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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 13, 2007

Carl Pettersson

SILVIS, ILLINOIS

STEWART MOORE: We'd like to welcome Carl Pettersson to the interview room here at the John Deere Classic after a second round 64. Right now you're tied for second at 11-under. Talk a little bit about your round out there today.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I played nice. I started off well with a birdie on my first hole, 10, and then I played solid, managed to get four in a row. I birdied 14, 15, 16 and 17, which was nice. And then I made a little bit of an error on 18 and made a bogey, but then came back nice with birdies on 2 and 3.
STEWART MOORE: You're one of a couple players in the field that's in the British Open next week. Do you like playing the week before a major?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I do, especially I had two weeks off before this. I wanted to play this week to get my game ready for next week. But I also enjoy being here. I like this golf course, haven't been here for a couple years, but I've played decent here before.

Q. A lot of guys avoid this tournament that are British-bound. Being an international player, maybe you're not as intimidated by the time difference or the travel?
CARL PETTERSSON: No, I used to play on the European Tour and I still lived in the States. I've crossed the pond several times. It doesn't really affect me that much. It's just a seven-and-a-half-hour flight from here to London. I'll be there Monday and probably play nine holes Monday, then play Tuesday and Wednesday. It should be fine.

Q. Do you fly commercial?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yes.

Q. Out of Chicago then?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yes, unless you want to lend me about 75 grand (laughter).

Q. You win Sunday and it's all taken care of; do whatever you want.
STEWART MOORE: Just looking at your card, eight birdies and a bogey. Do you mind going through your birdies and bogey real quick?
CARL PETTERSSON: That's fine. 10, I hit driver, rescue and hit a lob wedge from about 75 yards to 15 feet and made it.
14, driver in the left rough, lob wedge to about five feet, made it.
15, I hit driver, sand iron to about ten feet, made it.
16, hit wedge to about 15 feet, made it.
17, I hit driver, 3-wood just short of the green, chipped up and made about a four-footer for birdie.
18, hit a pretty good drive, got a bad kick into the right rough, came up short, chipped on and two-putted for bogey.
And then No. 2, par 5, I hit driver, rescue, just short left and chipped up to about two feet, made the putt.
3, I hit a 6-iron to about 20 feet, made the putt.
And then 5, I hit driver, gap wedge to about 12 feet and made it.

Q. Does the course seem to be firming up a little bit? It's still yielding low scores.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, a little bit. It's still soft. I think by tomorrow and Sunday it should be pretty good, really. The greens were a lot better this morning than they were in the afternoon yesterday. That's just from a lot of play, they get trampled down, but they were rolling true this morning.

Q. A lot of guys here are looking for a breakthrough. Do you feel like with a couple wins in your pocket, maybe that's an advantage for you?
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, yes, I know I can do it. I've done it before. You know, if I get in contention on Sunday, that's what I've got to tell myself, that I've been there before and I know I can do it. I'm playing well, I've just got to try to keep going.

Q. A lot of wedges in your hand today. Is that your normal game?
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, I drove it so good, I hit a lot of fairways and I drove it fairly long. So I think that's the key to this course, you've got to drive it well and putt well obviously. But you've got to give yourself chances to go at pins. You're going to have to shoot low. 20-under is going to win, somewhere around there. You've just got to keep going.
STEWART MOORE: You realize in your two rounds you've got 48 putts; that's not bad. You one-putted holes 1 through 6 both of the first two rounds.
CARL PETTERSSON: Let's keep that going.

Q. Earlier in the year you had a streak of 12 straight rounds where you failed to break par. What was going on there and what's the difference now? Why are you able to get it so low?
CARL PETTERSSON: I didn't start the year off good. My short game wasn't very good. I was hitting the ball fine but I was chipping and putting terrible. You know, I'm just making more putts and chipping the ball better now. Just confidence. I've played pretty well the last couple months. Yeah, that's just the difference, a few putts here and there makes a big difference.

Q. Any changes, drastic changes?
CARL PETTERSSON: No, just more confident now with everything.

Q. Where is the game of golf in Sweden? Has it picked up at all because of Annika?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, a little bit. I left there when I was ten years old and my parents moved over here. But yeah, it's always been a popular sport. Obviously with her success it's helped a lot.

Q. When did you come to the States?
CARL PETTERSSON: Actually I left Sweden when I was ten. My parents, we moved to England, and I was 15 when we moved over here.

Q. So playing college golf was always an option for you?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I played a lot of junior golf with guys out here, and college golf -- I almost feel more American than Swedish, to be honest with you.
STEWART MOORE: Carl, great playing, best of luck this weekend.

End of FastScripts

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