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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

May 14, 2005

Scott Verplank

IRVING, TEXAS

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Scott Verplank, thanks for joining us. You put together three rounds in the 60s so far this week at the 2005 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, and just a couple shots off the lead heading into Sunday. If we could start with some opening comments. A good three days for you.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, I ended up in a pretty good spot after three days. I've played okay. Actually I've been somewhat pleased that each round I've played a little bit better and we've finished up. I haven't started off very good any day yet.

If the results are the same, then I guess I'll be all right for tomorrow. But I'm hoping that I'll continue what I was doing on my last six or eight holes today tomorrow.

Q. You've been just on the cusp of winning the last month and a half or so, played really well at THE PLAYERS Championship, played well last week, I don't think you finished out of the Top 20. If you could talk about the last month and a half and how well you've played.

SCOTT VERPLANK: You know, I played good at THE PLAYERS. It was such tough conditions on especially that last day when we had to play like 30, 31 holes or whatever in really difficult conditions, and I did play well there.

The other times I've kind of felt a little bit off. I've been close, and I just haven't kind of turned the corner or got it to click on. So maybe tomorrow, hopefully this week.

Q. You sound almost sheepish to be in the position you're in. What is it?

SCOTT VERPLANK: I'm playing okay. But I birdied 16, 17 and 18, so that kind of takes me from just kind of playing mediocre like I have for the last couple months except for THE PLAYERS and put me in a heck of a better spot going into tomorrow.

Q. You've played really well here the past five years or so. Why is that? Has anything changed or are you just playing better now?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, one, I think I've been better in the last five years than I was before that. But they've continued to make this golf course a little tighter and the rough a little thicker and the greens have gotten a little faster. They've made it a little bit more challenging and a little bit more exacting off the tee, so that's always going to generally play right into my hands.

Q. Weren't you leading the fairways hit stats for a little while before Fred sneaked back in?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I was, and then I hit it all over the lot at Wachovia. Until today I had hit it all over the lot here, too.

Q. I know the stats don't matter, but any interest in being one of the few guys who has ever dethroned Fred?

SCOTT VERPLANK: He's really serious about that deal. He checks it every day and he tells me how many I hit (laughter). No, the best thing that happened on that was I played with him at The Masters the first two rounds, and I was just right behind him barely. I hit a lot of fairways there and he didn't hit quite as many, and we went to Hilton Head the next week, and we were sitting there after the first round, and he said, "Oh, I didn't hit it that straight day," and I said, "I'm going to pass you today," and I did. But he's re-passed me. I've hit no fairways the last couple weeks.

You know, I've got to hit the ball in the fairway. I'm just not big enough and strong enough like a lot of these guys to hack it out of the rough all day long. Fortunately I've been reasonably successful at doing that here the last few years.

Q. Did you push that shot on 18?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, about six inches.

Q. Talk about tomorrow. I mean, it seems like every year there's 15, 20-odd guys within four or five shots of the lead.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, it has been that way. It's kind of getting that way every week. Not every week, but there seems to be a lot of times where if you're within kind of shouting distance, four or five shots, go out and shoot a low round, and you have a good chance.

The last four or five years there's always been a lot of guys kind of bunched up there near the top, and one horse has got to stick his nose in front of everybody else, so I guess that's what I'll try to be doing tomorrow.

Q. I'm curious as to whether you read any of the stories about Sean O'Hair and you know the background and what your impression of that was like and how you might have reacted if thrust into a similar situation with your dad, how it might have affected you.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I haven't read one story about him, so really I don't know. I'm getting too old to read. I can't see without those little glasses. I don't know that much about him.

Q. How much do you like your chances of being the guy with the horse's nose?

SCOTT VERPLANK: If I go out and play well tomorrow, then I would think that I'm going to have a pretty good chance. You can't control what the other guys do, but if I go out and play like I'm capable, then I should have a fighting chance coming down to the end.

Q. Would this one be special to you?

SCOTT VERPLANK: Oh, yeah, sure, it would. One, I lost in a playoff a couple years ago, and I've played decent around here, like you said. Yeah, being from Dallas and having Byron's name on it, I've always looked up to him. He helped me when I was a teenager, so I've always admired him and loved him.

Q. Because of your connection here, did you have to learn how to handle playing this tournament emotionally? Was it difficult for you?

SCOTT VERPLANK: No, I don't think so. To be honest with you, I mean, it's great to -- I just enjoy coming here and playing. There's always a lot of people here. You know, strictly starting today, they get boisterous (laughing), and I think that they cheer a little extra for a kid from Dallas. I enjoy that to be honest with you.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: If we could go over your last three birdies on 16, 17 and 18.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, 16, I hit a nice drive and a 3-iron right on the upslope of the green and hit not a very good chip really, about five feet short, made that.

17, I hit a nice solid 7-iron, probably 25 feet left of the hole, pretty much pin high. I had to hit first. When you hit first on that hole with the pin right there on the right, that's usually a Sunday pin. But I wasn't feeling like I should just go right at the flag.

So I hit a nice shot, and then I had the putt that Damron made to beat me a couple years ago, so I knew what it did (laughter). I hit a beautiful putt and it went right in the middle.

Then 18 I hit a good drive and a 9-iron to six inches.

Q. What was the yardage on that 9-iron?

SCOTT VERPLANK: 147.

Q. You've been so consistent the past decade or so. Any thoughts on 142 straight cuts made by Tiger and how that thing ended?

SCOTT VERPLANK: I think that's a remarkable feat. It just shows you that the guy comes here to play every time. He is human, so he doesn't play great every single time; it just seems that way.

I guess it was bound to happen, let's put it that way. He might go on another streak here that's longer than that one. We'll just have to wait and see.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Scott, thanks and good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts.

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