THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 22, 2002

Chris DiMarco

Q. How difficult was 18 with that wind?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Actually, 18 was difficult but it was a good wind because it was kind of out of the right a little bit.

I hit a pretty good shot. The wind got it. I didn't expect it, and fortunately I -- I hit two balls in the water and made 6. It is going to happen out here. You are not -- you are not going to play too many holes without making a double out here.

Q. Is this a day to just try and survive?

CHRIS DiMARCO: I think we had the advantage -- I think we had the advantage because we played a lot of holes in it so you just kind of -- your mentality was survival. These guys haven't played for a long time. These guys starting in the afternoon, it is going to be tough for them. It really is starting to play hard out there.

Q. Getting a lot more difficult than when you started this morning?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Greens are firming up. Fairways are firming up, so it is just getting a lot harder out there, not toughness-wise, just harder -- the ground is getting harder. Greens are little chewed up and they are so fast it is tough to putt out there.

Q. How do you deal with it mentally when you see the course changing right before your eyes?

CHRIS DiMARCO: You just try and survive pretty much. If you have got a 25-footer you try to roll it up close. If it goes in, total bonus. If you get it in there six, seven feet you could be a little aggressive. Even the 7-footers you get it on the wrong side of the hole you are just trying to touch them up there and hope they sneak in there.

Q. How disappointed are you with a 75?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Not too disappointed. I am disappointed with the bogey on the last hole. I hung in there real well and I hit the wrong club. I tried to punch a little 7-iron in there , down in that bowl, I just -- it hit hard and went over the green. At that point you just take your medicine, you can get out of here. It was just a tough day out there, all day long you are hitting -- No. 7 was a driver 3-iron today. Yesterday it was driver 7-iron. The course is changing.

Q. Greens.

CHRIS DiMARCO: They are not getting that bad right now. They are not terrible. They are about like they were Wednesday afternoon before the rains came. Tomorrow, I see them -- if the wind keeps up -- tomorrow I see them, if the wind keeps up all day today, tomorrow I see them being nice and firm. The way they should play, tell you the truth. Sunday I hope they are like that. They should be. That's how the course should play. It's meant to be the toughest conditions. Today with the wind I hope the wind stays up. It's going to be a really tough round out there.

Q. Change your game plan at all knowing that the course is going to change?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Not really. I think the wind is supposed to blow out of here tonight, so if the conditions are hard, but there's not much wind, then you can control what you are doing. It's hard when the wind is blowing -- you have got No. 5 -- you have got No. 5 today played brutal. The wind is just howling into you out of the left and it is a dog-leg right so it's just tough out there.

Q. 18.

CHRIS DiMARCO: Like I said, earlier 18 is almost like the -- it almost like the third par 5 on the back nine you just hit it out there, you are going to hit a 2, 3-iron in. You are probably going to -- probably going to hit more into that hole than you were into any of the other par 5s. So I may -- I should have made -- I think I went four, five, six on them so that wasn't too good.

Q. 3-under after 36 considering that the wind is going to keep up, you have got to be pleased with that?

CHRIS DiMARCO: Oh, yeah, if you would have told me yesterday that you want to be 3-under after 36 I would have gone home. That would be great. That's fine with me. It was a struggle out there. It was survival, but it was, you know, that's the way it should be. I hit a lot of good shots, I expected to play good. I am glad I had the week off last week to kind of mentally prepare for this. Because it was a very, very tough day out there mentally.

Q. (Inaudible) the putt at 17 I think you left that a turn short.

CHRIS DiMARCO: Not really. I was so happy I hit the ball on the green. It doesn't matter. I mean, on that hole I told my caddie I actually I would have made a 1 if the pin was there. That's where I am aiming. I hit it right there every time. No matter where the pin is I try to put it right there. It's the biggest part of the green. It gives you some room for error either way. Two 3s there in two days I am not going to lose too much of the field there.

Q. What do you have to do now to recharge considering it was mentally draining?

CHRIS DiMARCO: I am actually going to drive home. My son has got a baseball game so I am going to go to Orlando and watch his game and drive them all up tonight. It will be nice and my mind will be free from that. I will be watching my son and cheering for him.

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