	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

TRANSITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 19, 2010

Carl Pettersson

PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA

DOUG MILNE: Carl, thanks for joining us for a few minutes. Solid 3-under 68 today capped off by a pretty clutch par on 18. Just some comments on the round. Obviously you had enjoyed success here, you got your first win here in 2005. So just some comments on the day.
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, I played well. I started off good. I had a birdie on 2, and that kind of got the round going.
Birdied 5 and 8, so that was a great start. It was nice to get off to a good start, any time you play.
My driver sort of left me on the back nine. My iron game and putting was still there, but I just didn't give myself enough chances on the back nine, didn't hit it close to the hole. But overall three birdies and no bogeys, so that's good around here.
DOUG MILNE: You said you've been reshaping your swing, working on your swing, and you've been working from a draw to a fade; is that right? Is that coming together for you.
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, it seems to be. Yeah, I lost a bunch of weight at the beginning of last year and kind of lost my game. I played terrible all year last year. Sort of towards the end of the year started rechanging my swing, and played fairly well in the Fall Series. Started well at the Sony and I kind of lost my way the last couple of weeks. But seems to be coming back.

Q. So you had to gain weight to get your game back?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, back to normal. (Laughter). With playing so poorly, I lost a lot of confidence and I'm just now getting back into the swing of things. You know, this game is all about confidence, and if you feel like you're going to do well, you're probably most likely going to play well.
I've worked hard on my game. I've never hit so many balls the last year in my career, and it's slowly coming back.

Q. How did back-to-back good rounds on a course like this help with your confidence?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, it's good. Any time you have -- well, anywhere, really, but definitely on a tough golf course like this. I played all right last week for a couple of rounds, and I've just done it for two rounds. I haven't done it for four rounds yet. Sony I played pretty good for four rounds. It's there. It's well-hidden sometimes.

Q. Did you do the swing makeover on your own, or were you working with a teacher?
CARL PETTERSSON: I've never had a coach but I had to find somebody. I have a friend back home, Josh Points, who had some video from past years, and we have just compared it and changed a little bit. But it's slowly coming back.

Q. Is he a club pro?
CARL PETTERSSON: He's a teaching pro in Raleigh, Josh Points.

Q. What exactly were you skinnier?
CARL PETTERSSON: Beginning of '09.

Q. You lost like 20 pounds or something?
CARL PETTERSSON: 30. But all of a sudden, I had to gain it back. (Laughter).

Q. That must have been just crushing?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah.

Q. What did you plow into first?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, it came back pretty quick, but then my swing was all messed up.

Q. How did you lose the weight?
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, I was exercising and eating right. I tried to get better and I got worse, and I guess -- I guess what I did, I lost it too quickly and I wasn't playing a lot of golf at the time. Who knows if that was it, but that's what I think it was.

Q. Harder to get back the swing, or the confidence?
CARL PETTERSSON: Confidence, really. I've got the swing back. I had the swing back in the fall really. But you just think a little differently when you've been playing poorly for a while, and I've got to get back to thinking positive and just little things like that makes a big difference.

Q. What was the low point for you last year?
CARL PETTERSSON: I think at THE PLAYERS. The whole summer, really. I just couldn't -- I was trying and I just couldn't physically hit the ball. So the whole summer, really.

Q. What happened at THE PLAYERS? Why did you single that out? Just the start of it?
CARL PETTERSSON: I just hit some terrible shots. I missed greens with 9-iron and wedges and stuff like that. It took a while, and then it was actually good. I kind of got it back because I didn't make the Playoffs. I had five weeks off there and I kind of re-thought everything and got it working.
I played decent in the fall, made every cut and finished Top-10 at the Disney, and then I started off well this year at Sony, finished fifth there. Played all right since then but nothing -- nothing like this. So this is positive. This is good for me.

Q. So you're fading the ball now? Is that pretty much --
CARL PETTERSSON: Well, I used to play quite a bit of big draws. It's either a two-yard cut or straight, and it looks like a fadeaway. (Laughter).

Q. Did you work with anybody confidence-wise?
CARL PETTERSSON: No. I've tried that before and it doesn't quite work for me.

Q. Why doesn't it work for you?
CARL PETTERSSON: I tried it back in '05 and I didn't really like it. Ultimately I've got to change. I've got to do it. I don't like to rely on too many other people.

Q. Can you talk about your putt on 18 with the pin placement?
CARL PETTERSSON: Yeah, it's a tough hole, 18. The green's tricky. I had about a 10-footer probably making 2 1/2 feet and was quick. You know, it was a good putt. It was lucky to go in it was one of those, you have to get the speed and the line perfect, otherwise you have no chance.

Q. Is that for par or birdie?
CARL PETTERSSON: Par.
DOUG MILNE: Lastly, if you wouldn't mind just taking us through your birdies, 2,5 and 8 and just give us some clubs and yardages.
CARL PETTERSSON: 2, I hit a rescue off the tee, 7-iron to 15 feet and rolled it in.
5, I hit 3-wood in the left bunker, 7-iron, lay up, 9-iron to eight feet. Made it.
No. 8, I hit a 5-iron to somebody said 37 feet and rolled it in.
DOUG MILNE: Carl, we appreciate your time and best of luck on the weekend.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297