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ST. JUDE CLASSIC PRESENTED BY FEDEX

June 12, 2009

Loren Roberts

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Okay, Loren, your second consecutive 67. 6-under par through 36 holes of the St. Jude Classic, you're currently tied for fourth right in the thick of it. Couple of thoughts about your round today. I noticed that you had 11 putts on your second nine.
LOREN ROBERTS: You know, I just came out with a good mindset today. I played really good yesterday, really solid and came out with a mindset today just working on getting the first tee shot in the fairway, and I played pretty good. Probably a little conservative around the back-9.
I think, you know, didn't take advantage of a couple of birdie holes like 15 and 16. But made a couple of good pars on 17 and 18. Turned even par and kind of put my foot on the gas a little bit and hit some really good iron shots in at 1, hit it in there probably about 4 feet, you know. Hit it in there probably 6, 7 feet at 3 and made a birdie and probably hit it about 12 feet at 4 and made that one.
So it was nice to get -- that little extra juice right there in the middle of the round came on at a good time and got to 6 and made a couple of good saves at 5 and 6 and, you know, got it into the house without having to give any back today. That's huge on this golf course. If you don't give any shots back around here, that's going to give you a pretty good round. Because this is a pretty hard golf course, although it is giving up some lower scores today, I think because of the no wind and the greens are a little more receptive.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: You played a bunch of rounds on this course, playing in front of the home folks at 53 years of age. What would it mean to be in contention?
LOREN ROBERTS: I can't even tell you. I really came here with no expectations other than really great to make the cut and be around for the weekend.
You know, I'm just so thankful that the Memphis community has rallied around this tournament the way that it has after what happened a few months ago, and I just think -- I just kind of wanted to make the cut to be around for the weekend, and to be in contention, that's a huge bonus, and I hope a lot of the other Memphis guys make the cut, also, because I think it would be just wonderful for the tournament.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Okay. We'll go to questions. Just wait for the mike here. Raise your hand.

Q. You want to just go ahead and explain your comment "something happened to my body." Obviously, in other words, you mean good, basically what happened?
LOREN ROBERTS: I feel good. Must be the 90-degree heat and humidity. I just felt like maybe turned the clock back a little bit today, and who knows, maybe I'll redefine the rest of my year on the Champions Tour. I don't know.
I felt really positive about my game the last two days, and I stood up there and made some putts when I had to, and, you know, last six months to a year maybe struggled a little bit off and on with that. It was nice to really hole some today. Hopefully, we can we can keep it going.

Q. This is kind of a generalization, you can answer. It seems like when guys advance to the Senior Tour, play out here, you can play great for a couple days and seems like it's really hard to keep all aspects of your game going for 72 holes.
Have you noticed that in the last six, eight years, or does that not apply to you?
LOREN ROBERTS: You know, that's probably kind of true. You know, you probably put on a few more pounds, you probably lose a little bit of muscle when you're 53 compared to 33. But, you know, it probably is a little tougher to keep it going for four rounds.
We're used to playing three rounds, but you never know. I think this particular golf course is just tough enough and yet it's just short enough that I think somebody like me can possibly, you know, have a chance there.
If you holes some putts at the right time and I think that you are seeing that, I think you're seeing a lot of guys now are staying relatively competitive on the regular Tour when they get in their late 40s all the way to their 50s. Lot of guys doing it.
I think as far as the Champions Tour is concerned, I think guys are coming out playing a whole lot better, has become a lot more competitive.

Q. What was the mindset Loren that made it work? You were able to come this year, last year you were not? Was it purely schedule? Were you aware of the 25th thing?
LOREN ROBERTS: I wasn't aware of the 25th thing until Phil Cannon told me this year. I would have had to get a sponsors exemption last year, and I know there were several guys from Memphis that needed them and wanted them to get in, and I just thought it would be better that I would take my Top 50 this year.
I was probably going to lose it here maybe this year or next year. Just like I said, Gary, I'm not getting any younger, so you might as well use it. That way I wouldn't have to take a sponsor's exemption. It worked out great that it happened to be the 25th.

Q. Where did you learn how to treat people the way you treat people?
LOREN ROBERTS: I don't know. Probably my dad. He probably -- I think he would get on to me if I didn't.

Q. Loren, I was going to ask you, walking around the course now at 53, after these two rounds, how much different than say five, six years ago when you were out here playing in your 40s?
LOREN ROBERTS: How is it different now?

Q. How is it different, just walking around the course?
LOREN ROBERTS: Obviously, you know, I wanted to try to win this golf course for a long, long time and could never get it done, and there's something to be said for -- you know, I've moved on. I'm enjoying playing the Champions Tour. I'm enjoying playing golf, being competitive but, you know, not as tough. Golf is a little more fun. The Champions Tour is probably a little bit more about corporate entertainment and things like that, and to me at my age that's fun.
So, you take that and the fact that it probably takes a lot of pressure off you when I'm only going to play two, three events on the regular Tour. This is one of them for this year, and you go out and you free-wheel a little bit. I think that's probably what a lot of the rookies and younger players that are struggling, once they get to that point where they can say, "Okay, I'm not worried about making the cut, I'm just going to go out and play and not worry about it," that's when they start doing well and their career takes off.
That's a huge, huge hurdle to get over. Some guys get over it, some guys don't. Some guys never even worry about it.

Q. Where else on this Tour might you play this year? I assume you're going to cherry-pick what courses you like or suit you?
LOREN ROBERTS: Milwaukee, baby.

Q. That's it?
LOREN ROBERTS: I wanted to play Jackson, but it's the same week as the Schwab Cup. I don't know. I'll have to look at the schedule and just see what happens, see where they are, see what's going on. Definitely Milwaukee for sure.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Anything else for Loren? Loren, good luck the rest week.
LOREN ROBERTS: Alright. Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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