FBR OPEN

January 31, 2004

Chris DiMarco

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thanks, Chris, for joining us here for a few minutes in the media center. Great round today and excellent position going into the final round on a course that you're very familiar with. Why don't you just make a couple comments about today's round and maybe a little bit about tomorrow.

CHRIS DiMARCO: I just played really solid today. I think I hit 13 fairways and 17 greens today, so I think I really never put myself in jeopardy to make a bogey. Actually, I missed two greens. But it was just kind of one of those rounds that kind of -- every three holes I'd pick up another birdie, and before you knew it I was 7-under at the top of the leaderboard, which is where you want to be.

I'm surprised that the leaders really didn't do more. I was expecting somebody to go 15- or 16-under today. Phil is playing so good. I'm kind of glad he can't, to tell you the truth. It'll be fun tomorrow. I got to be really good friends with Phil over The Presidents Cup so it will be a fun 18 holes tomorrow.

Q. There's so many guys on the Tour hiring psychologists and coaches and everything else. I know in the past you've been kind of a feel player, if that's accurate. Are you still kind of that way?

CHRIS DiMARCO: I think there's obviously -- if somebody can help you even one shot or two shots a week mentally, I mean, obviously it's worth a ton. I've got to go back to my experiences and what I've done in situations and prepare myself for the way I play golf tomorrow. You know, for me, the easiest thing to do is to stay aggressive. The other key word in there for me is patience. I've got to really be patient tomorrow, too. If for some reason you don't get off to a good start, it's not panic time, you stay focused and stay patient.

I'm hitting the ball really good, so I know that the good play is going to overcome whatever. Hopefully I come out strong out of the gates and make a few birdies early like I did today, and it helps set up the whole round where you can make a few birdies early on this golf course.

Q. Do you have any of those things I talked about, the coaches or --

CHRIS DiMARCO: No.

Q. Where would you be right now if you hadn't --

CHRIS DiMARCO: I would probably be trying to play golf somewhere, but not very effectively.

Q. You and Vijay and Phil all have a lot of success here every year, it seems. What's the thing for you that kind of makes this course fit so well?

CHRIS DiMARCO: I think it's the -- there's only one tee ball that I really don't feel comfortable -- actually, two, that I really don't feel 100 percent on when I get up there, No. 11 and No. 12. They don't suit my eye. Everywhere else, when I step up on the tee, it fits my eye perfect.

18, I hit a 3-wood off the tee and it sets up perfect for me. I hit it over the two bunkers in front and it lands short of the big bunker and kicks down. Granted, I'm not hitting 9 in there, but I'm hitting 7 in there and it's playing long enough, but the rest of the course sets up good for my eye.

You know, I think I might have found out how to play 12 today. I'm going to aim right at the green thing behind the pin. I made birdie there today, so it's just a great hole. I think it's one of the best par 3s we play all year.

I think 11 is another great hole. It's not the hole, it's me. 11, with those trees right now, it really is a lot more difficult than it used to be.

Q. The leaderboard tomorrow has guys that have won here, guys that have won majors, big names. What do you expect the atmosphere to be out here tomorrow?

CHRIS DiMARCO: It'll be a little quieter because of the Super Bowl and we'll get some of the inebriated people out of here. It'll be electric. It's the Phoenix Open. I feel like if I can win here, I can win anywhere, and it's nice to go into tomorrow knowing that I've won here and I've done it. If anything, I feel like I have an advantage over some guys that haven't won here before. Obviously, Phil has won here, and playing with Phil tomorrow is going to be extremely one-sided, with him being from Arizona State, but that won't be the first time that I've been the underdog.

Q. You said that Wednesday, you were talking about how the changes weren't really that significant even though they've added 285 yards. Now you've played it four days in a row. Is it still the same?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Well, they threw us for a little curve. On No. 6 we played the old tee, which made it a lot easier to drive today and we just had a wedge in there.

15, they put the tee up. I was able to get on in two today. 9 is brutal. I mean, that hole -- they didn't play it as long as they did the first two days. I think you'll probably even see that tomorrow, because I think they want to see us -- I think it was a little bit more electric out there with birdies being made and seeing guys like Vijay coming back.

Vijay is going to be four or five shots back, so if they play the course from the tips all the way back it's going to be hard for somebody from five or six shots to come back because it's not that -- but a 63 or 62 isn't out there, but if you play it up a little bit 62 or 63 is there. That's what makes this tournament so exciting is when you give us an opportunity to do that.

Q. The thing that you're aiming at on 12, is that that new artsy looking thing?

CHRIS DiMARCO: No, the TV tower behind the green. It's dead center of the green where you want to hit it. You put it 15, 20 paces in the middle of that green and get out of there.

Q. Everybody thought that 20-under would be unreachable that week but you certainly are within reach of it and Phil is probably within reach of it.

CHRIS DiMARCO: The reason why everybody is playing is good is because the greens are so soft. We're able to stop 5-irons on the greens. If we're going to be able to do that, then you're going to see us shoot good scores. The greens are perfect. They're not overly fast so you can be aggressive with your putts. Two years ago or three years ago when Rocco won the greens were ridiculous therapy so hard and 11 under won. I think it's all green firmness here. It makes a huge difference because the firmer the greens the faster they are, and you get firm, fast greens on this course with all the undulations and severity out there, it makes it really hard.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Can we go through your birdies, please.

CHRIS DiMARCO: 2, I actually hit it in the right bunker and hit an 8-iron to 20 feet, made a 20-footer.

Third hole, hit a driver and a 3-wood left, pitched up three and a half feet, made that.

4 I missed about an eight footer.

6, I hit driver, wedge about 15 feet right, made it.

9, I hit a driver and a 6-iron to the right edge of the green, made a 25 footer there, which was very nice. I missed about a three footer on 10 for birdie.

12, I hit a 4-iron in the middle of the green, probably about 18, 20 feet, made that.

13, I hit a driver and a 3-wood in the right bunker, blasted out to about six feet, made that.

15, I hit driver, 2-iron on the green, two-putted, putted it up to two feet.

Q. How long was the two-putt?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Probably 50 feet up the hill. Then that was it.

Q. What did you have on 18?

CHRIS DiMARCO: 18 I hit a good drive -- 3-wood down the middle and hit a 7-iron left of the green and pitched it up to about a five feet and made a good five-footer. It was nice to make that going into tomorrow.

JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thanks, Chris, for joining us.

End of FastScripts.