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MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 8, 2005

Jonathan Kaye

KAPALUA, HAWAII

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Thank you for joining us through three rounds of the Mercedes Championships. You're one off the lead held by Vijay Singh. Good start to your week so far?

JONATHAN KAYE: It's been a fun week. Got to play with No. 1, 2, 3 in the world in consecutive order. You know, it's just been an enjoyable time, get to go watch their games.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Briefly talk about your off-season, kind of what you did to make get ready for the season or if you just recharged your batteries.

JONATHAN KAYE: That's what I did. I recharged. I didn't play any off-season events. I just tried to get in better physical condition and rest up for the season.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Finally, you've got an early start tomorrow. Talk about maybe changing the golf course, will it be easier because the greens might be a little bit softer or do you think it will be harder because it will be a lot longer probably if it's pretty wet?

JONATHAN KAYE: I would think it would probably be harder because we've got to get up so early. But we're kind of getting used to sleeping in. I'll have to go to bed a little earlier.

You know, I don't know, I've never played this course in the morning, so it's hard for me to say what it's going to play like but I'm sure we'll get a pretty good idea after the first shot.

Q. You said yesterday that you guys don't putt on any grains like this except this time of year, and you were a little slow on the front nine but on the back nine you got it rolling. What do you think happened?

JONATHAN KAYE: I started hitting closer and I was below the hole and I was able to be aggressive. A lot of putts on the front nine, I had long putts where you are just trying to get it close and not do anything stupid. On the back nine, I kept it below the hole and was able to be aggressive.

Q. What would it be like winning this tournament?

JONATHAN KAYE: It would be great, to win this opener, you could take the rest of the year off. (Laughter.)

Q. Years from now when you're telling grandchildren about playing with 1, 2 and 3 consecutive days, what are the highlights? What are things that stood out in those three rounds?

JONATHAN KAYE: Well, the ease of Vijay's first round. How good Tiger was the second day, struggling. And then Ernie got on fire early out of the gates today and then just kind of couldn't hang onto it on the back. But it was fun to watch them play and just see how my game stacks up to theirs.

Q. And how does it?

JONATHAN KAYE: Excuse me?

Q. And how does it?

JONATHAN KAYE: It's stacking up all right, right now.

Q. We talked yesterday, some of the other players, on a day-to-day, week-to-week basis what they are looking at and who they are concerned about. Do you look at when you're in a tournament like this, do you see Vijay and Ernie, Mike Weir, Tiger Woods up on that board, does that put a little more concern new versus if it was a different group on the leaderboard?

JONATHAN KAYE: Not really. Everyone is out here trying to win the tournament. It doesn't really matter who is in your way. You've just got to go about your business and do your thing, not get caught up in what other people are doing.

Q. Were you able to do that the last three days with those guys?

JONATHAN KAYE: Pretty much, yeah. I would say so.

Q. Surprise you?

JONATHAN KAYE: Surprise me? Not really. But maybe you guys it surprised. (Laughter.)

Q. Had you played with all of them before?

JONATHAN KAYE: No, I've never played. This is the first time I've ever played with Tiger, but everybody else I have.

Q. What did you take from the first round with Vijay that you might apply in the final round tomorrow?

JONATHAN KAYE: Vijay has a -- kind of a carefree attitude. He doesn't get too wrapped up in one shot. And if he hits a bad shot, he's not -- he just kind of goes about his business. He's got a real even keel. I think that's important when you're playing golf.

Q. Is that similar to you?

JONATHAN KAYE: No, I'm on an emotional roller coaster, man.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: If we could just touch on your back side, six birdies, 31, and then we'll ask for one final question. Birdie on 11 the par 3.

JONATHAN KAYE: 11, I made about an 8-footer there. All the way downgrain with a 9-iron to about eight feet.

12, I drove it up near the bunker. Had 50 yards to the pin and hit it up there about six feet and made that.

13, I hit it about 12 feet below the hole and made that.

14, I hit it about five feet.

15, I didn't birdie.

16, I hit it three feet, pin-high.

18, 2-putted for birdie.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: One last question.

Q. What do you think those three guys will tell people what it's like playing with Jonathan Kaye?

JONATHAN KAYE: (Laughs). I don't know, you'd have to ask them that. Hopefully they had a good time. I know I did.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Okay, Jonathan, thanks. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts.

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