HP CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

May 4, 2003

Scott Verplank

Q. Scott Verplank, we appreciate you coming in. Overall it was a good week, not an easy way to finish up. Could we just get some opening comments from you and we'll go to some questions quickly.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I can't -- my opening comments you wouldn't want to print, so -- you couldn't print.

Q. We'll get the PG version.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I don't know. I just played bad. I don't know what else to say. I've played better, and the conditions today were a lot tougher than they have been, and I didn't drive it that good this week for me. Normally I can just get out there automatic and it doesn't mean I hit every fairway, but it feels like I am, and this week I wasn't like that, so that was a little bit different feel for me, and really, today, I had plenty of opportunities to -- I need the distance and I just didn't make the putts, I just didn't putt any good and didn't feel comfortable over the ball on darn near any shot.

Q. Questions?

SCOTT VERPLANK: The wind was blowing harder and the golf course dried up even more, and that makes pretty crusty. When it gets like that, that -- it just magnifies any misses and magnifies not putting as well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: I just didn't -- i don't know. I mean, you know, if I knew out there, I would have corrected it. I don't know. I mean, like I said, if I knew what the hell I was doing I would have fixed it in a hurry.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I hit some good putts today and, I don't know, I guess I -- like I said, I spoke to some guys out there, and I was not surprised -- definitely not surprised, nothing surprises me out here about me or anybody else, how they play, but I didn't feel like I was just in total control even though I was 21-under par after three rounds. (Inaudible) and didn't feel very comfortable, and that's what I'm disappointed in, to be honest with you, because I've been playing out here a long time and had so many chances, and I just wasn't very comfortable today so, I don't know -- i don't know. I just didn't play good.

The last hole was kind of -- i don't know. The last hole didn't matter because I hit such a sorry tee shot, you know, that I was in trouble. The amount of things that have been going right didn't go right today. I hit it -- i missed the green on 15, but I was in a pretty good spot and I had a squirrelly lie instead of just a normal -- i didn't even have to have a good lie, just a normal lie, and I had a big old clump behind my ball.

And, frankly, the way I played today I was probably a little bit -- i just was a little quick on it and hit it just a hair thin. You know, if the lie would have been normal it would have been a shot I was thinking I could make, but I hit another sorry putt.

And then 16, you know, I was too close to the green. I wasn't trying to get -- i didn't think I could hit it that far down there and particularly Bob and I hit it and he's a little bit longer than I am, in general, and, heck, he was at a yardage where he could hit a normal shot and stick and he did, he hit a nice shot, 3 or 4 feet, and I'm up there where I have to hit an absolute perfect shot to get it to stay on the green and (inaudible) in the bunker, I knew I couldn't keep that one on the green.

And it wasn't for lack of trying or, you know, even, like 17, I hit a pretty nice shot there, and if it was over to the right (inaudible) hell of a lot closer if I was putting for par. I'm up there putting 15 feet for birdie and instead (inaudible) and goes down the bunker and I got pretty lucky to make a 4 there to keep some hope alive.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: No, I wouldn't -- you know, no, I just (inaudible) wedge 5 feet from the hole and had a hole in the putt, and it didn't touch the hole. I don't know. I just didn't play real good today. That's the easiest way to sum it up. I've been playing pretty good and kind of (inaudible) everything that's gone wrong, I just (inaudible).

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: I think it's very difficult. Anybody that told you otherwise, they would be lying to you. I don't know. I'll be okay. I've had worse stuff happen to me.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I was in the downhill lie in the bunker, and I knew I wasn't going to hit it in the hole, and I was really trying to pretty much hit it in the bleachers but a little further out, but I had to get a little steep to get it over the lip and it was a little too steep (inaudible) it kind of magnifies your mistakes. I was still okay, but I thought I had hit a pretty decent shot on the first shot, but I don't know if I had the right number there as far as yardage because I shouldn't have come up short.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, according to the book, I mean, I don't know, I guess we'll have to go check Shot Link. According to me, I should have had 73 to the front and (inaudible) from the angle I was coming from it was more like 20, but I don't even know, maybe 24 or something. So it would be just under 100 yards, and my caddie walked all the way back there and he came back and said 90 yards, and 90 yards should have been no sweat with a sand wedge, even the way I hit it, so I don't know, it didn't play like I thought it was supposed to.

Q. (Inaudible.)

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, obviously, you know, that's part of the golf course. (Inaudible) it might have been better if I hit it out of the martini cup I was in up there.

Q. Couple more?

SCOTT VERPLANK: I don't think so. If it hit somebody, I doubt they felt it.

Q. Scott, thanks.

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