WGC ANDERSEN CONSULTING MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 25, 1999

Bernhard Langer

BERNHARD LANGER: Thank you. I had a very good day today. Doesn't matter how much Match Play we play, I was -- I never played any Match Play as I grew up, but it is still fun. It is a nice change.

BERNHARD LANGER: Sounds about it.

BERNHARD LANGER: Well, yesterday, I drove the ball very well, and again, I did the same today. Hit almost all the fairways and hit the ball fairly close. Yesterday I wasn't totally happy with my putting, but today the putter was pretty hot and made numerous putts. As you said, I think I was 7-under after 12. Then managed to bogey 16 when I hit one bad -- my only bad tee shot, which ended up in the rough in a horrible lie. But as I said, I was just a bit more fortunate with my putter than Vijay. He actually played very well himself; started with the two birdies and didn't have any, or many, bogeys at all and made a number of other birds later on. And just I made more putts, and that is, in the end -- I think I was 6-under, and he was probably 4-under or something like that.

BERNHARD LANGER: I don't know. You'd have to ask the guys who lost. But I would think many of them came from Qatar where they played last week, which is, what, 12-, 13-hour time change? And whoever has done some travelling knows how difficult it is to get over A 12-hour time change. I would say it takes a whole week. I just came back from Australia three weeks ago, and I was gone for a whole week. I was not normal 'til, you know, the 7th day was over then I had felt comfortable.

BERNHARD LANGER: No, I think I have gotten over it. (laughs).

BERNHARD LANGER: Well, it is too late now anyways. I can't change it. Obviously, it comes to my mind every once in a while when I mark the ball or something. It is just one of those weird things; can't explain it.

BERNHARD LANGER: Well, he won the first hole with a birdie, and then we both birdied the next hole. He plucked it into this bunker on the 3rd and made an incredible bunker shot to about six feet and holed the putt to tie my par. Then we just -- he lost No. 5 or 6. He bogeyed; then I made just four birdies in a row. I birdied 6, 7, 8 and 9 and really got ahead of him. Then on 12, I hit a really good 5-wood for my second shot to about 20 feet; and he was in the bunker, played a brilliant bunker shot and I made my putt for eagle. So every hole is important out there, because if there is not much between the two players, you just need every hole you can make and win.

BERNHARD LANGER: 6 was about 15 feet. 7 was about 18 feet. 8 was, again, about 18 feet and 9 was one foot. I didn't even have to putt it. 12 was about 20 feet, I guess.

BERNHARD LANGER: He would have. I think his bunker shot was about five feet away.

BERNHARD LANGER: No. We never played in Match Play before.

BERNHARD LANGER: Hopefully. (Laughs).

BERNHARD LANGER: No, not at all. I am just going to take every match as it comes and play the best I can. And then we will take it from there, see what happens and go from there.

BERNHARD LANGER: Not really. I am not really here to represent the Europeans; so that is a Ryder Cup thing and that is, you know, some other tournaments, but not here. I am here to play the best golf I can, and I am playing for myself, not for Europe.

BERNHARD LANGER: Not really. On the second hole there was not that much wind, and I had to hit 3-wood to get there and he hit some long iron. No. 9 was into the wind, yes; so couldn't quite get there. Plus, he wasn't in the semi-rough; so he couldn't hit driver there. I think the lie wasn't good enough. 12 was downwind; so we both reached 12 and 17. I am not sure if he can get up there, but not today. It was very strong wind.

BERNHARD LANGER: I was -- what do you mean the second shots or the first?

BERNHARD LANGER: No. 6 he hit first. Then I won the hole, so I hit first on 7. Then on -- we both birdied 7, actually. Then 8, I drove first and I actually hit first as well. Then 9, I hit first.

BERNHARD LANGER: Well, today I was pretty happy with the day. I wouldn't mind having more of those days. Yesterday, I played fairly well. Just as I said, didn't score quite as good as I have been, but generally I am very happy with the last two days overall.

BERNHARD LANGER: It wasn't that hard. I mean, I had a breaking putt off about a foot, but it is not a long hole or anything.

BERNHARD LANGER: Oh, it wasn't particularly easy. It was a little downhill and about a foot right-to-left, but I felt good over it. I thought I might make it and just had the perfect line and the right pace. 7, I had pretty straight putt and went right in the middle. 8, was a left-to-righter, and 9 was a gimme anyways. 12 was also left-to-right. So, yeah, I was very fortunate and very happy to make those putts, because it is not every day that you make, you know, 18-, 20-footers.