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WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 25, 2009

Brendan Jones

MARANA, ARIZONA

Q. After those first two holes, you must have thought to yourself, what have I gotten myself into?
BRENDAN JONES: Well, as I walked off the first hole, it was just mayhem because media, everyone was just running, and I was walking amongst everybody. When I heard one of the media there say, "All right, another nine holes to go for a 10 & 8," and I gave him a bit of a spray, and then he eagled the second, and I thought, well, maybe he's right.
But it was a hot spot. I couldn't do anything about the spot. My first few holes, like the first hole I played, my second shot I thought was all over it, and it came up a couple of yards short.
But really, I played quite well. Once he was 2-up he was in control of the match, and on the third hole I hit a beautiful tee shot which I was really happy with in the air, and I couldn't see it land. I can't see balls land that well, and I get up there and it's off the back of the green. I was disappointed with that.
I've struggled with the altitude here, and my irons haven't been as precise as they generally are. I hit a chip shot on 3, we both made bogey, so I let him off there. There was a couple opportunities that I had through the match. No. 10, I had a good opportunity from about 10 feet. I hit a really good putt which I was happy with, it just broke a little bit more. That would have sort of got me back to 1-down, I guess, and I would have been a lot more in it. And I hit a poor tee shot on 12, I think that's a par-3, you know, and from there -- and then he makes eagle on the next hole. You know, after I hit my second shot in there, I was very, very happy in the air, and I was about a yard or two left of the pin, and it just fell away there, and he makes that putt for eagle.
After that it was uphill for me. When he got to 4-up with four to play, I told people that's where I wanted him, but it didn't work out that way. He gets up there after waiting for half an hour and hits what looks to be six feet from the pin, and I was thinking, oh, my God, I've been waiting here for a half an hour just for him to do that. I just said, just take it easy and just hit a perfect shot, and was proud of the way that I made that putt for eagle just to keep the match going.
Yeah, I was feeling good out there. I felt good all day. Once the first tee shot was over, I felt -- well, when I was 2-down through two, after that I was fairly comfortable. I just had a ball out there. It was just fantastic.

Q. How would you assess his play? You were there for every shot.
BRENDAN JONES: His ball flight is different to pretty much everybody else's, and it was fun to see different trajectories that he hits the ball at. Obviously he hit a couple of shots that he wasn't happy with, but there was a couple shots I wasn't happy with of mine, too. But yeah, he's Tiger; he does freakish stuff. He made two eagles on me, and he just really didn't waste any shots out there. On 3 we both made bogey there, and when he was out of play, he did what he had to do to not lose the hole, and when I had my opportunities I wasn't good enough to make the putts that I needed to make.

Q. What did you learn today?
BRENDAN JONES: Well, I learnt that I can play okay. I'm here, I've had two months off, and I've only sort of had seven to ten days to get ready for it, and now I've got another two months off. I was trying to get up for this one round, well, hopefully more rounds, but it wasn't to be.
You know, I was happy with the way I hit it. There was a couple of loose shots, but I haven't put the effort in, and I shouldn't expect to hit perfect shots all the time.
Really I'm quite happy with the way I hung in there, and I'm quite happy I didn't disgrace myself.

Q. What would you say are the expectations for him this week?
BRENDAN JONES: Well, he's back, so he wants to win. He's said from day one that he doesn't like coming second, and I believe he said, "second sucks." Now, second is pretty good for a lot of people, but when you're Tiger Woods, it obviously isn't. He's going to be better for today's run, and I really wouldn't be betting against him. He does stuff when he needs to, and he may have been out of the game for eight months, but I'm sure he'll slide right back in where he left off.

Q. Did you chat at all?
BRENDAN JONES: A little bit. I was the one that had to start the conversations most of the times, and we just spoke about his kids and my little boy. I spoke to Steve a little bit. But yeah, there wasn't a lot of chat, but he's here to win another tournament, so I've been told that he doesn't talk a lot on the course. It was fine with me just being up close and watching him was good enough for me.

Q. How were the nerves on the first tee?
BRENDAN JONES: I felt pretty good. You know, I've been laying in bed each night for the last week or so thinking about if I do play Tiger, how is the first tee going to be and how is meeting him going to be, and it's always worse when you're laying in bed (laughter). When the time comes to meet him and hit that shot, it's never as bad as you -- you're always thinking the worst when you're laying in bed, but no, he was very, very pleasant when we met, and I think I hit a pretty good tee shot off the first that caught a slope and finished in the rough. But overall I'm very, very proud of the way I hung in there.

Q. When you saw him hit that second shot into the second hole, the 5-iron from about 235, what went through your mind? You've played golf at a very high level, but when you see somebody hit that sort of shot?
BRENDAN JONES: I just said, I've never hit a shot like that, that high and soft. It was quite funny because we're walking up there and his ball is four feet short, and I just said to Stevie, "Stevie, your yardages are off." He said, "Oh, it might take me a bit to get back in the groove." He hits some shots that other people can't hit. You know, that comes from a lot of ability but also a lot of practice. Good luck to him.

Q. On the first tee were you as nervous as you've been?
BRENDAN JONES: No. I was quite nervous when I did my interview the other day in the press tent.

Q. But on the first tee.
BRENDAN JONES: On the first tee, well, the thing is I find I'm the most nervous on the first tee when I'm not confident in my game. It's like I get more nervous on the golf course when I'm trying to make a cut, when I'm right on the cut line as opposed to leading a tournament. You know, I felt good, I knew everyone was rooting for Tiger, and I had a few lone people in the crowd that were yelling out, "go B.J." or whatever. But there was nerves, obviously, but I still was in control of what I was supposed to be doing.

Q. Did you feel like there was a problem there on the first? You said you were stuck walking with the press. Was there no security?
BRENDAN JONES: No, walking off the first there was absolutely nothing. It was every man for himself pretty much, and that annoyed me to a point, and my caddie just said, "Don't worry about it, take it easy." The one guy that annoyed me was that guy that said, "Another nine holes the match will be over."

Q. It was a journalist, inside the ropes?
BRENDAN JONES: Yeah, it was somebody in the ropes. It annoyed me a little bit, but I quickly got over that. Once I halved that third hole, I thought, well, there's no 10 & 8 now.

Q. You made some good up-and-downs, though.
BRENDAN JONES: I did. I hit a loose tee shot on 4, which is funny because I felt really good out there, and there was a couple of shots that I missed right, which I'm happy with, because I've always been a hooker of the ball, and I've eliminated that from my game now. I didn't hit any hooks out there today, and you doesn't get put under much more pressure than playing with Tiger. I was proud of that. I think it's going to be easy to eliminate that wide right out of my game, but I'm going to be a lot better for this experience.

Q. I walked the first nine. It certainly didn't feel like people were rooting against you.
BRENDAN JONES: That's certainly true. I've heard that a lot. It's not that they don't like you, it's that he's the man, and I understand that totally. When guys are yelling out, hooting and hollering for Tiger, I don't take that as an insult, because if I wasn't playing with him I'd probably be doing the same thing.

Q. When you tell your kids about this, what do you think you'll tell you about what it was like?
BRENDAN JONES: Well, the story is going to be fantastic. Over years stories do get better and better. Yeah, obviously this is a story that I'm going to get to tell a lot. I hope it's not the last time I get this opportunity. I'd like to finish in this No. 64 spot again. But I feel that this is going to better my game. I know where I can improve, and when I am put on the biggest scale there is, I can handle myself.

End of FastScripts

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