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THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 12, 2005

Pat Perez

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: 5-under par 67 today, 11-under for the tournament. Once you got to about 6 or so you started to make some birdies. Slow start, or just didn't capitalize on your opportunities early?

PAT PEREZ: Yeah, I just didn't capitalize. I missed an 8-footer on 1.

And 3, I hit a good iron shot and went past the pin. 4 was about the same thing.

5 and 6, I had about 20 feet for eagle on 5 and almost chipped in on 6 for eagle.

7 missed about an 8-footer.

8 was about 15 feet.

11 was a good birdie, 4-iron in there, about eight feet.

12, missed a 6-footer.

And bogeyed 13. That was terrible. I came over the top, hit it left in the hazard. It was actually a pretty good bogey.

14, made about a 16-footer.

15, missed a 4-footer, birdie.

About 30 feet on 16.

Tap-in on 17

And missed a 2-putt par on 18.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Still a pretty good day.

PAT PEREZ: Yeah, it's quite tough out there I didn't really realize I was moving up the board. At one point I was seven back, so just figured try and get somewhere Top-10 by the end of the day and see what happens tomorrow. Kind of nice to be one back, actually.

Q. We were watching the interview you did with Jimmy a few minutes ago, and when you were talking about dealing with situations a little bit better, is it that you don't let the bad shots bother you, or that you forget them quicker or that you just overall, mentally you're dealing with things better?

PAT PEREZ: Yeah, kind of overall. Not really mentally, but I'm still going to get mad, but I'm not going berserk if something like that happens and I just can't -- I can't play with no emotion. I won't try. If I'm just saying, oh, it doesn't matter, it's no big deal then I might as well stop play because to me, that's not trying.

You look at competitors in all kind of sports, they get upset and they get mad, I'm not saying the language is great, but they are just not really in the spotlight, it's not all them because it's such a big arena of other stuff. I just have to -- I'm trying to deal with it but it's not going to be just a flat line.

Q. Frank Lickliter told me one time that the money has gotten so good out here that it's just going to be human nature to get emotional both ways, because you're playing for so much and there's so much at stake now.

PAT PEREZ: That's basically it. I mean, a guy makes double on 17, it could cost him $350,000. That's ten times more than what the average person makes in a year. You're talking about a huge thing.

So yeah, there's a lot of emotion involved. It's just the way the game is now. It's so competitive and you want to do so well that it's just the way it is.

Q. Since Buick this year, you've struggled a little, is there something you've been working on specifically that's paying off this week?

PAT PEREZ: Putting. I'm 175th in putting this year and 60th on the Money List, and I'm fourth in driving, fourth in total driving. So I'm hitting it well, hitting a lot of greens. I'm just not getting it in the hole and that's something I worked on this week and kind of last week. I'm starting to see them go in now so, the confidence is starting to go up.

Q. Is it the same thing as the end of the year last year where you got it rolling well?

PAT PEREZ: Last year was the swing and I couldn't putt, either. (Laughter.) With putting, it's all confidence and it's starting to come back.

Q. I know you've been asked this before, but you won the Q-School right here; is there a comfort level?

PAT PEREZ: No. It was four years ago. It's a completely different course, different setup, different everything and a different time, physically, mentally, everything. There's nothing.

Q. Is there any irony to the idea that your putting has come around on greens like these out here?

PAT PEREZ: Maybe a little. I love bermuda greens, I used to hate them because I couldn't read them. But playing junior tournaments it was tough to putt on the grain but out here they shave them down and it's just a perfect putting surface. All you do is just get the line and hit it. You know whether it's going in or not because it's just a perfect roll.

Q. People talk about how talented you are then they say, "but"; are you tired of that? Do you want to put that to rest?

PAT PEREZ: I don't even think about it. I want to win for myself, I want to win for my family and my caddie and coach, I want to win for us. Everyone's talented out here. Everyone's talented. They wouldn't be out here if they weren't. We're playing at the top of line out here. Everyone is talented and everybody can win. It's obvious, anybody can win any week. I really don't think about it at all. It will happen when it happens. If tomorrow is the day, then tomorrow is the day.

Q. You talked a little out there about how you've been trying to change people's perception of you, how have you done that, and would coming through tomorrow go a long way towards that?

PAT PEREZ: Well, you know, obviously the last year and a half, I haven't had that much TV time, because playing bad you don't get any press and people don't know you because you're a ghost, you don't see them. It's been harder, I've actually made an effort in the last year and a half to change, but I didn't play well. So if I don't play well, I'm not going to be out here, and it's not going to matter because people are going to forget me anyway.

Like I said before, if I don't have the fire in me, then I'm just not trying, I'm not playing golf. That's just the way it is. People are going to perceive you for whatever. It doesn't matter, doesn't matter what you're doing. I thought I was making an effort, and you get some guy down the fairway he'll say something or you'll see him, he'll motion something; nothing's changed. I'm just not going to worry about it anymore to be honest with you.

Q. Do you feel tomorrow that big exposure could do a lot for you?

PAT PEREZ: If I can win doing whatever I've got to do, that's what I'm going to do. I'm not too worried about it.

Q. Taking anything for the cold?

PAT PEREZ: Not yet -- oh, yeah. I'm taking Day-Quil. I've got to restock. Took it about seven hours ago, it's almost time.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Thanks, Pat.

End of FastScripts.

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