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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

May 11, 2008

Stephen Ames

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

Q. What would you say the major difference is in this year's tournament from last year?
STEPHEN AMES: I think it's a little obvious, the wind. The condition of the golf course, probably a little bit more mature. Last year it was still young. This year it's definitely a lot more mature. I think it was almost close to borderline, a little unfair, when you're hitting great shots and weren't rewarded.
But that's the nature of the design of the golf course. It's not there for hitting good golf shots and receiving shots because of the way the greens are designed altogether.

Q. It's not over yet, but you were really close to having a really good day. Just talk a little bit about that.
STEPHEN AMES: I think overall the day was good. To shoot par in this weather in the afternoon compared to when the guys went off this morning, I don't think the wind was this strong, plus the greens were probably a little bit more receptive than they were when we played it. I shot level par and I had two double bogeys. I'm not going to complain about that at all. It was a good day, I moved up the leaderboard, and that's what you try to achieve at the end of the week, moving up and getting closer to No. 1.

Q. After 17, though, you had to be thinking about getting in there, posting a number, posting 2-under, because that may be a really good number by the end of the day.
STEPHEN AMES: It might be; you never know, though. If Paul doesn't do anything silly coming in, I think he'll hold onto it. The only difficult holes coming in were probably 14 -- for him overall, 14 will be tough, and then of course 17 and 18, which that just depends on how much you trust yourself and you trust your golf swing coming in.

Q. How much did your experience help out there today?
STEPHEN AMES: What, playing in wind or playing at the course?

Q. Toss-up.
STEPHEN AMES: None, because it's a different golf course completely, completely different golf course. Before you used to hit good golf shots and get rewarded because they were a little more receptive, now they're not quite the same. You're playing for that 10, 20 yards release on the greens, and at times you don't have enough room to do that, and you've got to play for short and chip them back.

Q. Could you talk about 18? Did it get away from you?
STEPHEN AMES: Twice. I doubled it yesterday, as well. It's a tough hole. The chip really surprised me. I thought it would grab a little bit and it never did. I think that green being a little more exposed, it's probably a little bit more dried out than all the others. That's the nature of the game. I'm quite happy with my result. Any time you play well and finish Top 10 in this event you've played well, considering the quality of the field, the Top 40, Top 50 in the world playing, I'm quite happy with the result.

Q. Did even par feel like a few under?
STEPHEN AMES: This week, yeah, definitely. I'll take that at San Diego right now (laughing). Do you think I have a chance?

Q. I think so, yeah.
STEPHEN AMES: Okay, thanks.

Q. Anything out there -- did you have a ball move, a ball get batted down out on the course earlier or anything?
STEPHEN AMES: No, there were a couple instances where we all had to back off because the wind just started to gust. We had to wait for it. Some holes were playing ridiculously long and then others were playing short. The 7th, as an example, we were hitting 5-woods and sand wedges, that's how short it was playing, Davis and myself.
It's a different golf course out there, and with a sand wedge you're not going to get any stop. You're playing for 20 yards of release.

Q. What's your schedule?
STEPHEN AMES: I have a week off.

Q. Then Colonial, Memorial?
STEPHEN AMES: No, Colonial, Memphis, U.S. Open.

End of FastScripts

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