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AT&T PEBBLE BEACH NATIONAL PRO-AM

February 7, 2008

Kent Jones

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

NELSON SILVERIO: Kent Jones, thanks for coming into the media center today, 66 at Pebble. Just take us through your round. You're currently in the lead.
KENT JONES: Just starting on 10?
NELSON SILVERIO: Yeah.
KENT JONES: I started on 10 early, which was nice, because I got through the back nine before the wind really started blowing. I got off to a good start with -- it's always nice to birdie No. 10. I probably made like a 20-foot putt.
And then hit it close on 11, inside two feet. So I think getting under par early helps. I think it helps you maybe relax a little bit on the greens here at Pebble, and I putted great today.
15, I hit 8-iron to probably four feet.
17, 7-iron to two feet.
And then 4, wedge to probably 15 feet, made that.
And 7, I hit it to I guess maybe six feet past the hole there.
And then made a really good putt on 9 for par.

Q. At what point did the wind start blowing?
KENT JONES: Probably I'd say around 14 it started to blow a little bit and from then on, but really on No. 5, I think, for me, 5 on in, because it really started going downwind on 5 and that played short. And so then once you get exposed up there on 6 green and 7 and 8 and 9, it was blowing pretty good, so that's when you notice it the most.

Q. How would you describe your career? I know it's been a bit of a struggle and sort of up and back. You just kept fighting at it to stay on TOUR and to play.
KENT JONES: I think that's probably it. It took me a little while to get out here, and then I struggled when I did. And then I think maybe just kept improving a little bit and was able to stay out here a little bit, for whatever, four years in a row, keeping my card but not -- just always seeming to come down to the very end of the year to do it, playing well at the end of the year, and I've been able to do that. I always seem to play well at the end of the year for some reason.
I did that again last year, but I dug myself such a hole that I had a hard time -- I didn't make it. Went back to Q-school and got back out here. So I think just been fighting trying to stay out here, I guess, and I've been able to do that.

Q. (Inaudible.)
KENT JONES: Well, I think there were a lot of things. The winter in Albuquerque was really bad, and I didn't prepare the way I should have, and so I really came out starting the year not ready to go. And I think that I sort of struggled and maybe lost some confidence and never really got it back and struggled and struggled.
The one thing I did last year was in the middle of the year I switched back to an old Titleist ball from the new ball, and after that I played a lot better. So I don't know if that's -- a lot of that was me, but maybe it was the ball, as well.

Q. Obviously so many guys on TOUR move either to Florida or Arizona. You're not too far from Arizona. Any particular reason you stay in a place that -- obviously the summers are great but the winters are tough.
KENT JONES: Yeah. Well, I just think we have a lot of family. All our family is in New Mexico. We enjoy Albuquerque. I think we just decided to do that. And really, the winters have been okay until last year, and then this year was rough, as well.
So it's been -- it's actually worked out where it's not been too bad. And then last year it was just kind of a weird deal where we got tons and tons of snow, which is unusual for there. And then this year it's been cold, not a lot of moisture but cold and windy.
You know, I just think that we were just happier living there than living in Florida or Scottsdale.

Q. There are so many stories about the rigors of qualifying school. What was your experience? You survived it, but --
KENT JONES: This year?

Q. Yeah.
KENT JONES: Well, I finished the year playing really well, so I felt confident going there. The golf courses there were really long, and I've played enough of them that I've got enough experience, I think, to be able to handle it. And because it's such a long week and a tiring week and just being able to pace yourself and knowing how many holes there are you've got lots of chances to come back if you're not playing well early, and I just played solid throughout.
After about the fourth round I got myself in a good position and just played solid, so it worked out good for me.

Q. What's the difference in pressure between trying to keep your money card and trying to qualify through Q-school?
KENT JONES: If you come down to the end of the year and are trying to keep your card, it's very similar, because it comes down to one or two tournaments at the end, because when you're in Q-school, that week determines your entire next year. So it can be a lot of pressure.
The one thing I had, which maybe helps, is I finished 134, so I knew I had some starts out here. So it wasn't black or white, do-or-die like it is for the guys that didn't have any status before. If they don't make it, then it's Nationwide. That probably helps.

Q. Did you see this coming today, getting off to such a great start?
KENT JONES: Well, maybe not as good as it was. I was home last week and got some work done, and so I felt like in the practice rounds I was hitting the ball okay and I felt like my putting was feeling better. So I felt like I had a chance to maybe play well this week. But I really didn't expect to putt as good as I did today, so that's been maybe a little bit of a surprise.

Q. What kind of satisfaction do you get out of leading at this point after the first round?
KENT JONES: I think I'm just satisfied that I played well and putted well. I don't think, especially when everyone is playing different golf courses, being in the lead isn't very important, especially -- I think if someone shoots say 5-under or 6-under at Spyglass, I think that's a tougher golf course, so you could almost say they're really leading. But it's nice to be playing well, obviously.

End of FastScripts

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