GREATER GREENSBORO CHRYSLER CLASSIC

April 10, 2000

Scott Verplank

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: We'd like to thank Scott Verplank for coming into the interview room. Your low round of the year, Scott. 6-under, 66. I think you opened with a 65 in the first round of Las Vegas last year. Let's begin with talking about your round today and how you played and how the course played.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Well, I drove the ball extremely well. I didn't miss a fairway today, which around here is pretty important. The rough is extremely thick. And I didn't -- and I hadn't missed a green until I got around to the 8th hole, and I missed No. 8, No. 9, the last two holes of the day. So up to that point I was -- I wasn't struggling too much. I made a couple of 5-footers for par after a first putt, but generally I was putting it -- I was -- I putted a birdie for 16 holes. So -- and I hit it close four or five times, so that made it relatively easy, if you can say that about golf.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I have great memories of that. Other than losing the playoff, everything else was good. When I made that 30-footer on the last hole, that was pretty cool. I have great memories of that.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Yeah, two years ago coming into this tournament I played well, about like I've played so far this year. But not great. And then I had a pretty good chance to win the golf tournament. So that gave me some added confidence. I went on and had a pretty nice year that year. I don't know what happened last year, other than I didn't make any putts. But I've played pretty decent in the last month, month and a half. So I feel like I'm doing the right stuff. And coming here to a place that I'm reasonably comfortable with and I'm pretty familiar with the golf course, today it showed.

SCOTT VERPLANK: It's playing longer, yeah, because the ball is not rolling. But the greens are very receptive. They're really good. They're in great shape. They're actually a little faster than I thought they were going to be after all the rain. But there's no way to explain it out here, but somebody plays good every single day, no matter what the conditions, what the golf course. These guys are good.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I don't think it's an easy golf course. I know if you drive it in the rough, it's a hard golf course. It just depends. I know two years ago when I lost the playoffs, the last day was extremely difficult. And it was just warm and windy and the golf course dried out. And I was tied for the lead going into the last round, shot even par and got in the playoffs. That ought to tell you it was playing pretty tough around here. It just depends on the conditions. When everything is soft and you keep the ball in the fairway and keep it on the green, guys are going to shoot good scores.

SCOTT VERPLANK: Do you know when that's going to be? Please let me know when that's going to be. Like I said, I think I've been doing the right stuff this year. I'm getting better. A little more comfortable with the things I'm doing. I'm putting better so far this year than I did last year. Last year was kind of an aberration for me. I've always been a pretty good putter, and I -- last year I putted awful all year long. And I've got it turned around a little bit and stroking better and making a few putts. And that's what I've been waiting on. Hopefully this will be the week.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I made about a -- let's see -- I started on 10, hit a 7-iron about four feet. And then on No. 11 I hit an 8-iron about probably 18 to 20 feet, and I made that. And that was the longest putt I made, actually. 13th hole, I hit it up on the green in two, chipped up to about 5 feet and made that. 14, I hit an 8-iron out of the fairway about four feet and made that. Then I hit a pitching wedge on No. 5 about four feet. Then I hit a sand wedge on No. 6 about two feet. I hit a sand wedge on No. 7 about six feet and made that.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I hit a 3-iron on 8, and missed it in the right bunker, and actually made a great up-and-down. I hit a nice shot about 6 feet from the hole and made it. 9, I just hit it about five yards too far with my layup shot. If you're trying to be perfect -- and I was on kind of a severe downslope and between in between a number. I had a sand wedge in my hand and I tried to get cute with it, and I guess that wasn't the thing to do. But that's the way it goes. If I pull it off, then I'm going to hit it in there a couple of feet and make another birdie. It just didn't happen.

SCOTT VERPLANK: I hit it fat up short of the green and chipped up about 6 feet, and hit a pretty nice putt and it lipped out. That stuff happens sometimes.

SCOTT VERPLANK: No -- yeah, obviously you don't want to bogey a par 5, especially finishing the day when you played well. I kind of left myself in a tough spot, really. I wasn't that comfortable with standing over the ball on my third shot with a downhill lie, with trying to hit a three-quarter shot. So I wish I had made that putt for par. But like I said, I didn't -- I don't feel like I played great today. But I hit the ball in the fairway and on the green, and hit it close enough times to make some birdies. So I'm not disappointed about it.