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THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 1, 2008

Matt Jones

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Matt Jones with a 1-over par 71. People have talked about the difficult conditions out there today. Maybe just chat a little bit about those, and good feeling in finishing with a birdie.
MATT JONES: Yeah, it was nice finishing with a birdie. I had missed a few putts all day, but to finish off with a birdie and be tied for the lead going into tomorrow is good.
The conditions of the course were tough. Moved the tees back on a few holes but moved them up on other holes. No. 2 was playing tougher. It was off the back tee, but overall it was very similar to the last two days, and they just had a few tougher pin positions for us.

Q. There were times where you were around the hole quite a bit and just nothing seemed to drop really until the back nine. You haven't been overwhelmed, it seemed like at all out here this year, and you weren't overwhelmed it seemed like today. How have you been keeping it together the way that you have, especially now that it's really getting to be crunch time here?
MATT JONES: I mean, playing on the Nationwide Tour for our years gives you a lot of great experiences, a lot of great players out there. It's a great way to develop your game and learn to handle yourself under certain situations. Just try and draw on that experience and hopefully make some more putts tomorrow.

Q. This is only your sixth or seventh tournament out here, just talk about being in the pock you're in ask what do you remember newer nerves will be like?
MATT JONES: I'm sure they will be fine. Play I had in the final group today which I'm sure it will be probably a little more nerve-wracking than tomorrow. If I'm in the situation coming down the stretch, we'll have to see what happens.
I'm looking forward to it. It will be exciting. If I hit the ball like I did today, should be fine. A couple of loose shots out there, but maybe a few more putts and I'll be happy with my game tomorrow.

Q. Some guys say that when you birdie the last, it doesn't give them a huge edge. Some guys say it's the most important hole. Where are you on that, making a 4 there, what's that do for you?
MATT JONES: Gives me one shot more. I've never been one of those guys that making a birdie does anything. It's just one less shot you need, or one less birdie I need tomorrow to win.

Q. As a young player, are you eager to see where you stand in a final round like this when you're tied going in?
MATT JONES: Everyone is when they play out here, especially on the PGA TOUR. You want to see how your game compares to everyone else and see how it stacks up to the best players in the world.
It was fun today. Brian was nice. We had a good time. Just keep it going tomorrow.

Q. What did you learn today?
MATT JONES: That my golf game, it stood up under some tougher pressure, not that there was a lot out there, and I just have to trust myself and believe in myself a bit more and I'll be fine out here.

Q. Do you think you'll sleep well or do you think you'll toss and turn a little bit?
MATT JONES: I slept fine. I had ten hours of sleep last night. I won't have a problem.
I'm not -- I won't struggle at all to sleep tonight. I'll go home, have some dinner, a glass of wine, maybe watch a movie and then just sleep.

Q. Have you always been this way, did you ever to learn -- when you first got on the Nationwide Tour, were you just as cool?
MATT JONES: No. I was young and I was a little more hot-headed. But I guess you learn that with age and certain experiences out on the golf course. You've got to be a little more even-keeled to make yourself a little more professional I guess.

Q. Do you see any advantage to being in the group ahead of the last group that you can put some pressure on the guys behind you?
MATT JONES: Yeah, I mean, you can post a score. You kind of have that -- you have a feeling of you're coming from behind when you're not in the final group.
So that's always been my -- the best thing for me is to be coming from behind, even though I'm tied for the lead, but I'm in the group in front of them, I'll still feel like I have to make some birdies because I know they have a hole to finish with before me. So if I can post a score, that would be good.

Q. Are there any shots that you put specifically in your bag just for this week and for this golf course?
MATT JONES: No, none at all.
JOE CHEMYCZ: Take us through your bogeys and birdies, starting at 3.
MATT JONES: 3 was a terrible bogey. I hit my tee shot in the bunker and then kind of got an in-between yardage out of the bunker. It wasn't a great lie, and I hit it just a little fat in the left rough and got a flyer out of the rough and missed it right and just didn't get up-and-down.
6, I hit a really good drive there, actually. I had 7-iron into that hole when blind had probably a 3-iron in. Just hit a little shot that leaked out to the right and the wind didn't bring it back and got in the rougher and hit a terrible chip and missed the putt.
Birdie at 12. 12 was a little lucky. I was in the rough and it came out a little hot and a little right of where I was aiming and just had enough to get over the bunker and went to about 10 feet and rolled it in.
Bogey at 14. 14 wasn't a very good bogey either. I had an easy chip, very makeable chip and just misread the green and went too far past and just blocked my putt a little.
18, I hit 9-iron to about seven feet and rolled in just outside left lip.

Q. Johnny Miller is very impressed with you, he sees a future star in the making; do you know Johnny, and does that mean anything to you?
MATT JONES: All I know -- I met Johnny today for the first time on the range. I've watched him play golf tournaments and I've listened to him commentate golf tournaments. It's hard to get a compliment out of Johnny it seems on TV, but I was happy to get a compliment off him. He's a great player, he's won a lot of golf tournaments and can only be good for me.

Q. Anything notable about meeting him today?
MATT JONES: No, nothing at all. Just said hello, exchanged a few words here or there but nothing at all.

Q. Are you much of a leaderboard guy; do you watch?
MATT JONES: I will when time -- when it's time to, when time calls for it. But if I'm playing well, I won't look. I'll just keep staying aggressive. It's going to be my caddie's job a little tomorrow to let me know what to do. He won't tell me what I am in the tournament but he'll just say, hit a certain shot which will give me an indication of what I have to do.
JOE CHEMYCZ: Matt, thank you.

End of FastScripts

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