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VERIZON HERITAGE

April 17, 2010

Nick O'Hern

HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA

JOHN BUSH: We'd like to welcome Nick O'Hern into the interview room here at the Verizon Heritage after 7-under par, 64.
Nick, I know the bogey on the last left a little bit of a bad taste in your mouth, but a great day overall.
NICK O'HERN: Yeah, I'm very pleased. That's a tough hole. And I just got out of position on that hole. But overall played really nicely, got off to a nice start birdieing the first couple. And birdieing the 5th, which it's a hole you want to take advantage of. I had a great run of 8 through 11 where I made four in a row. 7-under through 11, I was feeling pretty good about things.
JOHN BUSH: Struggled a little bit in your last start in Houston, but had a great finish at Transitions. Talk a little bit about the state of your game.
NICK O'HERN: It's been good. Tampa was great. I played -- it was good, not great, but I played really solid. I had a top-10 there. And played well at the Tavistock Cup. My game has been right there, it's a matter of putting it altogether, as the old saying goes. I'm not playing poorly, but there's a fine line between average and really good.

Q. 7-under through 11 you start thinking about course records and 59s and that kind of thing?
NICK O'HERN: I thought how many birdies do I have to make to shoot 59? I put that out of my head when I didn't make birdie on the next. 8, 9, 10, 11 are fairly tough holes, par is always a good score out there, but I chipped it in twice and birdied the other two. So it was a really good run.

Q. With the conditions out there towards the end of your round how do you expect your score to hold up against the rest of these guys?
NICK O'HERN: It's pretty bunched at the morning with where the leaders were. I knew -- the first five holes should be really a couple under through there. So people are probably going to jump me a little bit and maybe they'll come back as the day wears on, especially if the wind picks up and the greens firm up.
I had the greens probably at their best this morning, quite receptive. But it's hard to say where the lead is going to be, it may be in double figures, it might not, I'm just happy to get back in the tournament.

Q. I was going to say that, do you feel like you've put yourself back for Sunday no matter where?
NICK O'HERN: Yeah, it's nice to have a chance on Sunday. I was struggling to make the cut yesterday and all of a sudden with a good round I'm right in it. It's funny how the game turns. It's been a bit strange through my career whenever I've just made the cut I always seem to shoot a Saturday score and get back into things.

Q. When you commit to a weekend like this and everybody is bunched, the whole field within 7 shots, how much of a boost do you go into Saturday thinking I just need one round to get back in it?
NICK O'HERN: It's a tough score, that's for sure. As they say, these guys are good. But, when it is so bunched, if you can put a few birdies together, all of a sudden you've gone from 50th to 20th and things like that. So that's the great part about it. But in reality it's pretty hard to put a few birdies together.

Q. You talk about there being a fine line. What is it that has enabled you from going to this side of the line to the side of the line you're on now?
NICK O'HERN: It's between the ears. And for me it's more so my short game. Whenever my short game is sharp I find that's when I turn my poor rounds into decent rounds and my decent rounds into really good ones. That's what happened today. I'm guessing I had probably 20 putts, maybe 21 putts.
JOHN BUSH: 22.
NICK O'HERN: 22, you go. Pretty poor. So when you're able to make those saves, make those pars, when you're looking at bogey, it just turns the corner and you get in a different mindset, you get more aggressive, because you can attack things and you can get it up and down. When your short game is not so good it becomes a very hard game. Most of the guys hit the ball very similar, they're all good ball strikers, it's just who does bet with the flat stick.

Q. Thinking back a few years ago, Peter Lonard and Aaron Baddeley won back-to-back years, is there something that reminds you of Australian golf?
NICK O'HERN: It's similar; it's bouncy, firm, fast, you have to shape shots, a lot of Open courses we play like that. The greens are smaller than anything I've ever seen in the world. That's a tough aspect. We like the windy conditions. We all grew up in the back nine and that's why I think I've had success.

Q. You mentioned yesterday just kind of struggling to make the cut. I guess once you make it the next day do you play looser or more aggressive?
NICK O'HERN: I had nothing to lose, I was just inside the cut line. And if you don't have a good day today, well, fine, there's no difference between 60th and 20th. Doesn't make a matter too much, except for the bank balance. We're out there, we play golf tournaments, and if you can get that bit of a roll now, you can give yourself a chance, that's nice to be in those last few groups on Sunday.

Q. Do you still mark your ball with a kangaroo?
NICK O'HERN: Yeah, still do it that way, yeah. I haven't got one on me.

Q. Do you still live in Perth?
NICK O'HERN: I've got a house there, but I live in Orlando now. About the furthest place from Perth you can get in the world. My parents didn't take that too well.

Q. Is there any hole on the course you look forward to playing either because you want to get it over with or because you played it well?
NICK O'HERN: I like the 9th hole and the 13th hole, two short par-4s, I always take driver and try and be aggressive on the hole. And it just kind of fits my eye really well. And I get some shot looks, especially on 13 when I pull driver out. It's nice to surprise a few people.
JOHN BUSH: Let's go through the card real kick. Birdie on No. 1.
NICK O'HERN: Yeah, typical example of this golf course. I had about 130 yards and cut a little 7-iron around the trees. Hit 15 feet, made birdie.
Just chipped up to a couple of feet on 2 for birdie.
5th hole I knocked it on in 2, 25 feet and two-putted.
8 I chipped in from just off the front.
9, hold about a 15-footer for birdie.
10, about a 25-footer for birdie. Chipped in on 11, which wasn't to be expected.
And 15 -- I chipped in, again, sorry, chipped in on 15. I chipped in three times.
JOHN BUSH: Nick, great play today. And keep it going tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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