NEC WORLD SERIES OF GOLF

August 25, 1996

Duffy Waldorf

DUFFY WALDORF: My first one. Obviously, excited to be here. And after the first three days I played steady and I just kind of wanted to go out today to see if I can break par. You kind of want to at least get a good round in there before the tournament is over, and things went well for me right at the start, and I was able to just keep the momentum going into the backside. Unfortunately, for me, I just didn't hit enough greens coming in the last six holes. I got it to 5-under for my round after 12 holes and I only hit -- didn't really, I didn't hit a green the rest of the way. Hit it on the fringe one hole with the birdie putt. The other five holes I was basically trying to get up-and-down for par, which I just needed to get -- well, looks like maybe one for birdie. It is hard to say, but I needed to have a few more birdie opportunities the last 6.

DUFFY WALDORF: I birdied the second hole from about five feet. Hit the front edge of the green in 2 and 2-putted. Number 3, I hit 5-iron in from 175. Hit it in there from eight feet, made that for birdie. Then on Number 6, I hit a 4-iron in from about 210 and made that for birdie. I hit it about 2 feet, close. And then Number 7, I had about 215 and hit another 4-iron, hit it three feet from the hole, made that for birdie. Bogeyed Number 8. Hit it in the bunker. Missed about a 20-footer for par. And then I birdied number 11, hit a wedge in from about 130 out of the rough; made about a 20-footer for birdie. 12, I hit it in the bunker, perfect, and wedged it right in sand trap about 15 yard shot out of the bunker and then I parred the rest the way 'til 17 where I missed the green to the right and didn't hit a very good chip about 15 feet and missed it for bogey.

DUFFY WALDORF: Yeah. I felt very fortunate. I mean it was a very tough par having almost 200 yards in from that third shot. Very fortunate to make par and I still felt I had momentum. I just didn't have any good shots left in me. I hit a good drive, but really, pretty easy second shot to miss the green. Just 158 yards, 7-iron that I pushed. You could tell the last 4 holes, I was just kind of pushing and pulling shots a little bit, unfortunately, but that is the way it goes. I played well; hit a lot of good shots the first 12 holes; just didn't have enough left for to get the win.

DUFFY WALDORF: Yeah, I had a lot of energy today too. I felt good even after the 36 holes and I built the momentum up with all the birdies on the front side and 11 and 12. I just the holes get hard. There is not too many easy holes. The last six holes, you mess up just a little bit, you are going to be struggling for par, which is what I did.

DUFFY WALDORF: Had about 150 yards to the front about 165 to the hole and trying to hit a 9-iron to the right and let it run on the green and I was in pretty thick rough and I took a big cut at it and pulled it. Pulled it right in the bunker. I was fortunate that it went to the bunker because I probably went through that tree somehow, I couldn't see it. And -- of all the places it could have ended up, I was glad it was in the bunker. At least I had a shot. I knew I could get it closer, give it a chance and actually that was a better bunker shot than I hit on the other hole, I think. I didn't see the other one but that one was pretty tough shot that I had there; hit it just a foot away.

DUFFY WALDORF: Yeah, I think --

DUFFY WALDORF: Of all the chips I had the last six holes, that was, by far, the easiest. It was an easy shot. I had a perfect lie. Plenty of green to work with, maybe that was the problem. I wasn't a little aggressive with it, and the lie was so good I actually thought felt I had to hit it harder because I thought it was going to checkup. Just got away from me; just hit it too hard. Basically -- I mean, I had -- the shots I had on 16 and 18 were five, six, times harder than that shot. That shot would be an up-and-down, I think, three out of four times for me, if not more.

DUFFY WALDORF: That was bad position. To put it there, you want to miss it short, if anything, that was just a bad place to put it.

DUFFY WALDORF: Definitely. And to finish strong like I did kind of brings me back. I haven't played -- the last 3 tournaments I have played this one, the PGA and U.S. Open, so I haven't played very much. It is nice to get back. Injuries are feeling pretty good, but I wanted to get some confidence back in my golf game which I have.