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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2011

STATELINE, NEVADA

THE MODERATOR: Jack, congratulations on your second victory here at the American Century Championship. You are the first person since we started the Stableford format who has gone wire to wire to win. And that's holding up to some pressure. How was it out there today.
JACK WAGNER: I think pressure sums it up. I was so grateful. My nerves, I was calmer today than I was the first two days, actually. And maybe it's because I got off to a good start.
David's helped me a lot on the putting green to be able to accelerate through putts as opposed to kind of guiding them. I think that's what a lot of players face given this is our Masters. This is our U.S. Open for celebrity golf. We have one weekend a year, and so you gotta bring it. And fortunately I just putted well today. Starting off I made about a 15-footer. Tony hit it two inches on No. 2 for birdie.
And I knocked in a 40-footer. And when that starts happening, you get some real positive vibes going. So I had a good start today.
THE MODERATOR: Six birdies on the first 11 holes. Did you think it might be a run-away going on?
JACK WAGNER: You know, yeah. I mean, I'm thinking, you know, well, let's keep it going. I missed a couple of make-able ones also. I missed one on 5 from about 10 feet. But I was thinking I can separate myself.
But Tony made eagle on 11, and I actually answered it with about a 10-foot birdie putt. I think I got a little nervous through those holes. As soon as he made that, it was like a wake-up call and he was on it. He made a lot of good putts that didn't go in but still made a lot that went in. It was a good match today.
THE MODERATOR: One of the questions that came up from a few folks was what were you guys thinking on that second shot on 18 coming in?
JACK WAGNER: I'll leave that to my caddie.
DAVID BERGANIO: As I said a minute ago, it was only 207. And I thought there would be no problem with Jack hitting it on the green, and we talked about it: Let's seal the deal right now. So we were -- I didn't want to back up. I told him today, going into today's round, that I wasn't going to -- I wasn't going to back up on us playing aggressive. And that's what we did all day. Right?
JACK WAGNER: I wouldn't hit the shot unless I felt I could make the shot. And as a 4-iron, if I miss that, it's going to be up by the green. I can still make birdie or par or bogey, and that would force Tony to make eagle.
And if Tony just makes birdie and I make a double -- I just felt I had the shot, and I went for it.

Q. What were you guys talking about out there today early in the round? And what was the key moment where you thought that: I really gotta start playing some good golf here because Tony's swinging well today? He commented before when you were just coming in that your ability to chip and putt, he thought, really won it for you today. What were you guys talking about out there, and what is it that Tony did that really put some pressure on you, and made you chip and putt so well?
JACK WAGNER: You know, it was an interesting -- the 8th hole was really interesting. I was inside Tony but his stance would have put himself on top of my ball. So I putted first. And Chris Chandler was about the same distance, and I just knocked it in the middle about 10 feet.
And then Tony made it. And Chris made it. It was right then where I realized: We gotta keep the pedal on the metal. There's no backing off. I said in the interview room yesterday I have to shoot in the 60s because I felt Tony would shoot in the 60s. And we did.
And I'll turn it over to David. But he was in my ear all day: Just stay focused -- focus. And the key for me was I can't control what Tony Romo does. I can only control what I do.
I know that's an old cliche. But when you're out there like that, I was actually rooting for him. Go. Knock it in. Really. I wanted him to play better because then I knew I had to play better.

Q. David, what did you think before Tony swung the club, on the approach to 18, where did you think that ball would end up? Where did you think Tony's shot would end up when he was trying to hit the green in two on 18?
DAVID BERGANIO: When it was in the air, I looked at Jack and I said: That ball's in the water.

Q. Jack, you called yourself a pipsqueak on Friday.
JACK WAGNER: I did, or David? (Laughter)

Q. You did. And, of course, Tony disagreed with that just before you came in here today. But were you concerned that Tony does have a tendency to get better as the week goes on, and he's sort of a big athlete with momentum, he was the pretournament co-favorite, were you concerned that you might not be able to hold him off?
JACK WAGNER: I really wasn't thinking about him. I mean, I talked to my 91-year-old mother this morning and she said: Well, it seems like Romo... I'm like: Mom, mom, we're only concerned about Jack today. We can't control Tony. Okay, but he's a big fella.
If it comes down to a wrestling match, mom, we're going to lose.
So that was really the key for me today. I was really -- I was kind of focused on what I was doing, and I think that helped my nerves.
I think whenever I've kind of folded up here and been close to the lead, it's because I've always thought about what might happen, or the negative thoughts. And today I stayed pretty positive. That's a lot to do with David, by the way.

Q. Jack, talk about what's different this year winning it compared to when you won it five years ago. Take a look at kind of the rounds, how they went, anything stand out that's significantly different this time?
JACK WAGNER: The scoring. I won this golf tournament, right? And I think back when I won it the last time, the scoring was high 60s. And I think I shot maybe two or 3-under on the back nine. And I made more putts that year than Billy Joe, and Danny on the last day, somehow.
And today, I just won this golf tournament. I shot maybe 9 or 10-under par and won. The difference is that I played better. I went out and won the golf tournament, and back then it feels like I more like held on. It felt like none of us played that well that day. And today the difference was someone was pushing me to be better.

Q. We look back when Jack won it a few years ago and he scored a total of 70 points. This week it was 80 points. One question, did you guys have any idea during the round that Sakic made that ace on 17 and won a million bucks?
JACK WAGNER: 11 tee.

Q. How did it get to you?
JACK WAGNER: Well, I just want to be Joe. (Laughter) that's all. You can have the 100 and a quarter, we'll trade -- (laughter).

Q. You credited David a little bit about helping you out this year. I'm curious about how much of having a PGA TOUR guy helps you maybe more mentally than anything else? Do you guys talk through a lot of things, how does that help?
JACK WAGNER: You know, it's a combination of having a good friend that knows what he's talking about that also knows me. But he's also a -- David's never caddied, so being on the other side of the bag, some things were clumsy, but overall it was very -- we had a good flow going. It was good chemistry.
And it's a combination of friendship and, you know, a pro going: Hey, dude, work through this. You gotta work through this. You're as good or better than anybody else out here on the greens. You're the best putter in the tournament, by far. Knock it in. Roll it past the hole, because I'll guide it up there and be short and that.
And I think the more he kept saying that, it takes some time. I have a thick head. And we had a good chemistry this week. I owe a lot to David.

Q. And, David, if you could talk a little bit about where you're at right now. I know you were in the field, I think, in Texas, I think, this year but haven't played a ton. Where are you at now and what's your future like?
DAVID BERGANIO: I'm on a medical. I'm going to start back in January. I was going to start in June, and then some stuff came up, family issues, but I'm going to start in January and I'm getting better.
I actually wanted to come out and help Jack and be there for him, but to see where I was, walking-wise. And I run and ride the bike, but it's nothing like walking up hills and different terrain.
JACK WAGNER: Nothing like having me on his back.
DAVID BERGANIO: I'll start back in January, probably in Hawaii, and go from there.

Q. What is the medical issue, if I may?
DAVID BERGANIO: Elbow and the low back.

Q. If you do play, will Jack caddie for you?
DAVID BERGANIO: No, no.
JACK WAGNER: No, no, I just do the elliptical (laughter).

Q. After Tony made that birdie on 13, was that when you really relied on David to build you back up; he cut the lead to 3, I think, at that point, and it looked like it was really going to be close down the stretch.
JACK WAGNER: Yeah, you know, I kind of left the green and went and used the john and heard the roar when I was in the bathroom, thought I could get away from it.
I gotta be honest, I wasn't paying attention. He was going to be there. Once I saw he wasn't going away -- I don't think he made a bogey all day, right, until the last hole. That wasn't even a bogey.
Try playing with a guy that's going to shoot -- what did he shoot? 66. Right? Okay, so if you teed it up today and you said the guy right next to you is going to shoot 66, you know how do you go play, especially when that round isn't really out here for our caliber. And he did it.
And so when he made it on 13, I just tried to keep doing what I was doing. I hit -- the wind changed right on No. 12, the wind changed for the day. I had a perfect 7-iron and I flew the green. That hole went downwind. It was into us then on 14 and everything changed. I had to lean on David a lot.
I got through my nerves. I just went for bogey on 14 because of this system, and I was able to kind of gather myself and bring it home.

Q. David, where does your caddie career go from here? You win right off the get-go?
DAVID BERGANIO: Won and done. My percentage can only go down from here, unless we win again.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2011

David Berganio, Jr.

Jack Wagner