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July 16, 2009
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Frank Lickliter, thanks for joining us after a 4-under round today. You've had some good success here. I think you've had three top 10s, including, I think, fourth a couple years ago.
Maybe just some opening comments about a good start to the week for you, and also about your past success here.
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, I've always enjoyed playing here. I think I've played here, I think this is 14 years in a row. Love the people. Love the golf course.
You know, for a public golf course, it's always in wonderful shape. The greens are spectacular. It's a fun place to be.
Like you said, I've had some success here. I finished fourth the year Corey Pavin shot 26 on the front nine. I was on the exact opposite off the back nine. I was watching the leaderboard watching him do that. That was pretty cool.
You know, and he played great on Sunday. Ended up playing in the last round with him and Jerry Kelly. He hit 18 greens on Sunday, and I don't think anybody ever said anything about it on TV. That's pretty -- especially for Corey, that is pretty good.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Maybe a few comments about your round today as far as going through your birdies and bogeys.
FRANK LICKLITER: You know, I only made -- I made two birdies on the front. Birdied the second hole up the hill. Made a nice downhiller from about 20 feet there.
Then hit it right in front of the green on 6 and got it up-and-down. Made probably about a ten-footer straight up the hill there.
Then I 3-putted 8 from 30 feet. I was trying to make it. I mean, I was thinking I was gonna make it, and knocked it by by probably a good four and a half feet.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Questions.
Q. With what you did last week at the John Deere, how do you feel your game is rounding into shape now?
FRANK LICKLITER: I mean, I've been struggling for two and a half years. So I'm just finally starting to play golf again. That's exactly what it feels like. You know, it's fun again, and I'm starting to do some good things on the golf course.
Q. You say it's fun?
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah.
Q. Can you describe what that's like again.
FRANK LICKLITER: Well, you know, shooting 73 is not frigging fun, especially in a TOUR event. Yeah, I'm making birdies and I'm starting to limit my mistakes. You know, it's fun making birdies.
Q. Did you kind of get away from your original swing over the years, getting better and you got back to it? Is that the short version, or am I wrong about that?
FRANK LICKLITER: No, I mean, I specifically changed my golf swing, which was, in hindsight, a mistake. Instead of getting better at what I did, I tried to totally revamp my golf swing. I didn't need to do that, and now I realize that.
And, yeah, I've gone back to cutting the golf ball. I've gone back to hating missing the golf ball left. So that's made a big difference.
Q. You were just trying to get better. I mean, that was the whole goal. It's so competitive out here.
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, I mean, you know, and I tried to get better right after I had won, too. Won a couple events.
And, you know, there's a lot of things involved in that decision, but basically it comes down to grandiosity and ego and all those wonderful descriptions.
You know, but like I said, now golf is fun again. I'm having fun again.
Q. Feel like you're playing Frank Lickliter golf again?
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, you know, hit it in the fairway, knock it on the green, and roll in a putt. Cut it in the fairway. How about that?
Q. You finished strong the last couple holes.
FRANK LICKLITER: Birdied three holes in a row in the last five holes, and had a chance to birdie the last two holes. Hit a wonderful shot in there on 17, and just misread that putt.
Same thing on 18. I misread it. Hit that putt in the practice round and it hooked, and today it didn't.
But I hit both putts on the last two holes, I hit them exactly the way I wanted to.
Q. On 17, how far out were you?
FRANK LICKLITER: Seven feet, eight feet.
Q. Looked like on 18 that ball just didn't break at all.
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, it didn't break at all. It shocked me. But I hit, like I said, the putt exactly the way I wanted to, so I was happy.
Q. Obviously it's a long tournament. Just to come out in the morning and shoot this round right off the bat...
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, especially with the wind blowing a little bit. Our officials are getting, I don't know if they're pissed at somebody, but they're making the pins wicked on Thursday.
You know, players have talked about it, and actually talked about it in meetings, too. There are some wicked pins out there.
Q. There's been a lot of talk about Jerry Kelly this week. Obviously this is hometown for Jerry, and you've been involved with Jerry on only off-course activities. Comment on some of that.
FRANK LICKLITER: I mean, you know, he was calling people out, and he did the right thing in my view. You know, because I love coming here. I don't want to see this tournament disappear. It's a wonderful place, and I think the people here love golf and love coming out.
I mean, I've never -- there's never been any issue with the fans here. The fans have always loved coming, the fans that I've seen. Like I said, I've never seen an issue with the fans. They've never gotten out of control. Just seem extremely appreciative of us being here, and we like that. That's why we want to keep coming back.
Q. What's the rest of your schedule?
FRANK LICKLITER: My schedule is up in the air.
Q. Can just talk about playing in the wind today. Seemed pretty windy out there. Do you remember this tournament playing like that ever?
FRANK LICKLITER: Yeah, I mean, we get some wind here every once in a while. What's typical is that it switches. Picks up and dies and then it switches. You know, it switched several times today.
It was funny, because I hit a really good shot into 8 because I waited out the wind. It turned right when it was my turn to hit, and I gave it a few seconds and it finally dropped. Hit a really good shot in there and then didn't take advantage of it by 3-putting.
There were several places like that today where I had the wind that I wanted and hit my shot before it switched.
Q. You had some places where it swirls a little bit. I don't want to liken it to Augusta, but the trees are big enough and there's a lot of them.
FRANK LICKLITER: Absolutely. You absolutely have to pay attention to it.
End of FastScripts
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