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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 24, 2008

Johnson Wagner

IRVING, TEXAS

Q. 1-under 69 in difficult conditions.
JOHNSON WAGNER: Definitely, it was windy out there. The greens were firm, but the pins were accessible and you just had to drive it in the fairway, which I didn't do, but made a lot of putts, which made it easier.

Q. I have bad news for you; this is the last full week of April. It's been a great month.
JOHNSON WAGNER: I've got just a totally different outlook now after winning. I'm just looking forward to so many good events that I'm in now and just hope to keep it rolling.

Q. You win the Shell Houston Open, you go on with a solid showing in the Masters, then you open up under par here?
JOHNSON WAGNER: Yeah, it's good. This golf course didn't treat me very well last year, so I'm very excited about a good opening round. A long way to go, but good things coming.

Q. You said the pins were accessible. The greens here are generous, but it's almost as if you have to cut these greens into quadrants because of all the undulations?
JOHNSON WAGNER: Definitely, there's a lot of spots you don't want to miss it out here. One day you could short-side yourself to a pin and be dead, but then the next day that's a good spot to miss it. It's just a very good second-shot golf course.

Q. Is the wind gusting to where it affects putts?
JOHNSON WAGNER: No doubt about it. I had a putt over on 1, my 10th hole, and it was just -- probably blew it a cup outside the hole.

Q. You can't hit a better wedge than you hit into 9 trying to save par. Did the wind get it or just a misread?
JOHNSON WAGNER: Misread, I think. I felt like I hit a good putt. I think it went left when I thought it was going right.

Q. You post a score early, go back and enjoy the afternoon.
JOHNSON WAGNER: That's right, thank you.

Q. Did it drive you crazy? Was it that kind of gusty, a lot of second shots?
JOHNSON WAGNER: A little bit. I backed off a lot of putts and a lot of shots, but you have to. You to know what it's doing and be ready for it. Definitely going to be some slower rounds this afternoon just because of backing off shots.

Q. How tough is it to figure out the greens here?
JOHNSON WAGNER: Tough. I've noticed a lot of short putts doing exact opposites of what they think. I can't really read the greens just because they're so new, but the course is in great shape and it's going to be a good week.

Q. Talk a little bit more about the doors that are open for you now.
JOHNSON WAGNER: I'm in the Memorial, which is nice. I didn't get to play there last year. Colonial, which I did play last year, but maybe some World Golf Championships events, better chance to get in the majors, better tee times, Kapalua, a lot of good things.

Q. How tough are the conditions with the wind out here? You answered that already, but it's for TV now.
JOHNSON WAGNER: It's very tough. It's gusting but it's out of the same direction, which is good. The last three or four days it's blowing this way the whole time, so you know where it's coming from, and it's challenging. It's a tough course to play in the wind, but everybody has got to do it.

Q. Are you surprised there aren't more lower scores out there?
JOHNSON WAGNER: A little bit. I mean, I was playing okay and I was at 2-under par and I looked up at the board, and I was in the Top 5, maybe even 2nd, and that kind of shocked me. And then I fell apart and came right back, and I was still right there. It's windy and it's tough.

Q. Do you think it has to do with the fact that the guys that have played here for years, with the new greens, nobody has kind of an experience here?
JOHNSON WAGNER: No doubt about it. A lot of the tee shots are the same but the greens are completely different, breaks are different, and it's exciting. I don't have too little of a disadvantage, if that makes sense.

Q. Talk to J.J. and Harrison in the locker room and ask them a few questions, huh?
JOHNSON WAGNER: Exactly. There are some slopes that aren't visible out here. They're great. I couldn't be happier with the course. It's amazing the job that everybody has done with a year to get a course in this good a condition.

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