KEMPER OPEN

June 5, 1998

Craig Parry

CRAIG PARRY: Well, I said to Bernie and Andrew yesterday after my round, I felt as though I was playing pretty well. You know, I normally play the ball real well here, but I don't normally putt that well. I've been doing quite a bit of work on my putts, and obviously it's paying off. I played really well today, hit two bogeys. I bogeyed number 12, hit a 4 two-shot and hit it out to the right and hit it on the green. 2 putter from 16 for bogey. Then on number 4 I hit a 6-iron just in the valley down right there, had no shot. Chipped it up, 12 foot. So that was my bogeys. Other than that, I played really well. I gave myself a lot of opportunities for bogeys. I chipped in once at the third hole.

CRAIG PARRY: I chipped in just off the left-hand side of the green. I had a pretty basic chip shot. I was only 40 yards off the green. I was eye level with the green, you could see which way the ball was going to roll once it hit the green and it just went straight in the middle of the hole.

CRAIG PARRY: Overall, probably 15 yards.

CRAIG PARRY: Well, I could use a strain sling, but I won't. But it's been pretty ordinary actually. I've just started to play pretty well over the last couple of events from Atlanta onwards really. I finished sixth at the Bay Hill, I played pretty well there. Missed a few cuts in a row. Had a bad back earlier on in the year. Finally got out of that around Atlanta time and started to play a little bit better from there. I played really well at Colonial, I think I had three bogeys for the week of Colonial but I couldn't get the ball in the hole or on the greens. So I started to do a little practice on the putting green and I'm still practicing on the putting green and it's getting a lot better. You know, the big key is when you're putting well, you can miss greens, get up-and-down and make par. When you're not putting well, it's very difficult to scramble your way around the golf course.

CRAIG PARRY: I found them a little bit soft yesterday, as far as a lot of footprints, you know, because there's a lot of wind and grass in the greens. And I putted well yesterday. Today, I obviously putted a little bit better than yesterday. You know, they're all pretty true. I just find it hard to read the breaks, that's my biggest problem. It's not the surface, it's just me reading the greens themselves. One time I'll overread it, next time I'll underread it.

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, I've always loved the golf course. I've played here probably about seven times. As I said, I normally tee the green and hit the ball to the right. So the putter being kind, I should be all right on the weekend.

CRAIG PARRY: Well, I had lunch with Tim Finchem and Sid Wilson on Tuesday, and we were actually talking about it. He said I better start to play a little bit better if I wanted make the team. I suppose this is the first part of it. Yeah, I am looking forward to trying to make the President's Cup team. I'd love to make it, especially in Australia. You know, I wish -- a few points, I've got to improve on. Because I was second in Memphis last year and second at Westchester as well. So I've got to defend those points, if you know what I'm saying. I've got to get some points up.

CRAIG PARRY: 5, I hit a 3-wood off the tee, hit a sand iron about 6 foot. And then 6 I hit drive, hit a 6-iron. I could have actually gone for the green, but I didn't think it was really worth it. Then I hit a lob wedge in about a foot. And then number 10 I hit 3-wood off the tee, hit 9-iron to about 12 foot.

CRAIG PARRY: Sorry, 9, I forgot about nine. I hit 7-iron off the tee, I knew 6-iron was the right club for the yardage. I didn't want to hit it in the bunker. You hit it in the bunker all and of a sudden you're going out into the water. So I hit a 7-iron, about a 35-footer for birdie. Par 5, 13, I hit a drive. 3-wood, foot on the green. And it was only about six paces away from the flag. And two-putted for birdie there. And then on 15 I hit good drive, 7-iron to about 20 feet.

CRAIG PARRY: No problem.