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BUICK OPEN

June 30, 2007

Tom Pernice, Jr.

GRAND BLANC, MICHIGAN

STUART MOORE: We would like to welcome the 1999 Buick Open champion, Tom Pernice, Jr., to the interview room after a fantastic 3rd round 66.
Tom, just looking at your card, you go out kind of a blaze´ 36, so to speak, on the front nine and absolutely catch fire on the back nine playing a five-hole stretch in six-under par, coming in with 30. Great round. Tell us about it.
TOM PERNICE, JR.: It was a little bit of a struggle on the front nine. I've been driving the ball in the fairway pretty regularly and I struggled with driving in the fairway, and started off with a bogey at 1 after hitting two good shots down there in front of the green. I rolled just in the rough, and then hit it short in the bunker and didn't get it up and down. Not a great start.
But I responded with a birdie at 2, hit two good shots in there. Struggled a bit from there for a while. Made a bogey at 5, still wasn't driving it very well, and then hit a good drive at 9. Hit a good wedge shot in there and made the birdie at 9. That settled the ship a bit.
As you know, on the back nine, if you start playing well, there are opportunities there. And I was able to hit some iron shots in close and convert the putts.

Q. Looking at your stats for the week, your opening round of 70 featured 33 putts. Since then you get a 67, 66 with 26 and 25 putts, respectively?
TOM PERNICE, JR.: That's the nature of the game. You're not going to shoot 65, 66 and 67 with 33 putts. To be able to compete out here and have a chance to win, you have to putt well. My putting instructor James Sequin was here this week, earlier in the week, and we found some alignment problems and it was difficult the first day, and we worked pretty hard on Tuesday, Wednesday, and got through Thursday and started putting better each day. I think we've got ourselves at least in position to go out and give ourselves an opportunity tomorrow.

Q. This is a golf course where you're supposed to take advantage of the back nine. You did it today, but not everybody has. Any thoughts on why there hasn't been more 30s and 31s like we normally see?
TOM PERNICE, JR.: I saw Jason Gore do it yesterday, I was paired with him yesterday and that gave me a little insight. It's not a guarantee, by any means. You still have to hit good tee shots to get it in the fairway, and the greens are getting firmer out there, and the pins aren't as easy to get to as it was Thursday. If you're not in the fairway, it's going to be difficult and you're going to have to play to the center of the greens at times or go around trees.
Nothing is guaranteed out there. You still have to execute and still have to make the putts, and with the greens getting firmer, it's tougher to get close.
I feel like I stole one at 17. I hit it to the middle of the green and had a 25-footer and it broke 10 or 12 feet and it just happened to go in. Other than that, most of the iron shots were all in there pretty close. You just have to hit good iron shots from the fairway and that made a difference.

Q. You had 36 going out. At that point do you say I have to get aggressive, or do you still remain position and see what's going to happen?
TOM PERNICE, JR: No, I didn't do anything different, other than I was a little disappointed I hadn't driven the ball very straight. And for me, for my game, if I drive the ball in the fairway, I feel like that's going to open up opportunities for me to be able to hit iron shots and get to some of these opportunities. And it just turned around that I did.
It was a little unfortunate at 12, I hit a good drive and a nice wedge in there and the green was firmer than I expected and it rolled to the back, but I almost chipped that one in. I had two great shots at 13, the par 5, and that's what really got me going, to make eagle there.
14, I drove it down there and hit a nice pitch about three or four feet.
And hit the best iron shot of the week on 15. It's a tough pin there, and I hit a 6-iron in there about three feet. Hit another little pitch on 17 up there about a foot or two. Like I said, 17, I went on and kind of stole one there on that green.
Didn't really change anything, I just thought I needed to drive the ball in the fairway and give myself some opportunities, and things happened.

Q. With so many guys so close to the lead on this golf course tomorrow, what's your approach going in? Do you get aggressive from the get-go or let it come to you?
TOM PERNICE, JR.: You know, I just feel I have to go out and play my game. I can't do anything different. For me, my game is driving the ball in the fairway, giving me some good opportunities with my irons, and your putter has to do the rest.
Not anything in particular, no, I just think you have to play your game. The way I was going along, I never dreamed I would get to 6 under and I did. Being patient pays off sometimes. I got to playing pretty good and was able to hit good iron shots and all of a sudden you start making birdies.

Q. How much do you draw going into tomorrow, the experience of having won here and the good vibe from that day and having that kind of success here?
TOM PERNICE, JR.: It obviously helps any time you come back to a place you've won. It's a special place. It's a fun golf course to play. It's all setup by -- you know, there's six or seven holes you cut it off of here, and there are six or seven holes you draw here. It's a nice variety. It's a course that I like and enjoy to play. If you play well, you can shoot a good score.
In my opinion, that's my definition of a great golf course, if you play well, you can shoot a good score. The conditions should dictate the scores, not so much designing golf courses. And unfortunately, I think architects these days are trying to build golf courses too hard and don't let you even try to shoot a good score anymore, to be honest with you. It's fun to come to a place where you're rewarded by playing well.

Q. When you made the turn, were you given thinking I can still get myself into position to be near the lead? Did those types of thoughts go through your head at all?
TOM PERNICE, JR.: No, not really. There's still 27 holes left in a golf tournament and anything can happen here. I just kind of kept telling myself, keep hitting good shots and keep plugging away and see what happens. And lo and behold you catch fire and make some birdies and make an eagle and get yourself right back in.
No, I didn't panic or anything and didn't really do anything any different, just started executing and hitting better shots is what really made the difference.

Q. The recent winners have come from a final pairing up until I think it was your group the year you won. What's the difference this year going into the final round as opposed to the year that you won when you shot that 65?
TOM PERNICE, JR.: Well, I didn't really necessarily have many thoughts about winning when I teed off that day. I was just in good position right there. And really, Tom Lehman let us all back into the game there. He had a good size of a lead going into the back nine. That kind of opened the doors and I got hot on the back nine and it was good enough to hold -- I think there were five or six guys at second place. That's just kind of how it worked out.
I just feel better about my game, much better ball-striker, and drive the ball in the fairway, and give myself some opportunities. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. That's about all I can say.
THE MODERATOR: Tom, great round. Best of luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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