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WGC BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

August 7, 2009

Tim Clark

AKRON, OHIO

CHRIS REIMER: Tim Clark at 6-under par for the tournament, right now currently in second place.
If you could just talk about today's round.
TIM CLARK: Yeah, obviously happy with that score today. The course firmed up quite a bit, and particularly in the afternoon the greens were pretty firm, so tougher to score.
Obviously less birdies, but also less bogeys today. So overall happy with 2-under in these conditions.
CHRIS REIMER: You've had a pretty good season so far, pretty steady. Talk about that.
TIM CLARK: Yeah, obviously for the last -- since the U.S. Open I haven't done a whole lot, but good to get a bid of a rest in there because there's obviously a lot of golf coming up now. So it's nice to see that my game is sort of back to the level it was starting the year, and this is a great stretch coming up.

Q. What length do you average on your drives, please?
CHRIS REIMER: This week he's right around 280, 285, somewhere around there.
TIM CLARK: I'm not sure what my stats are on the website, but I think you can find it there.

Q. So you can handle this course okay?
TIM CLARK: Yeah, I think so. The great thing with this course is the fairways are fairly firm, and a lot of holes actually the tee ball is hitting into a downslope, so I'm able to get some run out there.
I found on a lot of the holes, my drives are landing on the downslope, but a lot of the guys are carrying the downslopes and landing them to flat areas, so I get a little more run, and that certainly helps.

Q. Weren't you saying the other day that you needed to find a comfort zone with this golf course, though? Did it take you a little while?
TIM CLARK: Yeah, I think it definitely did. I think I always used to try and do too much, and I think the last few years I've realized you just have to get it in play, get it in the fairway and from there you have a chance. Because it is a bit of a longer course. I used to just try to do a little too much off the tee. This week I've tried not to get too much out of it, make sure I get it in play, get it in the fairway, and from there I've been able to score.

Q. Is it hard to just take that plodding around approach? Is that kind of boring?
TIM CLARK: It's probably boring to watch, but I think it's just something you have to do. Obviously not being one of the longer hitters, if I do go in the rough, it's tough for me to recover. I'm not able to get it up on the green like a lot of the other guys. That's just the way I have to play if I want to get myself in contention.

Q. You were playing with Jerry Kelly today.
TIM CLARK: Mm-hmm.

Q. Is that kind of a good pairing? It seems you would have similar styles.
TIM CLARK: Pretty similar. He's a little longer than me, but obviously he played well, too, for the first two days. He didn't get much out of his round yesterday, but yeah. It's good, also, to play with someone who's playing well. Yeah, very, like you say, similar style game.

Q. Can we go over your card, please?
TIM CLARK: Well, obviously I started on the back, on 10.
11, I hit a driver and an 8-iron to a tap-in, was about a foot.
15, I hit 4-iron, hybrid 4-iron, to probably 12 feet, made the putt there.
And then 18, a driver, 9-iron, again, 12, 15 feet, made the putt.
And then 3, one of the few fairways I put it in trouble and was forced to sort of lay up to about 80, 70 yards there and wasn't able to get it up-and-down.
And then obviously I finished 8 and 9 with two good up-and-downs to save pars, which obviously keeps the momentum going.

Q. You talked a little bit about a big stretch coming up. Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
TIM CLARK: Well, obviously we've got next week is the PGA, so we've got a major. And then the FedExCup kicks off. I'm more than likely going to play in Greensboro the week after the PGA Championship, having gone to school in North Carolina at NC State. For me it looks like it might be six weeks in a row. So it's a lot of golf, and yeah, I guess it's just about pacing yourself.

Q. And you're pretty well set for The Presidents Cup you feel?
TIM CLARK: Well, obviously the Top 10 is selected after next week. I knew to make it safe I needed to play well this week and next week. I don't want to have to rely on a pick. There's always a chance that I can fall out. I think I'm eighth on the list right now, and the guys are right behind me. So it's obviously an important stretch, especially right now with that coming up. That's obviously been a goal all year, to be in the Presidents Cup.

Q. You laid up at No. 3. Where was your tee shot, please?
TIM CLARK: In the left rough.

Q. So that pretty much requires a lay-up there?
TIM CLARK: Yeah, and I was way back. I was about 180 yards out, so yeah, just had no chance.

Q. Is there a low number out there, or is this --
TIM CLARK: I think now with the course firming up, it's going to be tough. I played with Jerry today. He shot 5-under. That was really a great score. If there is a low score, you won't see it from the leaders. I think it'll be from someone who goes off in the morning early on, and the greens are somewhat soft and running great. They'll be somewhat low, but it's going to be tough for any of the guys teeing off in the afternoon tomorrow to shoot anything more than 4-under.
CHRIS REIMER: Tim, thanks for coming in. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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