PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2001

Shingo Karayama

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Yesterday, I had no bogey, finished off, and today I wanted to do the same. And started off, the second hole I bogeyed so I felt like, maybe I'm not going to play good today. But after 9, then I started making birdies, good shots and I ended up as the leader, so I'm pretty happen happy.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Yes, I felt the same today. It I was very confident of my golf game, and yes, I want to play good the rest of the days, Saturday and Sunday as well.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I was playing golf since I was small, and like my coach taught me to keep up my body balance equivalent, right hand and left hand. And also, I feel I'm enjoying myself when I'm hitting with my left hand. People watch me, the gallery watch me, although I don't hit it that far, why did he suddenly play good in this tournament. Then I switches hands and hit a great shot and all of the sudden the gallery, the audience are like, "wow, he can play".

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Before I started to wear this cowboy hat, I was wearing a regular cap. And I looked at myself in myself, in the poster, and I felt that my face was too big so I wanted to wear a bigger hat so my face would look small and slim.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: He's left-handed. (Laughter.)

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Only one. (Laughter.) Yeah, if you want this hat, it's pretty sweaty. It's soaked with my sweat. Do you still want it? (Laughter.)

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Yes, it is very hot, but when I played at the U.S. Open, I felt that it was more hot down there, so this week, it's not as bad as the U.S. Open. Actually, I'm more comfortable in this kind of heat, climate, down here.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I'm in a really good condition. I want to keep up the pace in the final round on Saturday and Sunday. I want to play well. I do want to play well. Well, it's difficult to say that Japanese players, how they played in the past, but I think that Japanese players are getting better -- getting better and better.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: More like Chinese key, spiritual power inside my bracelet. Like a soul, spirit. Chinese would say Chi.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I would like to take a picture of the leaderboard. (Laughter.)

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I started playing golf since I was three years old and kept on playing. I won twice when I was an amateur at a professional tournament, and I turned pro in 1995. Until today, I've won nine tournaments in Japan.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Well, I really dreamed about playing in the States, in America, and I loved the atmosphere of the people and the players here. I love playing over here. In the past when I played in the major tournaments, I couldn't play well, so I was like, "I want to go back, I don't want to play anymore." But this week and from now on, I would like to play better and I always want to go for it.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Yes, I might lose confidence. I'll have a lot of pressure on me in the first tee and I might fade to the right or the left, but I have been playing in the last group in Japan so many times, so I should play well and I would like to enjoy it until I tee up at the first hole.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I started wearing this hat since last year at the Phoenix Tournament in Japan. Vijay looked at me and said, "Crocodile Dundee." But eventually I won that tournament, so it is a symbol of good luck.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Well, it's not a coincidence that I suddenly became the leader. I made a lot of effort until today and that's the reason I played well today. Of course, I would like to win and that's what I was going for. That's my goal.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: To me, it's the same, but after a couple hours, I might suddenly feel, "Wow, what a place I am in."

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Yes, I have met Ichiro, not as a friend, but I have spoke to him a couple times. Also, different sports, but I would like to play as good as him in golf.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: Yes, I admire Gary Player. His size, he's not huge, big, tall, but mediocre size and I admire him.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I'm not a long hitter, and in my bag, I have 5-woods: 1, 3, 4, 7, 9. I'm not a good long-iron hitter and I guess there are not too many players who have 5-woods in their caddy bag.

SHINGO KATAYAMA: I am very -- not just myself but all of the Japanese players are happy that he won in the mainland, the first Japanese player to win on the Mainland and he gave us some confidence that the Japanese players can do it. When I was a freshman in college, he was a senior and we were very close. I'm very happy that he won.