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WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN

February 26, 2010

Mark Wilson

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

DOUG MILNE: Mark, thanks for joining us for a few minutes after a successful round 2, 5-under 66 today, finds you tied at the top headed into the weekend. Just a few comments on what you're feeling going right as you head into the weekend.
MARK WILSON: Yeah, just kind of caught me by surprise a little bit because I was actually a little under the weather after Mexico and had a rough day on Monday at home but recovered Tuesday, and it was probably good I got some rest and just came in and played nine holes Wednesday morning and came out feeling really good, rolled in some long putts and had a chip-in on Thursday, which got me into a good place starting today.
Today I three-putted the very first hole but stayed patient, made a great save on the next and then I just birdied the last four holes. I kind of turned a so-so round, probably what would be about 15th place, into I guess tied for the lead now with those last four birdies.
Everything feels good, just going to keep focusing on doing what I'm doing. I'm obviously not the star player up there, some young guys I think that are at the top that are close to me that everybody is going to be watching, so I'll just stick to my own game and do the best I can.

Q. Did you know you were in that kind of position as you were playing down the stretch, how things were going?
MARK WILSON: Not exactly. I think I looked at the board at the turn and I noticed that no one had gone crazy. I think it was still single digits were leading when I made the turn. And then I just caught fire at the end there. I figured I had to be somewhat close.
We're only halfway home, so there's still a lot of golf to be played. So it's a good position to be in. I'd rather be at the top than just barely making the cut, but there's still a lot of work I've got to do.

Q. Speaking of going crazy, this place is known for crowds that go crazy. They had 100,000 people today. Do you have a sense of the enormity of the crowds, and 16th hole is pretty wild. What's your reaction to that hole and to this tournament?
MARK WILSON: This tournament has done an amazing job. They've made it a hit for the town, for people who love golf that come out and watch, but then they've also made it a hit for the people that don't really follow golf or don't care. It's like the place to be. My hat's off to everyone that's been running this tournament for years, and now we've got Waste Management as a great sponsor, and I think it's only going to get better.
It's amazing, 100,000 people I wouldn't have guessed it, because it didn't feel that full of people. I know the 16th hole can have 28,000 people alone there. But it's a really neat atmosphere. When we were walking up to 15 green, just to hear the roars in there, it felt like you were on the outside of a stadium about to go into a big game.

Q. Obviously golf is a game of quiet, and they're always asking for quiet, holding the signs up. Does any of that get in the way?
MARK WILSON: I guess I've noticed a little bit more here, but now this is my third year playing. You just kind of play through that, whereas my caddie would maybe at other stops try to quiet the crowd down and ask for quiet, please. He doesn't ask for that here in too many places. Maybe the front nine holes when you're away from it, but certainly not on 16 he's not going to ask them to be quiet. You just kind of go with it and just let all that blend in behind you. It's almost easier than having it be real quiet and then all of a sudden somewhat scream right when you're at impact.

Q. Probably opposite result if you asked them to be quiet?
MARK WILSON: I think so, exactly. You definitely want to get everybody on your side. I think that's the only way to play that hole is to embrace all the people there and enjoy it and laugh at yourself a little bit if you hit a bad shot, and if you miss the green there, then they should boo you, and you just kind of go with it.

Q. When you're on 17 do you try to time it dealing with roars on 16, or do you just go and hope it doesn't --
MARK WILSON: It depends, yeah. On 15, as well, sometimes. But you never know, it's not just shots that they're cheering for. They're passing the time with games and the wave and all that stuff. Other tournaments you bet, I kind of pay attention more to holes nearby, but this tournament you just kind of let it go.

Q. Did you get an ovation finishing -- did they know you were in first place, and did the fans appreciate that?
MARK WILSON: It seemed like it, yeah, on 18 there. It's funny because obviously you have a lot of the fans on 16 and then you kind of work your way to 18, and it doesn't feel like there's as many. There's still a lot on that hole. Whereas most tournaments you wait to get to 18 where the majority of people are. It felt like it. I rolled in a nice 25-, 30-footer on the last hole, which was a nice bonus. It seemed like the roar was, "hey, good playing today," not just, "nice birdie."

Q. What makes this course so conducive to people running off a string of birdies like that? There have been a number of people that have done that already.
MARK WILSON: Just reachable par-5s and drivable par-4. You've got 15, they moved the tees up both days, so even a shorter guy like me can reach it in two. 13 is also reachable. And then you've got the drivable par-4, 17th, that even if you don't drive it on the green you can get up-and-down for a birdie.
So I think that's -- and the greens are rolling great. So at least that -- I think they're rolling great. I made a lot of putts, so if you're seeing the lines good you can roll off a string of birdies pretty quick.

Q. Were you sick the whole time in Mexico?
MARK WILSON: I don't know what I caught. There's been a flu bug going around the Tour. It was not in Mexico at all. It was that evening when I flew home. We flew home that Sunday night and then Monday from about 1:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. wasn't much fun. But I was very weak all day. Then I had to play with my two year old who kept saying, "Daddy is not sick, daddy is not sick." I'm like, "I am sick. Let's just chill out." He wanted to go hard. Thankfully Tuesday I felt better and hopped on a plane Tuesday afternoon to come here, and I'm certainly glad I've played so far.

Q. Can you use the fact that you're not going to be in the brightest spotlight out there to your advantage and just play your game and keep right on going up that leaderboard?
MARK WILSON: That's what I'm going to try to do, yeah. I'm not a flashy player; my game is more like a Jim Furyk style. And I'll just go about my business.
I enjoy watching these young kids. I don't know who I'll be playing with, but I did see Anthony and Rickie and Camilo up there and they're all very flamboyant characters, and it's fun to watch them. So I'll be somewhat of a spectator, too, but certainly taking care of my own business.

Q. The senior at ASU didn't make the traveling team to his tournament on Monday and Tuesday, but he made the cut here.
MARK WILSON: Oh, really? That's impressive. That's really impressive. I didn't know that. That's pretty cool.

Q. Pretty amazing.
MARK WILSON: That is amazing, yeah. I couldn't imagine making a cut when I was in college to be honest with you. I would have been pretty intimidated by everybody out here.

Q. He bounced back from a first round 74 to do it, too.
MARK WILSON: 66 or something like that? 65, yeah, because the cut is 3-under. That's impressive.

Q. Is this a course that normally suits your game? Or is it a case where you're playing well it doesn't really matter where you are?
MARK WILSON: I think length isn't too much of a factor here, so that helps me. There's not a whole lot of long par-4s, especially the way the ball is going here in the desert, goes a little farther. Even a 480-yard par-4 I can get it down there and have like a 6-iron in or something like that.
I played well here two years ago, finished Top 10 and last year made the cut, didn't play well on the weekend. But I've got good vibes here, yeah. I've enjoyed it. Two years ago was the first time I had a chance to play here because I was always playing out of that Q-school category and I was at the bottom of the pack and I never got in. So even though this is my eighth year on TOUR, I think -- I would love to have played it eight times, but I just didn't have that opportunity. I'm happy to have played it here now -- this is my third time.

Q. Did you happen to check the reshuffle stats this week just out of habit?
MARK WILSON: No, I see it up there on the tab you can click, and I remember those days when I had to look at it. Hopefully that won't happen again. But you never know. The TOUR is always about how have you played lately, and I've always been a big believer that that's good, to bring out new players, and that's the way it should be.
DOUG MILNE: Okay, Mark, thanks for your time. Best of luck on the weekend.

End of FastScripts

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