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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

March 30, 2008

Tim Wilkinson

AVONDALE, LOUISIANA

Q. Tim, tell me about it out there today. Great round of golf.
TIM WILKINSON: Yeah, it was good. I started off a bit shaky, didn't hit many fairways starting out, and then started to play pretty well halfway through the front nine and made a few good putts. I played solid, no bogeys. It was fun.

Q. You don't want to hit it in the fairway when you get started in the fourth round when they're playing lift, clean and place; that would just be cheating?
TIM WILKINSON: Yeah, I just decided to let the field get ahead and then make my move from there (laughter). Just kidding.

Q. Tell me about this golf course. How different did it play today as opposed to yesterday?
TIM WILKINSON: The greens are a lot softer, that's for sure, so it was a little bit easier to hit it close. I think they rolled a little bit smoother, just a bit of rain. They were good. It's a great golf course.

Q. Tell me about your experience in New Orleans.
TIM WILKINSON: It's been fun. It's my first time here, so it's been good. Had some good food, and the tournament has been awesome. We've been spoiled really, what we had, so it's great.

Q. Seven events in on the PGA TOUR. Tell me about your experience out here on TOUR this year.
TIM WILKINSON: I played in the final group my first week out here on Sunday with K.J. Choi and didn't do very well. Then I had a few other chances in good position, sort of around 10th place, didn't play well. Then last week I played well, tied for 6th, and now this week I played well the final round, which makes a big difference.

Q. Do you feel like you're starting to get comfortable out here in the setting of the PGA TOUR now, because like you said, you made the final group on Sunday of the Sony, but even then, first time, final group. But now?
TIM WILKINSON: Yeah, I never realized how many cameras are out there and people moving around and things like that. You get used to those things, and I think my routine is getting better and concentrating a bit better. My coach is over three weeks ago now, and we did some good work and sort of straightened out my ball flight a lot, so it's been good.

Q. Coming to the 18th hole needing eagle, how much extra pressure does that ramp up on you?
TIM WILKINSON: Yeah, a lot. I hadn't looked at a leaderboard all day, and so after I finished 17 I saw I was two behind. I was going to lay it up, and I thought, you know, you only come to win. So I hit a driver and I just pushed it and it went in the bunker. If I had hit it in the fairway I definitely would have had a go at the green and seen if I could have made eagle.

Q. Was the lie in the bunker anywhere near good enough to maybe consider going?
TIM WILKINSON: The face was too steep. It was a great lie, but if I could hit a 7-iron 250 yards I would have done it, but I can't do that.

Q. When you do have to back it down like that, do you have to control your emotions knowing that you don't want to make things worse by hitting a bad layup, which is the worst thing you can do as a professional golfer?
TIM WILKINSON: Yeah, pretty much the whole back nine I tried to control the way I was breathing. I had been in the final group before but hadn't had a chance to finish high in a tournament. It was fine. I think I really controlled it pretty well on the back nine, hit a few good putts on the back nine that just lipped out. A little bit disappointed, but I finished well, 67, not complaining.

Q. Of course you qualified so you belong here, but having made more cuts than you've missed, I think you've made four out of seven now, are you starting to feel like, yes, I am a PGA TOUR player and I have every right to be here?
TIM WILKINSON: Oh, definitely, yeah. I feel a lot more comfortable every day. When you meet a lot of people out here it makes a difference, as well. Just talking to some of the players I've looked up to my whole life, and I stood out there and played with them today, so it was good.

End of FastScripts

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