FBR OPEN

January 30, 2004

Jonathan Kaye

TODD BUDNICK: Jonathan, thank you for coming in. 68 today, 4-under, follows up your round of 65 yesterday, so you're 9-under through 2.

JONATHAN KAYE: I shot 3-under.

TODD BUDNICK: 9-under through two rounds and in good shape heading into the weekend. Talk a little bit about that.

JONATHAN KAYE: Well, I definitely like the position I'm in. I played pretty solid today. I had five birdies, two bogeys, some good par saves. You want me to take you through every hole?

I started on the back. I birdied 10, made about a 20-footer there.

Parred 11, parred 12, birdied 13, about a four-footer.

Had a good up-and-down on 14 from right of the bunker.

15, I laid it up and got it up-and-down for birdie.

16, two-putt for par.

17, I pulled it off the tee in the water, made bogey.

18, good putt from 15 feet, par.

Birdied 1, made about a 20-footer there.

Parred 2, good up-and-down there.

3, par.

4, made about a 60-footer for birdie on 4.

Parred 5, bogeyed 6, hit it in the cross bunker there, and then plugged it in the front bunker, hit it over the green and got to up-and-down for bogey, and then three kind of routine pars coming in.

TODD BUDNICK: You're coming off a fantastic year last year, and it looks like Top-10 last week and another two good rounds to start a tournament. Can you talk about what that year last year did to you and your confidence?

JONATHAN KAYE: Well, definitely having a good season like that boosts your confidence. I've been playing pretty well the last few years and finally broke through, and I think just having that peace of mind, having that win under the belt makes it a little easier to go out there day in and day out.

Q. Is there one thing that you're doing better than you used to do?

JONATHAN KAYE: Taking time off. I'm just not so "golf, everything golf". Just trying to get away from the game a little more and be fresh when I come out.

Q. So is it more mental than --

JONATHAN KAYE: Definitely.

Q. Has your game gotten any better, just your clubs and things like that, or is it just completely mental?

JONATHAN KAYE: I did make an equipment switch about -- well, almost two years ago, and they definitely seem to be a nice fit for me. Just I guess being more acclimated to being out here is what I can attribute it to.

Q. How does that translate -- how does being more acclimated translate to lower golf scores?

JONATHAN KAYE: Well, if you've never been to a golf course before, you feel like you've got to play it three or four times. This is my tenth year and I've played almost all the courses now, and you know the bounces, you know what the course is going to be like when tournament time comes. You know where to go eat, you know where to stay, everything, how to travel and be efficient with your time.

Q. Has the lengthening of this golf course really been any big change for you?

JONATHAN KAYE: Well, not really. I mean, I just think it takes away a little of the excitement away on 15. I'm sure there's a lot less guys going for that green. 14 was a pretty good hole before, and now it's even longer. 6 is probably the biggest change, I think. That one seems to make the biggest difference.

TODD BUDNICK: The biggest difference in your two rounds, 14 of 14 fairways hit, 31 putts. Today just 9 of 14 and 26 putts. Which way would you rather have it, hitting more fairways or making less putts?

JONATHAN KAYE: I'd like to have it both ways actually. I'd like to hit a lot of fairways and make a lot of putts, but it's going to be different every time you play this game, so I don't really look at that too hard. I just try to go out there and take each shot as it comes.

Q. You talked about last year coming in. Do you have big goals for this year? It's a Ryder Cup year. Maybe you look at majors differently now that you have a win?

JONATHAN KAYE: Well, I'm in all the majors so I'd like to kind of prime up for those if possible. I don't know quite how to do that yet. I haven't been in this position, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. What was your question?

Q. Big goals, Ryder Cup, majors.

JONATHAN KAYE: Yeah, I have goals, but we won't talk about those. People don't need to know my goals. I don't want to disappoint anybody.

Q. Do you think you're a happier person these days?

JONATHAN KAYE: I've always been a happy person. I guess, yeah.

Q. I mean, is it easier to let things slide off your back and stuff like that and just keep going?

JONATHAN KAYE: Yeah. I mean, it's nice having job security.

Q. Because you're getting old?

JONATHAN KAYE: Yeah, I am getting old. Thanks.

Q. Was there a shot out there today that really stood out to you, got yourself out of a bind or made a big one?

JONATHAN KAYE: Yeah, 14. I hit it short of the bunker off the tee, the right bunker, and had a pretty good lie and just straight out blocked it dead right, bouncing down the cart path. I don't know if it got close to going out of bounds, but then it dribbled back on the grass side, and it was a tough shot over a bunker with no green to work with, and I hit a pretty good shot and made about a six-footer and that kind of spurred my round on.

Q. Was it a wedge?

JONATHAN KAYE: A lob wedge, just pin-high kind of pitch shot over the bunker.

Q. Were you over the cart path or just inside it?

JONATHAN KAYE: I was just inside it.

Q. Downhill lie?

JONATHAN KAYE: No, flat lie, just a downhill slope to land it on and not a lot of green. I think it was cut four or five off the edge. If you try to get cute with it there, you can easily dump it in the bunker and make a 6 or 7 and be there all day, but I was fortunate to hit it just right.

Q. How far were you from the pin would you guess at that point?

JONATHAN KAYE: Six feet.

Q. How far was the shot?

JONATHAN KAYE: 25 yards-ish to the hole.

Q. Looks like you're going to be playing probably with Phil tomorrow if form holds. He won last week, now he's leading again. Do you have any opinion or feeling about a guy like him getting on a hot streak? Do you enjoy playing with a guy who's aggressive and hot?

JONATHAN KAYE: I look forward to playing with him. It'll be a fun day.

Q. Did you guys plays college golf together?

JONATHAN KAYE: Yeah, a little bit. He was at ASU and I was at Colorado.

End of FastScripts.