VOLVO PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2003

Trevor Immelman

RODDY WILLIAMS: Trevor, thank you very much for coming in to join us.

Unlucky runner-up, but what a final day. Could you start off by describing those last two holes.

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Well, I made a decision last night that I wasn't going to look at any leaderboards today. I was kind of just doing my own thing out there. You know, obviously I know Ernie is a crowd favorite, but I knew that I was maybe one or two shots behind the whole way because the crowd had kind of left us after the turn. So I knew, three par 5s on the back side, I knew if I played well, hopefully hole a few putts, I could be in with a chance.

Then made a great birdie there on 15. That tee shot definitely doesn't suit my eye. I don't sit comfortably on that tee. I made a good shot and good second and hit a good putt.

17, I hit a great tee shot and what I thought was quite a good 3-iron. It must have got caught up in the rough. I holed a good putt there, kind of was in and wasn't in and then it fell in at the end. That was a bit of a relief. That putt was six feet.

18, just kind of put one down there in the fairway and hit a 2-iron right up on to the front. Then obviously had awhile, just waiting there while Niclas was sorting out what he was trying to do. So I managed to have a great look at the line and get a feel for it and just kind of take the moment in and settle myself down. Hit an unbelievable putt. I was, I guess -- I don't know -- 40 or 50 feet away, so I couldn't really see -- I could see the flag but when he took the flag out, I couldn't see the circumference of the hole, if you will.

And here it was, sort of tracking, tracking, tracking and was I was walking forward; I thought it was going to fall in. But just caught the edge. So, you know, what can you do?

Q. 80 feet --

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Oh, really? The green was kind of wet from the rain. I knew it was uphill and I could have a good go at it. I was hitting it a foot outside, and I obviously hit it perfect. I thought it was going to drop in there, it was looking good. But, you know, what can you do.

RODDY WILLIAMS: How about the playoff.

TREVOR IMMELMAN: The playoff, I was very happy to have the honor. I hit a great tee shot down there, probably the best of the week on that hole, a bit of a downhill lie and the ground was a little soggy. So I had to catch it pretty perfect. I had a 4-iron. I had 220 yards to the hole and just caught it slightly heavy off the downhill. It was online and I hit another, I guess, 80-footer and hit a decent putt. Just left it -- what was that; maybe four feet short? Then hit it inside right and the putt kind of went straight there. I probably started it on the right lip and didn't turn at all and just caught the edge.

So, a little bit disappointing to shoot the round I shot yesterday and to finish the way I finished today. To finish with a 3-putt, but, you know, it's just nice to be in the hunt again. It's been a few months since I've had a chance to win, and that's what I've put all those longs hours of work in for, so it was nice to get that feeling back.

Q. Does it prove to you that the work that you've done means your swing can stand up under pressure, which it did today?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Well, I knew after the SA Open, coming down the stretch and playing in front of everybody, I basically knew every face in the crowd. That was almost more pressure for me, almost more so than today.

The shots I hit down the stretch there proved to me I could do it. And then the next week, giving myself a chance to get in, and the next week I won and the next week I finished second again. That four-week stretch there, I really proved to myself that I've got the game. It's just a matter of putting it all together. You know, I just had a couple months where things weren't going my way, but I'm not going to get away from the point.

To answer your question, yes, the work I've done, I definitely feel like I can play well when it matters.

Q. What do you feel was wrong with your game that you needed the extra work on?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: I started working with a new coach, Claude Harmon, on the 1st of May last year. We were basically making changes while I was playing. I played a very busy schedule last year. It's difficult to make a lot of swing changes when you're playing for a living.

We did a lot of work on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and then kicked it all off on Thursday every week so, that was tough. I knew we just needed a couple of weeks when it didn't really matter to work on a few things that we wanted to work on.

It never ends with the golf swing. You kind of just -- it's probably something that I've had to try to figure out in my own mind; it is never going to end. You've just kind of got to keep going with what you've got and try to improve a little bit every week.

Q. Where do you think this week leaves you looking at the rest of the year? It's a good time of the year to hit form.

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Absolutely. I'm going to the States tomorrow. I play in the Memorial next week, which is a golf course that I thoroughly enjoy. It would be nice to take some form into that tournament.

Then a week off at home in Orlando and then the U.S. Open. That will be my first U.S. Open. So, as you say, then I come back over here to play a long stretch before the British Open. A lot of fantastic golf coming up for me. Obviously, I hope it will kick-start me on and it will get my confidence going again and get myself in position again the next couple of months.

End of FastScripts....