FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

July 30, 1998

David Gossett

DAVID GOSSETT: Played pretty solid. I mean, got off -- started early, and got off, made some birdie. Made birdie on 2, birdie on 3. Then made a good par on 4. Then I birdied 5 and birdie 8 and 9. Finished under on the front. And, pretty nice start playing my second PGA TOUR event, home course, home crowd, had some people out there, just had a great time. Had Rob Akins on the bag. He did a great job for me caddying, helping me, staying on the shot in front of me. Just had a great time out there. Great day for golf. It was playing long, plugging everything, but just had a great time.

DAVID GOSSETT: 2 I hit driver, wedge, to 15 feet, made that. 3, I hit -- I laid up and hit a wedge in there to about five feet. 5, I knocked it on in 2, the par 5 and 2-putted.

DAVID GOSSETT: 30 feet. Not a good putt, either, but I made it. Made the next one. 8 I hit it to 20 feet, made a great putt and kind of double-breaker. 6-iron. 9 I hit driver, 6-iron to about nine feet. Ten feet, actually. 16, knocked it on in two and 2-putted from about 60 feet. Bogey on 17, hit a really poor drive in the right rough, took the smart shot, chipped out into the fairway and then hit a poor 6-iron left, chipped up, left myself about 8-footer for bogey, made a really good putt. Left-to-right, it was a good putt for bogey.

DAVID GOSSETT: No. 7, really good save. Hit a good drive in the fairway and then another poor 6-iron, actually, I wonder what I will be working with on the range? (laughs). 6-iron into the left front bunker, hit it pretty decent, bunker shot just stopped on me. Didn't roll. Kind of on the up-slope had about 20-footer; made it for par. Kind of a boost for confidence going into 8 and 9. Birdied 8 and 9. Kind of saved the round a little bit.

DAVID GOSSETT: Oh, yeah, home crowd, it was awesome. Good experience now that I am in the red, maybe a few more will come out. Just had a lot of fun today. It was great.

DAVID GOSSETT: I tried not to look at the leaderboard at all. I glanced at it a few times. I saw Nick Price was 6-under once when I was 5 and -- but other than that, no. I just tried to stay focused on what I was doing. I know your goal coming in was just to make the cut.

DAVID GOSSETT: No, not really. My goal coming in was just to stay focused on my game and to go out there and play each shot at a time and just to do the best I could on each shot and Rob was helping me with that. And, that is all I really want to do tomorrow is to go out and play my best. 5-under is a great start, but there is a lot of golf left. I just want to go out and do the same thing I did today. I had a lot of birdie putts that could have gone in on the back 9. Two or three putts that didn't fall. Hopefully -- I am starting on 10 tomorrow at 2:00 o'clock, hopefully, I can just drop a few putts and get some confidence going and get a few more birdies; do the same thing.

DAVID GOSSETT: How many years ago was it? That was three years ago. Mr. Winn there, he asked -- he kind of hooked me up with Sports Illustrated. They needed some help carrying cameras. I was in here and just walking around and it was a little warmer than 90 degrees - about 100. I was carrying this huge camera and carrying it around, running around to people, and it was a great experience. I am very familiar with this area back here even though it is the first time to be back here as a player. It was a lot of fun, though. Nice to be up here this year, I must admit.

DAVID GOSSETT: Just the little things. Getting to meet some pros and seeing what a Tour event is like inside the ropes, just the feeling, getting -- you know, hearing them announce my name on the tee. It is really similar to other tournaments I played, but just to get the feel seeing the guys on the driving range. Seeing the scoreboards. I have been around a lot of Tour events but never played one. Still got to put the ball in the hole. I just learned a lot that week. It was a great experience for me. I am really pleased I played in that one before this one. It gave me a lot of confidence coming in.

DAVID GOSSETT: 63. I played from the whites, actually. Not too long ago just working on my short game a little bit.

DAVID GOSSETT: I think today, actually. 66. 5-under.

DAVID GOSSETT: Did I practice for this?

DAVID GOSSETT: Yes, I did. I played several rounds when I was in town. In between tournaments I would come home, have a week off and my dad actually caddied for me; carried the bag in the hot whether. He was really helpful getting me out there and getting -- trying to simulate tournament conditions playing from the tips, playing back, playing different tees, and hitting shots. Just having fun. But, dad was real helpful there. It was fun. But, yes, I did practice. I guess it paid off, dad - today anyway.

DAVID GOSSETT: I don't know, maybe I am 5 deep in the red. No, just the round is over today. I was pretty focused really. I came out. I knew what I wanted to do. I wanted to hit the shots I needed to. Focused hitting the shots off 1 and 2, just really staying focused on each shot. I was committed to the process today and I did pretty well.

DAVID GOSSETT: It is just the process of this crazy game called golf for me. Just staying patient and playing the game. Chasing your ball and hitting the next one; not getting in front of yourself; not getting too anxious or excited or disappointed on each shot. Just realizing that you are going to have to hit each shot the best you can, then just move on. Once a shot is over with, you can't affect it. After you just make the best, commit to the shot and believe in it and do hit it. That is the best you can do. You can't really look back on it say: Oh, it was just terrible, BLA BLA BLA. Not get too excited either, if you make birdies too, really. Staying patient, committed to each shot.

DAVID GOSSETT: Didn't ask for any help up there. But just talking with a few guys, just seeing them practice up there, I didn't get to play -- we played nine hole practice round, it was rained out on Tuesday. Fortunately dad and I got to play the course on Sunday because we were in the area playing in an amateur event, the Northeast Amateur, but just going up and talking to them a little bit, just getting to know them, really. Realizing that they are human being just like you and me, so that just kind of helped.

DAVID GOSSETT: A few did, yes, Jay Haas, he knew me right off. He recognized me. I was really surprised, to be honest. I went in the locker room. He said: Hey, David. I was say, Mr. Hass. It was pretty awsome. Some did; some didn't. But I have met a lot. They are really nice. A lot of the pros have been real helpful this week too. I get to play in the Gilette Tour thing Tuesday and they are just really kind and helpful.