CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

June 28, 2001

Chris DiMarco

CHRIS DIMARCO: You know it was perfect weather this morning. It was perfect. The sun was out at 7:30, and you don't see it that much when you are teeing off at 7:30. The wind wasn't blowing; the greens were perfect. I hit a driver and sand wedge at No. 1 to 12 feet for birdie and that was a good way to start the round. Actually, I missed about a 12-footer on 2 and 3. 4, I hit it just right of the greeen and chipped in for birdie. So the hard holes on that side are 1 through 5 -- I think I actually hit it in the right bunker, one of the only bad shots all day; I hit it in the right bunker. Hit a long blast, 30-yard blast shot to two feet and made par 5 and that was nice. I didn't birdie 6. Made a great up-and-down on 7 for par. Blasted out there to about three feet from the bunker. Next hole I hit a 5-iron on No. 8 and made birdie; so that got me to 3-under. 10, hit a good drive, 9-iron there. I don't remember hitting 9-iron into that hole before, to about 12 feet; didn't make it. Next hole I hit a 9-iron to five feet and made that for birdie to get to 4-under. 2-putt at 12. 13, I hit driver, 3-wood to 12 feet for eagle and just missed it; made par. Parred 14. Hit a really good putt on 15, about an 8-footer. Thought it was going to break to the right. Just hung on the lip, just caught the lip. I lipped out on 16. Made a good up-and-down on 17. 18, I hit it in the left bunker. Hit it short and made about a 10-footer for par to cap off the round. Good way to end. No bogeys. 13 pars and five birdies.

CHRIS DIMARCO: Yeah, this is a hard golf course. The rough is -- I don't think I have ever -- we really have not played rough like this all year. Even the Open was bermuda so you could at least get through it. In spots -- this rough, if you hit in it, you're chipping out. There's nobody going for these greens. I was fortunate to not hit in the rough all day. I missed three fairways, and all three of them, I hit it in the bunkers; so I could at least get up around the greens and save pars. So I'm very satisfied with 65, for sure.

CHRIS DIMARCO: It's been a good year. I've made -- this is number 20 for me. I think I've only missed three cuts. I think I've made 16 of 19. I'm playing more consistent. It's weird, when you are playing good, you seem to be making the cuts by five or six shots; so you are not really worried about it, because Friday afternoons are no fun, I can promise you. That's almost more nerve-wracking than coming down the stretch on Sunday. Just played consistent. I think I've had five or six Top-10s, 10 or 11 Top-25s. I've just been playing pretty solid. What really makes me feel good, a couple tournaments I really haven't played well, but I still finished up there in the Top-25. So that makes me feel like I'm getting better and I'm not settling for anything. I'm just -- you know, my bad weeks are still Top-25; so that's a good thing.

CHRIS DIMARCO: I missed two cuts by a shot. I missed Doral and New Orleans by one shot, and then I played Bay Hill, which I just -- that will be my last year of playing Bay Hill. I live in Orlando, too; isn't that a shame. The course doesn't set up good for me. I don't think I've ever made the cut there. It's just one of those weeks -- I've learned which ones are out here, Westchester last week, Cog Hill next week, just don't setup good for me. Why, I don't know. I just don't play well there, so I take those weeks off. I play Bay Hill because I live there and it's like, "We've got to play." I've already made a vacation for that week next year.

CHRIS DIMARCO: You know, it was -- you know, if I can't draw from that and have confidence coming from that, I don't know what to do. Biggest spectacle we play, with Tiger on Saturday, it was up and I performed well. If anything, I just draw more confidence from that. It was a fun experience. It was fun. I guess I've got to use that word. It wasn't -- it wasn't like after my round I was mentally exhausted. I was having fun out there. That's what golf is all good, and that's what my goal has been, just to have more fun out there and be more relaxed. When I'm home playing with my buddies, I'm relaxed and I'm shooting 65s. So if you can get in that frame of mind, to come out here and play, you're going to play a lot better. Look at Tiger, he doesn't ever look nervous. You look at Duval, you look at these guys, they are never nervous. They are just going out and playing and having fun. That's what it is all about. You start getting nervous and putting extra pressure on yourself, that's when bad things happen.

CHRIS DIMARCO: Saturday.

CHRIS DIMARCO: It was great. I mean, it was -- you know, I was more concerned about, you know, the golf course than I was with Tiger. It was -- I really doesn't want to watch him hit it 50 yards by me all day, I can promise you that. So it was fun. I proved something to myself in that atmosphere, and to play with him, to play well -- I think I shot even. So I drew a lot from that. The course is starting to get tougher.

CHRIS DIMARCO: I don't know. There are some tee balls out here -- 10, 12 and 13 are brutal tee balls. I guess I kind of like that, because it is more or less you step up on those tees and you know you've got to sack it up and hit it, period. It's not like you have an area where you can miss it. You've just got to hit a good shot. I think I play better on courses that have that, where there's no bail-outs, just you've got to hit a good shot. I'm swinging good. I like this course. I've played good here the last three or four times I've played. I like the greens. I read them pretty good.