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WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN

February 26, 2010

Pat Perez

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

MARK STEVENS: We'd like to welcome Pat Perez to the media room. Pat, another good round today. If you will kind of talk a little bit about the conditions between yesterday and today and what you expect going forward.
PAT PEREZ: Yesterday things were perfect. It was warm, about 70 degrees, nice little breeze, just about how it is normally here during this time of the year. And this morning, I thought it was going to be freezing this morning, but it really wasn't that bad. You know, I took my sweater off on the putting green. We had a perfect morning, a little bit of breeze out of the east, and it was just a really nice morning.

Q. How did you feel about your play?
PAT PEREZ: Good on the back nine, not so good on the front nine. But you know, that front nine is usually how I play all 18. So pretty happy where I'm at right now.

Q. Being that you're at the halfway point amongst the leaders, are you happy with your position?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, I've never been here. I'm usually missing the cut here.

Q. Weren't you in here last year, though, about this point?
PAT PEREZ: No, it was a couple years ago. I think so. I've only made the cut I think three times of nine.

Q. Why do you think you've had problems on this course when you're a guy that lives here?
PAT PEREZ: The course just doesn't fit my eye. I never play here because during the rest of the year the course is never in good shape. You never see these pins; you never see the greens this fast; you don't get the rough. It's just a totally -- people ask me all the time, why don't you play it. The course is never in the condition you see it right now. So you know, between the wind and the shape of the holes and where they put the pins, I just don't see the shots.

Q. Two days in, do you have a comfort level going into round 3?
PAT PEREZ: No. (Laughter.)

Q. Still not seeing the shots?
PAT PEREZ: I've got two days left. I've never had success over the weekend here, so I don't know what to expect.

Q. How did you get to 10-under?
PAT PEREZ: Well, I hit a couple good ones, made some putts, and that was about it.

Q. You mentioned making some putts. Are you doing anything different this week in your putting?
PAT PEREZ: I only changed two things this week. I changed my entire set of irons, and I went from cross-handed with an Odyssey to regular conventional with a Scotty Cameron putter.

Q. Two minor changes.
PAT PEREZ: Those two little things. (Laughter.)
I haven't putted conventional in four years. This putter I have is eight years old. I used it when I first got out here, and my coach said, you know -- I just kept bitching and bitching about not being a consistent enough putter to play well out here. I have my weeks where they're decent, but as a whole I'm just not that great of a putter. He said, well, you need to go conventional. You need to get your head behind the ball and you need to get squared up. I said, whatever, I'll try it, see how it goes. And we did it on -- he came out here, we played on Sunday and it was pretty good. Each day it's just gotten a little more comfortable.
I feel great on the greens, I just don't feel that good over the shots.

Q. What was the reason for the change in irons?
PAT PEREZ: I put a new shaft in. I put these KBS shafts in. They keep the ball down a little bit lower, which I like. They're really good. TaylorMade irons are just really good.

Q. Are you getting some good support from the gallery?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah. I mean, I was surprised they gave me some love on 16. Usually it's fair game for anybody. Yeah, I hate that shot. I don't know, it's nerve-wracking, that shot. I hit a good shot, and they were all ASU guys. Luckily we were there at 10:00, though. It's starting to get loud over there now. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow.
I mean, the shot is so easy. It's just a little 9- or 8-iron, and I hit that green probably 20 percent of the time. I mean, last year after I won a came here, and four days later after I won, I had missed the green on Thursday, and "You suck, Perez." Like, okay, right back to reality.

Q. Well, being that you say you haven't had a lot of luck here, being that you said that you're still fighting your way on the course, being that you're amongst the leaders, being that you're going into round 3, are you happy? Are you having fun?
PAT PEREZ: Yeah, it's actually nice to -- I keep seeing these low scores year in and year out, and I keep thinking why in the hell can't I shoot that score? It's desert golf. I know desert golf as good as anybody. I play it every day. Why can't I play this course well? So it's actually been fun to see putts go in and see shots go where I think they're supposed to go, and that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's been nice.
We'll see how nice it is on Sunday, but -- we'll see.
MARK STEVENS: Thanks a lot, Pat. Good luck this weekend.

End of FastScripts

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