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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

April 24, 2009

David Toms

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA

Q. Talk about your play today.
DAVID TOMS: We had a lot of crosswinds playing the back nine, which is the front nine. So it was tough to get the ball in there close. I started kind of playing conservative, and got in a couple of bad spots just off the green and wasn't able to get up and down a couple of times.

Q. You hit the first 11 greens. Did the swing get off or did the wind effect you because you missed four in a row? But you came through that stretch and just went over?
DAVID TOMS: Well, yeah, the four greens I missed, I think, I was putting on three of them. So the bad side of the green, that's kind of the way you have to play the golf course when the wind is blowing. Play the safe shot, and I was doing that until. That was a tough spot to be in.

Q. Are you aware of the galleries out here? You have by far the largest of the tournament. And there's a lot of people, of course, rooting for you?
DAVID TOMS: No, I enjoy it. Feed off of it. And every time you hit the green, you want to get up there and try to make the putt and get them going. So if I can keep it up on the weekend, get some more people out here and get them behind me, I'll have a chance.

Q. Yesterday was tough for you, but today was better.
DAVID TOMS: Yeah, I got off to a good start, made four birdies in a row on the first nine holes. When the wind picked up, I started to hang on. It was a good day for me. Lot of people rooting for me, and I enjoyed the round.

Q. Tough playing conditions out there yesterday and still playing well.
DAVID TOMS: I took advantage of it today. We had virtually no wind for the first five or six holes, so that was nice. Probably a lot like they had yesterday, and got off to a good start. Once the wind picked up, it started to play a little more conservative. Gave a couple of shots back, but all in all, it was a good, solid day.

Q. How much can you compare the way you're playing now to rounds you had in '01, similarities?
DAVID TOMS: Yeah, I think so. Different golf course. But I feel good about my game. It's a matter of going on out there, hitting the shots and getting the putts to fall.
There will be a lot of guys bunched up after today. And a lot of guys will have a chance this weekend. I'm not a long hitter. I played with Charley Hoffman today whose ball made it out there. He was playing great. He'll be tough to play this weekend. I'll definitely have to play good golf.

Q. Heading into the weekend, what are you more concerned about in terms of your individual performance?
DAVID TOMS: Just the way I played this golf course. In the past, I haven't played well here. I haven't had a chance of going into the weekend or anything, not in contention at all. So just play the golf course better and I know I can score on it, so I just need to go out and do it.

Q. Some of the players have said the course is playing different, how have you felt it's changed?
DAVID TOMS: Well, I mean, this year they didn't overseed the golf course, so it's a little firmer. So you get the ball to chase out a little bit. Not a ton off the tee. But around the greens is definitely a little bouncier. So you have to pick your shots with the putter. I like the way it's playing, and I'm obviously playing it well.

Q. Were you frustrated here before, maybe the first time? People didn't like it the first year?
DAVID TOMS: Any time you go to a city where you feel like you've played well in the past, and you've got people rooting for you and you don't play well, it's very easy to get frustrated.
But I just had a little better attitude this year coming in, felt good about my game. I was in south Louisiana last week playing a lot of golf and preparing for this event, and so far it's paid off.

Q. I would imagine if there's one guy over-the-air weekend that's in contention, obviously you're going to draw the gallery. Talk about that?
DAVID TOMS: You know what, I would love to be able to play great tomorrow and have a chance on Sunday. I think it will bring some people on out here. Any time you can get people out supporting the event, you know, it's a great thing. Obviously I'd like to be part of that.

Q. (Indiscernible)?
DAVID TOMS: I mean, it's great. It's just this event is always pretty special to me, because they're always around and pulling for me. I don't get that very often during the year. So I guess it's a lot like Tiger or Phil or guys like that that have a big following. It's nice.
That's important, when you're playing well and they're rooting you on and you can feel it, I hope to play well for them this week.

Q. Are you the Tiger Woods of New Orleans?
DAVID TOMS: I don't know. I don't know (laughing). We'll see maybe one day when he shows up at this tournament what it's like. It will be a zoo whenever he does play here. I just try to do my part, support the event, and hopefully play well and get some people out here tomorrow.

Q. How does it feel to play here considering you've had injuries last year?
DAVID TOMS: It feels good. It feels good to be healthy again. Last year was pretty tough, to not be able to play in New Orleans was even tougher. So just flew back, playing good and having a chance feels great.

Q. Can you break down the four birdies at the beginning of the round? Did you have them really tight?
DAVID TOMS: It was a combination of a couple of good shots, and a couple of nice putts. Just I was playing really solid and having a chance just about every hole to do something good.
You know, it was just one of those nine holes where I played really well.

Q. Did you have any long putts?
DAVID TOMS: No, not really. I think I had one that was probably, you know, 12 feet or so. Other than that, it was just all pretty makeable stuff.

Q. You had one shot that ignited it maybe?
DAVID TOMS: No, not really. You know what, it feels like I've been out there forever. I had to sit down in the A/C and go over the round. But, you know, nothing.
I hit some really good shots. I guess birdie, I birdied 14, the par 3. It was 220 today, straight down win wind, I hit a fire iron three feet. Added a pin that was difficult to get close to. So making birdie today was a bonus.

Q. Down the stretch, were the conditions rough?
DAVID TOMS: It's pretty breezy. You look at a couple of shots where I made bogey, I had over 200 yards in on the 6th hole, thought I hit a decent shot. The wind didn't take it, and it was right of the green.
I hit a decent chip and right where I was looking and I didn't make it. On 9, I watched my playing partner hit it in the water on 9 with the wind to the left. So I played it too conservative at the top of the hill and had a tough up-and-down.

Q. On number 8, it was a six-footer or seven-footer?
DAVID TOMS: Number 8 I was probably 12 to 15 feet there.

Q. You just missed it to the left?
DAVID TOMS: I left it short. I hit it into the grain and it wasn't hard enough.

Q. Did you hit it into the green?
DAVID TOMS: No, on 9, I watched Charley's ball break across the hole. I hit one just left of the hole there, decent speed, I thought it was going to turn right and it went straight. But I shouldn't have had a 15-footer for par, so that's the way it goes.

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