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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 19, 2008

Steve Lowery

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

DOUG MILNE: Steve Lowery, thanks for joining us four a few minutes, great playing today, seven birdies and only one bogey. After round one of the Travelers Championship, leader in the clubhouse. Just a couple comments. You had mentioned that you're well-rested and feeling good.
STEVE LOWERY: Yeah, I took the week off U.S. Open, didn't do the qualifier and chose not to go. I was kind of tired after Memorial and Memphis, so able to get some rest and come here a little bit fresher than I have been.
DOUG MILNE: Obviously some low numbers out there today. Talk about the course conditions given the rain yesterday.
STEVE LOWERY: The golf course is soft, so you know, the drives are staying in the fairway and you can get the irons close. The challenge is obviously with the putting when you have soft greens, keeping the ball on-line, so that's the good news-bad news out there.

Q. Were you in the qualifier and decided not to play?
STEVE LOWERY: Yeah, I just withdrew out of it. It was the day after Memorial, and it just was too much. I had just been -- too much for me to do all that.

Q. You've been playing a lot?
STEVE LOWERY: Well, I just had been playing more than I needed to to really be competitive. I was too tired, especially after Memphis, so it was good to have a little time off.

Q. We noticed this is one of your better scores here. You haven't exactly enjoyed yourself here in past years?
STEVE LOWERY: Does that mean I come here tired a lot?

Q. You've missed most of the cuts. What was the difference today from past years?
STEVE LOWERY: I think coming in rested and just -- I don't know, that's probably the biggest thing. I tend to play better. Irregardless of the golf courses, when I'm tired I don't do as well, and when I'm rested I tend to play better. Hopefully I'll stay rested this week.

Q. How much does that playoff with Vijay help you with your confidence? I know you've had some chances since then, but mentally was it a big lift?
STEVE LOWERY: Absolutely. It was probably my biggest win ever, so obviously it was good for me to be in a playoff with one of the top-ranked players. Just to come away with a victory there, it gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the year and just for future tournaments and stuff.

Q. Do you think with the soft greens this morning it's going to be an advantage to have been out there before the sun dries them off?
STEVE LOWERY: Probably. I think the greens when there's that much traffic on them, they get a little bumpy, and sometimes it's hard to get the putts to roll out. You can get them on-line but can't keep them on-line. I think it just depends if somebody gets hot with the putter this afternoon; obviously they're soft enough to get the irons close, but it's tough to get those putts in. I think it was an advantage to be out there.

Q. Are you a person who plays differently when you're ahead?
STEVE LOWERY: Probably have a little bit more energy and a little bit more focus when I'm ahead. That seems to be my track record with that. So yeah.

Q. What did you do on your week off?
STEVE LOWERY: I did not play a round of golf since Memphis, just -- I did practice a little bit. I fiddled with my clubs and got some of my clubs straightened out. The 3-wood hadn't been working too good. I took time off and relaxed with my kids and just didn't do a whole lot. I watched the U.S. Open. I did watch it.

Q. So you didn't play at all for practice?
STEVE LOWERY: I didn't play a round. I practiced a little bit but I didn't play at all, just kind of got away from it a little bit and rested.

Q. Did you watch the tournament every day?
STEVE LOWERY: Yeah, I did watch that. It put me to sleep a few days (laughing).
DOUG MILNE: If you wouldn't mind, aside from the bomb at 9 that I think was 49-something feet, you really didn't have many long putts. If you could just run us through your birdies and give us some descriptions and clubs and so forth.
STEVE LOWERY: No. 2, I hit a good drive and it was basically just a chip shot. I chipped it up there about I'll say three feet. I don't know, are the distances on here?
DOUG MILNE: Yeah, they're on the second page.
STEVE LOWERY: I don't want to be guessing. So that was it, 5'6"?
DOUG MILNE: Yeah, you can look down at putting.
STEVE LOWERY: 5'6". That's how long that putt was? I thought it was a tap-in.
No. 6, I had I had a wedge shot about 12 feet would be my guess.
No. 8, I hit a good shot on the par-3 about eight feet.
9, 49 feet you said, long putt, 49'5".

Q. What did you hit on 8?
STEVE LOWERY: On 8 I hit a 5-iron just past the hole there.
12, I hit a good drive down the little swale there and hit a sand wedge in there about ten feet or so.
13 was a par-5 and went for it in two and hit it just left of the green and chipped it up there about eight feet.
14, I hit a drive and a wedge about four feet.
And then I just parred the rest of them. I got a good up-and-down on 16, hit it over the green left with a back left pin and made kind of a good up-and-down that kind of saved me there. I hit good shots on 17 and 18 and wasn't able to make them.
I bogeyed No. 5, hit it right of the green and chipped it up there about, I don't know, six or seven feet and didn't make it.
DOUG MILNE: Steve, thanks for joining us. Best of luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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