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PUERTO RICO OPEN PRESENTED BY BANCO POPULAR

March 14, 2009

Michael Bradley

RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO

NELSON SILVERIO: Michael Bradley, thanks for spending a few minutes with us here today. You're tied for the lead going into tomorrow, obviously depending on what happens on 18 out there, but just give us some thoughts on your round and thoughts going into tomorrow.
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Yeah. I'm looking forward to it. It's been a while since I've been in this position, especially on a Sunday. So a lot of emotions that I have to handle, plus the conditions of the golf course, and the wind and whatnot.
But that's why we play the game, to get yourself in this position, so we'll see what happens tomorrow.
NELSON SILVERIO: All right. Questions?

Q. You said it's been a while since you've been in this position. How long has it been?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: On a Sunday, Doral, '98 when I won. I was in the final group on Sunday.
I was in the final group in Memphis last year on Saturday, and struggled, shot 76, struggled a little bit. Hadn't been there for a while and it was kind of windy, tough golf course. Kind of like today, windy, tough golf course, but my putter saved me today. I did good on the front. A little loose on the Back 9, but I made some putts when I needed to, and that kind of kept me going. I could have just as easily shot 72, 73 today and I shot 68. It's not like I was just knocking down the flags and everything. The putter saved me.

Q. How did the greens feel? The conditions were vastly different today.
MICHAEL BRADLEY: It definitely was the windiest of the week, but like I said, the course is in good shape. It's just tough fighting the elements and the conditions. Like I was telling Nelson, you're out there fighting your own emotions, being in the position that you haven't been in in a long time, and it's tough. It's tough. If the conditions would have been perfect, there wouldn't have been a breath of wind, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.

Q. With the conditions, what adjustment did you make, with the crosswind and all that?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Yeah. You gotta be hitting a lot of knockdowns, at least I am. You're hitting a lot of knockdowns, and you're hitting -- frankly, you're aiming 30, 40, 50 feet left of really where you want the ball to go, and you just have to trust -- you've gotta hit it on that line and just trust that the wind's going to take it, and sometimes that can be difficult, especially if you're not feeling 100% about the game and where you think that's going. That's tough to do sometimes in these conditions, so you have to trust it.

Q. Your confidence in your game, that means you trust it there, since you haven't been here since '98. Does that mean you trust it there?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: Yeah. Like I said, I hit some loose shots on the Back 9, and like I said, my putter saved me.
And I made some good key par puts on the back when I needed them, and made birdie on 17, hit the close.
But you know, pars are nice, but I don't know if par is going to win golf tournaments. So I'm going to have to -- looks like I'll play with Jason. He's a hell of a good kid. I played with him a few years ago, and he's a hell of a nice kid. He's a hell of a good player; and if I can't win, I would love to see him win this golf tournament. It would be his first one.

Q. Do you remember the last time you played together?
MICHAEL BRADLEY: We played -- it was up in Syracuse, Turning Stone. I think he'd just turned pro. I think he was 18, 19 years old, and I want to say -- I think he might have missed the cut by a shot, but I even told some friends of mine. I said, this kid can go. He's got a lot of game. So like I said, if I can't win, I would love nothing more than to see Jason win. Really would.
NELSON SILVERIO: Any more? We all set? All right, Michael. Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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