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WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2007

Carl Pettersson

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

CHRIS REIMER: Carl, thanks for coming in today.
Why don't you start by talking a little bit about finishing up there with four birdies on your back 9 and being 11-under on the day.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, nice. I had a nice back 9 which was the front 9 which I think is a little bit easier so I took advantage of that today and yesterday and I got off to a good start today but had a little sluggish middle section there and really got going on my back 9.
CHRIS REIMER: Go ahead and talk about -- you talked about it a little earlier in the week, might be some people here who weren't here before -- talk about what this tournament means and a bit of a home game for you this week.
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, I live in Raleigh, North Carolina, I went to -- actually used to live in Greensboro for two years, '94 to '96. This is my home tournament and it's kind of unusual for a professional golfer to have a tournament in their home town and play.
So it's a special feeling and I'm also on the Board of the tournament and trying to help out with some suggestions and stuff like that.
CHRIS REIMER: Take some questions.

Q. Course played about the same today as yesterday?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I think so. Maybe a little easier. I think the wind picked up a little bit yesterday afternoon but yeah, very similar to yesterday. I imagine the scoring is going to be low again and, you know, if you're playing well you can really shoot low.

Q. Carl, you were only here two years in Greensboro. I'm guessing that especially for a high school kid there's sometime you have to build to get to know each other and familiarize yourself.
How strong are your ties, what ties do you have to Greensboro and are you -- people around here either believe Grimsley or Page.
Do you still have friends and family back here -- not family but friends?
CARL PETTERSSON: Not so much. I went to high school for two years and obviously North Carolina is my home. I've lived here for a long time and only went to high school for two years so my roots are not that deep here in Greensboro but it was an important time in my life, you know, 15, 16, when you kind of establish a lot of friends and grow up.
So I really enjoyed my time here and in Raleigh, you know, going to college in NC State and living there right now.

Q. Was it awkward when you first came here to this country, was it awkward?
CARL PETTERSSON: Not too much. More awkward when we moved from Sweden to England because I didn't speak any English. Kind of tough going to school not knowing a word of English. I was ten then. At least I could speak English but with a different accent. I guess it's a little awkward anytime you move somewhere but it was alright.

Q. Carl, Davis had to come to grips with this course for whatever reason, then he finally did.
Do you feel any of that at all? You talked about this being your home tournament. Do you feel like -- obviously you can win this thing, you're tied for the lead. It's like Davis had to go through a period it seemed.
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, I haven't played great here in the past. I've had a Top-10 before, 7th or 8th place and couple years ago and I like the golf course, I think it's good but, you know, some weeks you don't play good and some weeks you do.
I don't know why, you know. Some courses sets up great for your eye and I think this is a good golf course and I just haven't played that great on it before.

Q. Tiger isn't going to play next week. Any reaction to that? I mean are you guys -- obviously are still kind of feeling your way through this FedExCup but does that change anything for him not playing or what do you think about that?
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, it makes it easier for us (laughter). I'm kind of glad he's not playing next week. I kind of told my caddie after he won the PGA, I told my caddie, "I bet he doesn't play the first event because he's got that big of a lead now" and I'm sure he played the other three and it's a little unfortunate that he's not going to play but it will still be a great event.
Gives us a better chance to move up.

Q. Carl, where were you during the delay and did that affect anything?
CARL PETTERSSON: I had a two hour delay. I had a second breakfast and hung out with some of the guys. You know, we have these delays in the summer months so we kind of get used to it.

Q. How much did you play?
CARL PETTERSSON: I played five holes.

Q. Did the course change any after that?
CARL PETTERSSON: No. It was still hot and humid. Greens are still soft, slow.

Q. Carl, you said previously that when you were on the Board here that you offered suggestions on how to make the tournament better.
What were some of those suggestions that you made?
CARL PETTERSSON: I changed -- one of my main suggestions was to change the Pro-Am format on Wednesday. This year we played a shamble. The pro plays his own ball. The amateur can use the best drive in the whole group and play their own ball from there.
It doesn't put too much pressure on the amateurs if they hit a bad tee up, still get up in the middle of the fairway and go from there. That was one of my suggestions.
Hopefully next year there might be a charter for some of the players from the PGA to Greensboro. I don't know if that's going to happen or not. It's another suggestion I thought was good just to make it more easy for players to get here and if they're thinking about playing, it's easy, "I'll hop on a private flight and get here quickly."
Also little stuff like just trying to improve on everything, improve on the food a little bit and treat the caddies a little nicer, maybe. Get a free yardage book, something like that. Just small things. Over time the small things might make a big difference.

Q. Any reason to believe that the scores aren't going to just continue like this for the weekend? I mean is this just prime?
CARL PETTERSSON: You said the reason to believe that scores are going to continue?

Q. Right.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I am. I think the forecast is pretty good for the weekend, little cooler and the golf course has no real defense. The rough is up a little bit if you drive it wayward but with the greens being soft and fairly slow you can be aggressive into the greens and aggressive with the putts. The course is playing fairly easy.

Q. Carl, in the tradition of a lot of other very good golfers, at some point in the future you will probably get into the course layout and architecture business.
Davis isn't here so you can speak freely. What holes do you like on this course, what holes don't you like on this course?
CARL PETTERSSON: Let me see. I think No. 4 is a great par 3. I like No. 7 for a short par 4 I think is a great hole.
I like the par-5s on the back. They're both reachable but you've got to -- you know, 13 you've got to place your ball out there and then hit a long iron and 3-wood in. 15 you've got to really hit a great tee shot to give yourself a chance to go for it.
You know, this course is pretty good because you've got to work it both ways off the tee and overall I think it's a pretty good golf course. I'm not too fond of the second green. I think it's a little severe, the slopes on the second green but other than that, I think it's pretty good.
CHRIS REIMER: Go over your club selection here with your birdies and bogies starting on 10.
CARL PETTERSSON: 10, I hit a driver, 9-iron to about 30 feet and made the putt.
Bogey on 12. I hit a 7-iron to about 12 feet and rolled it about two feet by and stepped up there and gave it a whiskey flick and missed it.
13, I hit 3-wood, rescue into the left bunker and got up and down. Made about a ten footer.
Two, I hit driver and 3-wood and two-putted from 35 feet.
Five, I hit 3-wood, lob wedge to about 20 feet and made the putt. And 9 -- 7, I hit rescue, 9-iron to about 12 feet and made the putt, and then at 9 I hit a driver, 3-wood, 3-wood way left and got up and down from about 40 yards. Made about a 15, 18-footer.
CHRIS REIMER: Anything else, guys?

Q. Greens are smooth, slow? How are they?
CARL PETTERSSON: Not so much this morning. Little bumpy but a lot better than they were in the afternoon yesterday and I think they'll get better as the week goes on. Tomorrow we'll have less players playing and that usually helps.
CHRIS REIMER: Okay. Thanks a lot, Carl. See you this weekend.
CARL PETTERSSON: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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