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WYNDHAM CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2008

Carl Pettersson

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

DOUG MILNE: We'd like to welcome the 2008 Wyndham Championship champion, Carl Pettersson. Thanks for joining us here.
Congratulations on a spectacular week all around. With the win, you jump all the way up to No. 13 in the FedExCup points list which pretty much is a virtual lock for the whole stretch.
So, just start off with some thoughts of the day and the week and what's going through your mind.
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, obviously the week has been fantastic. And, you know, it was just -- I kept telling myself I could do it and it's been -- you know, it was an unbelievable feeling today on the back-9 to really knuckle down and get it done but, you know, starting out today, I felt good, I probably felt more comfortable today than I did yesterday. I played solid from the get-go.
Scott came out with two quick birdies but I knew my spring was there and I just kept plugging along and then I kind of felt like I let the tournament slip away on 10 and 11 and hit a poor tee shot on 12, looking at another bogey, and had a really tough up and down and managed it hit it to maybe 20 feet and my caddy gave me a great read and I made a nice positive stroke and I think that was the turning point, really, on No. 12, me making par there and Scott missed a short one for -- because he was in close for a birdie.
Then on 13, I was in the middle of the fairway and I only had 115 to the hole and I kind of felt like I had to go for it right then and make a birdie and that's kind of when I felt like I took command of the tournament, really.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. We'll open it open for some questions.

Q. You were one shot behind after 11 and then on 12, it looked possible that you could bogey and he could birdie and you might be three behind.
Then walk off in the position you were in, did you feel like the momentum was back on your side?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, exactly. I told myself on the next tee box, "I got my momentum, I've got to put the pressure on Scott and hit a great tee shot" and I had like a half gap wedge into the pin and I told myself I got to play really aggressive on this shot because I've got a chance to really put the hammer down and I managed to do it which was great but I felt like I had momentum and I felt like I had to be aggressive on that hole and really get momentum. I already had the momentum but to really get it, you know?

Q. Carl, did you feel like your knowledge of Sedgefield gave you some special impetus in playing such a wonderful four rounds?
CARL PETTERSSON: Not really. I only played here once before in November. The course is set-up great for me. You know, obviously my swing was there this week and my putter, but it wasn't really a tee shot I didn't like or -- you know, usually you have two, three -- probably about two tee shots on the golf course you -- really doesn't fit your eye and this week I never felt awkward with any tee shots or anything like that. It set-up great for me.

Q. Carl, on the TV coverage you had a smile that seemed maybe prompted by something from the gallery before you putted on 15.
Can you share that, what was happening there, was it your chance to get back at 15 after some disappointments this week?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah. Exactly. 15 I've messed it up all week and today I hit one of my best drives of the week on 15. I killed it off the tee and only had a little 5-iron in and hit a beautiful 5-iron to 20 feet and misread the putt. Hit a pretty good putt but misread it. I was thrilled with getting a birdie on 15.
That hole has not been very good to me so even though I was disappointed not to make eagle, I was -- it was nice to tap-in for birdie. Finally feel like you got one back on that hole.

Q. Was your family, were you able to celebrate either your two previous wins on the Tour with your family?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah. Actually my first win at Tampa my wife and -- my wife -- and at the time we only had one child, Carly, and my parents were there. That was fantastic.
Memorial win I was on my own. I can't wait to get back upstairs and have a few drinks with my family (laughter).

Q. Carl, can you talk a little bit, expand a little bit on the back-9 where you said you kind of knuckled down and were a little bit more focused? Were you aggressive from about 12 on or what?
CARL PETTERSSON: I felt great the front-9. I really played a good front-9 and then three-putted 10 from just short of the green and that was alright. You know, I thought I'm probably going to make some bogies today. That was my one bogey.
Then not getting it up and down on 11 kind of got me pissed off, really, because it was an easy chip. I didn't play it aggressive enough and then I hit a poor tee shot on 12.
I kind of told myself, "I'm letting the tournament get away from me again." Scott hit a great shot in there. Making the putt was the key to the whole tournament, making that putt.
If I miss that, you know, Scott -- he might make his and so that was the whole key for the week making that putt and if I didn't make that putt, it probably would have been a different story. You never know but, you know, that was where the tournament was won for me.

Q. You mentioned family awhile ago. When you arrived here as a 15 year old, I think did your family, your dad, in particular, know that all this was ahead for you? Did he know you were this good as a golfer?
CARL PETTERSSON: I don't know. I just started playing really well right before we moved over here and, you know, I was pretty much a scratch golfer. I was dreaming of it. I don't know what my dad thought about it but he encouraged me to play and it's always been a dream of mine to play any professional sport and golf was one I loved and, you know, I thought I could do it.
I really believed I could do it and, you know, it's a dream to do this for a job and it's fantastic to be able to win tournaments and count my blessings. It's wonderful.

Q. Carl, what did you think of Coach Sykes and Timmy were there when you got off the green. That was pretty nice. What did you think of that?
CARL PETTERSSON: Obviously I'm great friends with Tim and Coach Sykes. Coach is really the one that found me when I was playing Junior Golf here at North Carolina and I've got a great relationship with Tim and Coach and real good friends, and I feel a little bit for Tim. He's a great player. He hasn't won yet. I'm sure he might win next week and probably get inspired by this and, yeah, he's actually stayed at my house tonight so we'll probably have a few beverages later on (laughter).

Q. Are you doing a fundraiser tomorrow?
CARL PETTERSSON: NC State fundraiser tomorrow. Preston Wood. Me and Tim will be on the 17th hole hitting tee shots on the par 3.

Q. Carl, do you view yourself as a low key person and in your house, what do they view you as? You don't look to be terribly excited. I'm sure you are but you don't seem to show it.
CARL PETTERSSON: I'm thrilled. Yeah, I'm thrilled. I'm over the moon. But I'm pretty laid back. Takes a lot to get me going and yeah, I mean this is fantastic.
I relish this moment driving home and even before I go to sleep it will be unbelievable feeling and I'm not one to jump around and hi-5 everybody in this room (laughter).
It will be a great satisfaction just to think about, you know, pulled it off and did it and it's a wonderful feeling. Doesn't happen that often in golf unless you're Tiger Woods so -- to win three it's been special and hopefully I can win more.

Q. Have you been commuting all week?
CARL PETTERSSON: I stayed up here Thursday night because I had an early tee time. That's usually what I do, I stay up here. It's great when I get a late tee time and early Friday, that way I can stay at home more.

Q. What's it like making that hour and a half drive with -- got a lot of time to think.
CARL PETTERSSON: I never get to drive my car. It's pretty nice. No, it's actually been great this week. Yesterday and today, I had a good hour and a half to really think about things and get my mind right and I think it really helped me. You know, I was kind of telling myself I can do it and it was good.

Q. You arrived here when were you 15. You said you left Sweden at 10. Where were you between?
CARL PETTERSSON: England. Stratford-on-Avon. My dad worked for Volvo Trucks. We had headquarters there. When I was 10 we moved to England and lived there until I was 15 and here ever since.

Q. You can't avoid Ryder Cup talk any longer I'm afraid.
If you were to make the European team I think you would probably be the most Americanized player ever to play for Europe.
How do you feel as a person, do you feel Swedish, American, half and half? Where do you come from?
CARL PETTERSSON: Good question. I know I'm Swedish but I really do feel American, to be honest with you, but my heritage is European and I would love to play on Nick's team and I know all the European an guys on the team.
I used to play on the European Tour and I know all the guys on the American team. I might be a little different but I'm going to be playing hard for Europe if I make the team.

Q. You said you feel more American. Would that not feel weird in some respects?
CARL PETTERSSON: Not really. It's a team atmosphere and I'll be playing hard for the team I'm representing, which would be Europe.

Q. Do you think this victory does enough to earn you one of the Captain's picks or do you still think you have to play well the next two weeks?
CARL PETTERSSON: I don't know. I imagine -- I haven't really thought about it. I'd like to make the team outright without having to get picked and I don't know where I stand on the list but if I could play well the next three, four weeks -- how many weeks left, two weeks? If I can play well the next two weeks, you never know.

Q. Where does your father and family live now?
CARL PETTERSSON: They moved back to Sweden. My dad retired so they wanted to move back home and I wanted to stay here. It worked out pretty good. He's probably still watching it back in Sweden.

Q. How long ago was that?
CARL PETTERSSON: They moved back in about 1998, I believe.

Q. Last question about Grimsley, I promise. What year did you graduate?
CARL PETTERSSON: '96.

Q. And you came from England to Greensboro.
CARL PETTERSSON: That's right.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. Lastly, if you just wouldn't mind running through your birdies and giving us some clubs and little description.
CARL PETTERSSON: Okay. Birdie on No. 4. I hit a great 3-wood and a gap wedge to about ten feet and made the putt.
Birdie on 5. Hit drive in the left rough, tried to hit a 6-iron. Hit it in the bunker, 70 yards short of the hole. Hit a great bunker shot to 30 feet and made the putt.
Bogey on 10. Hit 3-wood, 8-iron just short and short of the green and three-putted. Left my first putt about seven feet short.
Bogey on 11. Hit it in the left rough with a driver. Hit a pretty good second shot with a 6-iron just short of the green and bad chip to about seven feet and missed the putt.
Birdie on 13. Hit a 3-wood and a gap wedge to about ten feet and made the putt.
Birdie on 15. Driver, 5-iron to about 20 feet and two-putted.
Birdie on 16. Hit a great 9-iron straight down the flag and had about a seven-footer left to right and made the putt.
Bogey on 18. I hit a pretty poor 3-wood off the tee to the right rough and hanged a 6-iron to just short, duffed a chip and two-putted (laughter).
DOUG MILNE: Okay. 2008 Wyndham Championship winner, Carl Pettersson. Congratulations.
CARL PETTERSSON: Thank you. Thanks guys.

End of FastScripts

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