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CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK CLASSIC PRESENTED BY WAL-MART

November 8, 2008

Scott Verplank

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA

CHRIS REIMER: We want to welcome our at least share of the third round leader here, Scott Verplank. Familiar position for you. This is the same place you were in last year here. Talk about heading into the fourth round with at least a share of the lead.
SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I'm excited about it. I have been here before a couple times. I'm hoping this time it'll work out a little bit better for me.
But I played good today. Really I wasn't quite as sharp. I didn't feel very good. I hadn't felt very good most of today. That may be when I started feeling better on the Back 9, but I didn't score as well.
Like I said, I played good today, had a ton of mud balls, you know, mud on the 14th hole. I just tried to chip it down there and it snap hooks into the water, you know. I mean I did make a nice par, but that's just a bad break.
And mud on 16. There's mud on every hole almost, which is a little disappointing, but then the drive on 18. I hit just as good a drive as I hit all day and a sorry divot with a chunk of mud on the right side of my ball, so it's coming out low and left no matter what I do. And it did. It went over in the bunker and it was just didn't hit a very good bunker shot. I was not in a great spot. But I played good.
The weekend around here when they move all the tees back 70 yards it gets a little harder. It's like a different golf course. And the four or five of the holes don't fit the rest of the golf course when they do that.
But obviously they feel it's a bomber's game, and it is. But if I putt good, I can still compete.
CHRIS REIMER: Obviously you're a more recognizable name out on this TOUR. Guys in the past in the Fall Series, with Justin and Zach Johnson and some of the names that have won in the Fall Series kind of propelled themselves to a good year the next year. Do you feel these events are kind of good for that, build a strong 2009 for you.
SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, that and the fact that my little girls and wife would probably kill me if we didn't come here. That's why I'm here.
Yeah, I didn't come here to just beat it around. I'm too old for that. I came here to have a chance to win. So at least going into Round Four, I got a chance to win. So I'm pleased with that.
CHRIS REIMER: Take some questions.

Q. Third day, putting is great, best all year you said. How was it today?
SCOTT VERPLANK: It's good. I putted very good today. I missed one or two there I probably should have made, but I putted good. Like I said, I played good today. The score just didn't reflect quite as good as the last couple days, but it was a different golf course today.

Q. Did you work on the greens back for yourself prior to this year?
SCOTT VERPLANK: You know, I've never thought about it like that. It was good, though.

Q. Is it different going into Sunday shooting 64, Palmer shot 62. There's been a few guys that have really got low scores.
SCOTT VERPLANK: I just gotta play good. If I play good, then I'll probably be right where I want to be. I can't control what anybody does, you know, and if I play good and score good tomorrow, like I'm feeling more capable of this week, then I should be right there with a great chance.

Q. Were you picking up mud the first two days?
SCOTT VERPLANK: Oh, yeah.

Q. Oh, were you? It's been an issue all week?
SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, yeah. Part of the problem is the golf course was playing much shorter the first two days and you got mud and an 8-iron in your hand, it's a little easier to control. When you got a 4-iron or 3-iron or something like that, it's starts getting a little dicey.
I'm right in the middle of the fairway on the 14th hole and I'm punching a 4-iron off my back foot just to keep it down and right and it snap hooks into the water. I couldn't hit that shot -- you could put 10,000 balls down there and I'd never hit that shot.
Now, I might shank it over into the right trees for you, but I'm not going to hit a low snap hook on a punch shot. You got no control when they do that. And I guess they don't have any way to get around it apparently. It's just kind of rub of the green, whatever. Bad luck. But that's all right.

Q. There's another veteran out there showing life here in the fall season.
SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah. I saw Davis played really good today. I've been playing with Davis for about 30 years, so I know all about Davis.
Bad luck to him tomorrow. No. (Laughs). Just kidding.
Yeah, actually will we get to play together tomorrow?

Q. Yeah. Should be.
SCOTT VERPLANK: That's great. He and I have been great friends for 30 years. We've been playing since we were 14. We were in each other's weddings. We've known each other for years and years and years.
That would be good. I'll have somebody good to talk to, not that Steve's not because he's pretty funny.

Q. You've played well in tournaments where the scoring's low like this. You've played well in tournaments where it's difficult. Do you prefer one way or the other and I mean you shoot a couple 64s.
SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah. I prefer yesterday and the day before. I love shooting 64, you know. That makes everything all right.
It doesn't matter. You know, look, if the golf course is good, and you know, playing kind of equal for everybody, then I don't care what the scores are. We don't have that very often.

Q. You don't think you have an advantage one way or the other?
SCOTT VERPLANK: No. But just if the golf course is nice and it's conducive to all kinds of players, then I don't care what the scores are.

Q. What's your first recollection -- you said age 14. Have you really known Davis that long?
SCOTT VERPLANK: That's when we met. We met in Atlanta in an AGGA event. I went over there to a tournament in Atlanta, and of course, he was a huge name, from his father, and local and all that. So that's where we met.
Good player. We've played a lot, played a lot in college, played a lot in amateur, Walker Cup, Ryder Cup, President's Cup. Done all kinds of stuff. He's a really good dude. He's a great guy.
CHRIS REIMER: Any predictions, final score?
SCOTT VERPLANK: Three to two. (Laughs). I hope it's not. I guess if you're a betting man, that wouldn't really matter, would it?

Q. How good of a feeling is it today to be in a tournament where you have a chance to win going into Sunday?
SCOTT VERPLANK: Good. I'm happy that I'm sitting here. You know, I mean I'm not -- honestly, I'm not that disappointed that I didn't shoot -- or bogeyed the last hole.
I played good, and I'm here -- I would not be real happy if I was here spinning my wheels at 6 or 8-under par and just -- so you know, it's all about me, and I'm happy. It's nice to be playing well here. Hopefully that'll propel me into playing better.

Q. Do you remember any moments maybe earlier in your career where you're like Steve Marino and you find yourself in a final group of a Verplank and a Love?
SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, how old is Steve?

Q. Second year out on TOUR.
SCOTT VERPLANK: I don't know. I don't remember. The only thing in that deal is about six or seven years ago, eight years ago I was playing at Memorial and I was leading after two rounds, and I'm playing with Tiger and Sergio. And it rained like ten inches that night, and after we played that day, I said, I'm done with this.
And I loved that tournament, but boy, it's a new breed, and when they're popping them up 70 yards past me, I said, I don't think I can compete here. (Laughs).
But no, yeah when I was young, I played with Bernhard Langer a lot and Hale Irwin, but Davis might be in that category. I'm certainly not in that category. But I doubt it'll affect him much.

Q. Davis talked a little bit about getting his confidence back towards the end of this Fall Series. Had you guys ever shared any advice or had you talked to him about that?
SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah. We've talked about all kinds of things, but it's more -- I know he hurt his foot and had a tough ankle injury, and when you have something like that, it takes a while. You know, it takes a while to get total confidence back in what you're doing.
It may feel fine physically, but mentally and trusting your body is really important. So until you don't ever think about it, it's going to bug you a little bit.

Q. You've had some pretty odd medical abnormalities over the years. I was wondering what you think of the Compton story.
SCOTT VERPLANK: Oh, I think it's amazing. I can't believe he's playing, but obviously he's a tough kid. I know that. And he obviously has a tremendous desire and will to play some golf, because you know, to go through what he's going through and wanting to play out here, you know, like I said, my hat's off to him.
I know what I have to do that's different than everybody else, but it's nothing compared to what he's going through. So he's a tough guy, you know. I'd say he's a role model.
CHRIS REIMER: Best of luck to you tomorrow, Scott.

End of FastScripts

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