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ARNOLD PALMER INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARDMarch 27, 2009Mark WilsonORLANDO, FLORIDA Q. How satisfied are you with the way that you performed to this stage? MARK WILSON: Pretty good. I'd like to have a couple shots back, but overall I feel like I scored pretty well. 17 I was trying to hit a shot that I -- I guess I was trying to hit the shot that those guys hit, a high iron shot into that pin, and that's just not my forte. I should have just hit it over to the left there and tried to get up-and-down because the green is getting hard now and 17 is hard to hit. I tried to get it up in the air and hit it in the water unfortunately, hit it a little fat. So that was a bummer. But other than that I was glad I stayed in myself, made two good birdies on the par-3s on the back and I'm excited for the weekend. Q. What is your philosophy going into the weekend? What's the recipe for success for you? MARK WILSON: Just to focus on what I'm doing and try to get as close to the lead as I can, and this year so far just think about Mayakoba where I had the lead and I stayed there, so I'd like to get in the lead tomorrow and be leading on the first tee on Sunday. Q. In the midst of that environment are you happy the way things have turned out so far? MARK WILSON: Very happy, yeah. The first day I was very nervous on the first couple holes because of the energy that was around a lot of major championship wins in my group, 15 or 16 major championships. So yeah, I was nervous, but then I calmed down on the third hole, and I'm pretty happy. I'd like to have a couple shots back but I was happy to get those birdies on my second nine today to be still in contention. Q. Can you explain why -- Padraig said the conditions were not as difficult as they had been yesterday afternoon, but a lot of guys are backing up. Why is that? MARK WILSON: I think it's just there's a lot of trouble out there and the rough is still thick and the greens are starting to firm up a little bit. You know, I got fooled on the last hole but a putt that I thought was a big breaker and a lot slower than it was, and it just took off on me. So I think that's happening to a lot of guys. Q. As you look at the way this tournament is shaping up, what is your excitement level going into the weekend knowing that you'll be in the midst of a lot of other players? MARK WILSON: Yeah, it's where you want to be, and I'm glad I'm not down there near the cut line like a lot of times I do, I just kind of scrape by the cut and at least I'm in the weekend. If I have a good weekend I have a great chance to win. Q. Talk about the day. Was it kind of a replay of yesterday, everybody played solid? MARK WILSON: We did, yeah. It was kind of neat to look on that tee, on the last tee there, and we're all 3-under, which I know is a good score this week. Seldom do you see that, three guys on Thursday and Friday right there in the Top 5. Actually Padraig and I messed up on the green on the last hole, but all in all, yeah, it was pretty good golf I'd say. Q. You had a nice comeback. MARK WILSON: Yeah, I felt really -- I got out of sorts with the three-putt on 15, made a good save on 16 but then tried to hit a high 5-iron in there and caught it a little heavy and just pressured to try to hit that shot. I should have hit over there to the left and tried to make a 3. I got a little greedy on that one and I paid for it. I also hit quality shots on the front nine, made a couple birdies and a good save on 6 when I needed it. Q. How fun was it? You saved a good score after disaster. MARK WILSON: Exactly. I mean, I was hoping to get it back under par, and after birdieing 7 I thought I had a great chance, and it's funny how things happen. On 8, that putt could have easily gone in, and if I make a nice par on 9 we're talking about another round under par, but that's kind of the way it goes. I'm a little bummed about the finish but I'm going to focus on the good things I did. Q. Padraig said that he thought the conditions were actually a little easier today. It seemed windier today to me. MARK WILSON: Well, I don't know, the wind is weird. It starts blowing really hard at times where you think you've got to take two extra clubs, and then all of a sudden you walk off the tee somewhere and it doesn't feel like it's even moving. So it's gusty, you know. Q. So you felt like -- MARK WILSON: About the same. When you play a little better you kind of forget those -- when you have a good score like I did yesterday you kind of forget about those saves and how easy like my 67 was or his 68 was, and you think about those couple birdies you should have gotten instead, versus my day today, 71, which I'm almost more happy about than the 67. It's kind of funny how it works. Q. Of the three guys I would almost say you look the sharpest of the -- MARK WILSON: Sharpest but shortest. Q. You look ready for the Masters. MARK WILSON: Yeah, I'd like to get in there. I've got two more rounds to get in there. Q. Any thoughts on those two guys and the way they're playing? How would you rate where those two guys stand after 36 holes? MARK WILSON: It's funny, I did talk to my buddies at home, and we always have a little friendly dinner wager on a Masters pool, and I'm like, I'll let you guys know how they look, see if you want to pick them or not. So I was paying a little bit of attention, and I think they're both guys I'd pick. I mean, Tiger has got that little draw working, hits the ball up in the air that's impressive; obviously you need that at Augusta. I've never played there, but from what everyone tells me, you like to be able to hit it up in the air and draw it, so he's working on that. Looks fantastic. And then Padraig, he played so solid today and he's hitting it up in the air, as well. He's hitting his 3-wood a long way off the tee and hitting his irons up in the air. I made the comment to my caddie that I usually need to flight it into the wind, 5-, 6-irons, to actually hit the ball low, whereas those guys hit it up in the air, and maybe they're hitting it so solid with a little spin that it goes right through the wind. So they're compressing the ball very well. Q. So what's your official scouting report going to be to your buddies? MARK WILSON: Depends on if I want to win dinner or not, right? I could probably say that they didn't play very well. Q. You're going to get picks, too? MARK WILSON: Well, unless I play in the tournament, yeah. I'm in there. I'd be picking them, so I've got to figure out what I'm going to tell my buddies. I'll probably give them a good scouting report. My wife beats me in that every day. You'd think I'd have a better chance of picking the right guy, but it's kind of pot luck. End of FastScripts |
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