot into 13, and that just gave me the confidence to play on in, and from there we played really solid.
STEWART MOORE: If you could take us through your four birdies.
ROD PAMPLING: 1 was driver, wedge to pin high. It was about 15 foot, made that.
And then on 4, we hit 3-wood, 5-wood to the right, and we had to trick across that back trap and hit that to about six foot and made that.
Then on 14, hit 2-iron, lob wedge to maybe 15 foot, made that.
And then driver, 3-wood on the next and two-putted. That was about maybe 25, 30 foot.
Yeah, just parred in.

Q. Is it weird to shoot 65-68 and look up and somebody is passing you?
ROD PAMPLING: No, it's not weird. You know, there are obviously a lot of guys shooting great numbers. Yeah, on this course you'd think, yeah, you'd like to be leading after two rounds if you shoot those numbers. But obviously the conditions were pretty nice early on, and Adam took full advantage.

Q. Do you look at the leaderboards? Were you watching him shoot up there, and what were you thinking?
ROD PAMPLING: Yeah, I couldn't believe it. He kept going, didn't he? He just didn't stop. He had the one hiccup on 16, but he obviously had it dialed in and was playing good. But, you know, the chance was there. If you're hitting it nice, you could still get it close, and obviously he was reading the putts well. I didn't see his round, but I guess he was making a few good putts.

Q. But when you see that in the second round, it's way too early to let it affect --
ROD PAMPLING: You don't worry about it. There's still plenty of holes to go. It was more just trying to make a couple yourself and don't make any mistakes and still be there.

Q. How much, if at all, did the wind complicate things relative to conditions yesterday? Much of a difference or not much of a difference?
ROD PAMPLING: It definitely made a difference. It started to come up on the 16th hole, and that -- it played really short from then on because of the heat and the strong breeze. Those last three holes play extremely short, so it's tough to pick the clubs out there.

Q. Greens as receptive as yesterday or not as much?
ROD PAMPLING: Early on they were. I think with the wind -- a lot of the times I was down-breeze, as I say, the last three holes, so it's tough to gauge how receptive they still were. But they were still holding nicely.

Q. You said you weren't quite on for much of the round. In some ways is it more satisfying to shoot a good number when you're not quite on?
ROD PAMPLING: Yeah, that's what's been happening lately is the rounds that aren't quite good, I've been missing those par putts, and you shoot 1, 2-over, and then you've got a lot of work to do. But it was nice to make those putts and then get over that middle section and then carry on and put a good number up.

Q. I know you and Adam are separated by more than ten years, but do you remember when you first met?
ROD PAMPLING: Yeah, I was a trainee, and we had a trainee match up at Twin Waters where he used to play. One of the guys who was the same age as I was was playing, said this young kid was out there playing. They were talking about how good he was. I don't know what score he shot there, but that was the first time I had met him was at Twin Waters.

Q. How old were you then?
ROD PAMPLING: A lot younger than I am now. I guess early 20s.

Q. So he would have been about ten?
ROD PAMPLING: Oh, yeah, he was only 12, I think, or something like that. Young. He still is (laughter).

Q. How has your game been this year, and is this the best you've played this season?
ROD PAMPLING: I've been playing really nicely the last two months. Basically it's just I haven't been making enough putts to capitalize on the good ball-striking. I'm reading the greens nicely this week, and hopefully that will continue on. As I say, the rest of the game has been pretty nice.

Q. Have you had much interaction with Jack in the last few years when you've played this tournament? Have you gotten a chance to spend time with him?
ROD PAMPLING: You just see him around. Obviously he's stopped playing now. You see him in the clubhouse or he pops out on the range every now and again. When you see him, you always say hello.

Q. And he says, "Hi, Adam"?
ROD PAMPLING: No, he doesn't quite say that yet. He doesn't sledge Adam quite that much.

Q. Are you surprised by the scoring so far?
ROD PAMPLING: Typically on this golf course, yes. But we've been fortunate and the wind has only just started to pick up this afternoon. I don't remember playing this golf course with no wind like that. That's where the scores -- it doesn't matter what golf course you're on. If there's no wind and it's in good condition, it's going to -- most guys are going to take advantage of it, and that's what the course has been like so far. You know, you get a bit of breeze out there, and it'll definitely bite back.
STEWART MOORE: Rod, great round today. Good luck this weekend. Thanks for coming in.

End of FastScripts

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