WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 23, 2001

Paul Azinger

PAUL AZINGER: Good, considering we were going off dead last, first round at 2:20. If it was dry and hot, it would have been tough. Being overcast and moist like that I think made it easier for us. I guess somebody has got to go last, you know, but generally, it's not that good a time. Unless, of course, you earn your way into last position. So today I think we caught a bit of a break. The course played pretty long and the greens held a lot better obviously than the practice days and it was.

PAUL AZINGER: I don't know. He might have fed off me a little bit. I got off to a pretty good start. I don't know, I guess, yeah we might. I didn't think about it.

PAUL AZINGER: First hole I hit it about six feet with a wedge. I hit driver off the tee. Second hole, I hit 3-iron on the front of the green and 2-putted from about 45 feet, 50 feet, something like that. Bogeyed -- I bogeyed 6. I hit it in the right bunker and just hit a terrible shot and made bogey there. 7, I hit a -- I think I hit a 5-iron about 12 feet, probably. 9, I hit -- I killed a drive on 9. Hit 7-iron 20 feet. 12, I hit 6-iron past the pin on the right. Made about a 25-footer. Big breaker. Bogeyed 17. Easiest chip I'll ever have in my life. That ball kind of hydroplaned on the dew and went about eight feet by.

PAUL AZINGER: It's disappointing. The TOUR has been here for 40-some odd years. But we're coming back, and not all of us get to play here every year. I'll say that again. Not all of us play here every year because you have to earn your way in. So, it will be disappointing not to be here next year, but we are coming back. It's an incredible golf course. Kind of stands on it's own.