THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

May 28, 1998

Trevor Dodds

TREVOR DODDS: Yeah, good start. I hit it in the fairway and hit an 8-iron just past the flag into the rough on the other side and chipped in. It was a great way to start the day, and kind of unexpected, but I promptly bogeyed the next two holes, I think. It was such a shock. Then I birdied 4. The par 3, I hit a 5-iron to about 6 feet and made that. Then on 6, I hit a bad 8-iron about 50 feet away and made that one. So that was a big putt. And 7, par 5, I hit it on for two and 2-putted from about 40 feet.

TREVOR DODDS: I hit a 3-wood on. And then 11, I hit 3-wood, 3-wood into the bunker and hit a bunker shot out to 3, 4 feet and made that. Then on 14, I hit a 3-iron sand wedge just on the right edge, just off the green, but had about a 12-footer and made that. And 15, I laid up for two and hit a wedge to about 6, 8 feet and made that. 16, I thought I hit a really good shot, hit a 6-iron in, but it went to the back edge and I chipped it in and then parred it.

TREVOR DODDS: The chip was about 18 paces. About 45 to 50 feet. I had some good fortune today, but I also played well.

TREVOR DODDS: 2, I hit it just into the right rough between the edge of the fairway and the hazard. Had a pretty good lie and went at it and hit it in the bunker and blasted it out to about 10, 12 feet and missed the putt. Then on 3, I hit it left in the rough and I chipped outside and hit it, sand wedge to about 6 feet -- 6 to 8 feet and missed that.

TREVOR DODDS: Probably it was about 8 paces, 24 feet.

TREVOR DODDS: Well, it's been pretty busy after Greensboro. After I won there, it's been hectic, but it's -- you know, it's all part of it, I think. And I think if you play well, then you're going to be interviewed. If you're not, then there will be no interest.

TREVOR DODDS: Well, I don't particularly care to talk about it too much. But at the same time, my feeling is that if just one guy or person becomes a little more aware of what the body is telling them and goes and has a checkup and that's great. So in that sense, it's -- I don't mind talking about it. But as far as myself, I'm doing a lot better. As far as we know, I'm clear and I just have to keep going for checkups every six months and just pray that it stays that way.

TREVOR DODDS: I think there's no real change. I would say I'm 95 percent of where I was. I would say physically, golfwise, I'm probably 100 percent of where I was. I've still got a few minor little problems, but basically the doctor just told me those would improve with time. It's just effects from the radiation.

TREVOR DODDS: Well, if there's any confidence, I should have lost it last week. I played terrible. I'm not one that really worries too much about confidence. I'm more believing if you can trust your ability, there's going to be weeks you play great and weeks you don't. It goes from day to day and shot to shot, really. And as long as I can just keep doing the things I'm trying to do, that will be fine. You know, over the course of the year, I'm going to have some good events.

TREVOR DODDS: I think the key is you have to manage your golf ball really well, because the ball is starting to roll and it can get you into a lot of trouble. You can't just get up there and hit driver and just expect it's going to be in play. You have to hit good shots. The course is going to be everything it was designed to be. It's going to be tough and it's going to be a good challenge. I mean, I don't know if I've ever played a place the course is better prepared. You know, just the manicuring and the conditioning, it's just unbelievable. I've never seen a place like this.

TREVOR DODDS: I just feel like I'm at the top of my game no matter how hard I try. The level of competition is strong enough out here if I don't play good, I'm going to miss the cut. I think that applies for every player just about. There's only a few guys that can get away with playing mediocre golf and making cuts out here. The thinking, I'm grateful for. The weeks that I've played well, I manage to score well too. Often you play good golf and you don't score. I think it's showing in my results.

TREVOR DODDS: Well, I think I'm starting to drive the ball better. But it's like anything, if your short game is not there, you're in trouble, and I just think that's a major component for all of us. And my strength has always been my iron play, but no matter how good your irons are, if you keep hitting your drives in the bushes, it doesn't help.

TREVOR DODDS: I'm playing next week, and then I have to go qualify for the Open on Monday at Woodmont. Then I'm playing the Western Open and then the next will be the British Open.

TREVOR DODDS: Yeah, I've done a few. I've made it twice and missed it like ten times.

TREVOR DODDS: Yeah.

TREVOR DODDS: Well, it's just part of the Open. If you're not exempt, and it's a tournament we all want to play in, you just have to go do it. There's no ands, ifs or buts. It's 36 holes. I feel we have as good a chance as any. You have to go do it.

TREVOR DODDS: No. I've done it a few times in St. Louis where I live. Once or twice, I've been at Westchester, but I've never done it at Woodmont. This will be a first.

TREVOR DODDS: I came off it two years before in Canada where I was playing really well. That in its own helped me to win. When I got in the situation at Dayton and had a chance to win, I wasn't in unfamiliar ground, and -- but Dayton did a lot of things for me because by winning there, it guaranteed me a job this year. You know, people -- it guaranteed me a place to play, at least on the Nike. And then with what happened to me last year, it was just -- I'm still pretty amazed and really grateful that I ended up making it out on Tour. With everything I went through, just making it back onto the Nike Tour would have been a good achievement.