FEDEX ST. JUDE CLASSIC

June 14, 1999

Tom Lehman

TOM LEHMAN: I think I started out a little bit shaky. I wasn't feeling really good when I first started, and made some good saving putts. My round really got side-tracked on the 10th hole. I hit a really great drive, and I thought I hit a great 7-iron; and it carried just over the bunker, bounced just short of the green, and ended up make a bogey. And it was an uphill battle from there. I feel like I played well. I'm happy with the way I played. I think going into the U.S. Open, my frame of mind is very good. It would have been nice to have won. That was the whole reason for staying here and playing. So I'm a little disappointed, but Ted Tryba played awfully well, and I give him a lot of credit. Well, we started out the 2nd hole, and I hit a sand wedge about 6 feet, and made that putt for birdie. 10th hole, I already talked about; made a bogey there. 11, I hit a 7-iron about 20 feet and made that putt. 12, I hit a sand wedge about 6 feet and lipped out and missed it. That kind of hurt there also. 16, the par 5, I hit just on the front edge in two, and almost made the putt, 30-footer, and 2-putted for birdie. Made a nice save on 17. And then 18, I kind of blocked my 7-iron 40 feet right of the hole and made a really good putt for birdie.

TOM LEHMAN: I don't feel really good. Just how your head is pounding; and when I take a deep breath, it hurts my throat. I would like to have a couple days of rest, but unfortunately, I don't have that.

TOM LEHMAN: I wasn't disappointed about having to play. I was disappointed with the fact that it was just like: Sorry, you guys. You're on your own. Getting to Pinehurst is not an easy proposition, especially at the 11th hour, trying to get your three kids, wife, and cousin -- six people from here to there is not easy. I was disappointed with the fact that it was like we're going to stay and play and you're on your own, kind of a scramble to get there. We had all planned on taking the charter and -- to me, I was upset with that. There's not much you can do about that. It all worked out well. We all found our way there and everything is fine.

TOM LEHMAN: It played tougher. It was windier. It was playing longer. I really kind of felt like, you know, the way Jose Maria Olazabal had played yesterday, if he had finished with one more birdie, that was a pretty good score. But it seemed like the wind was slacking off a bit towards the end, and to be able to make some birdies. But you thought the course played reasonably tough. The 9th hole, for example, where I've been hitting driver wedge, driver, 9-iron, and I hit driver and just ripped a 5-iron. The 6th hole, same thing. I've been hitting driver wedge there. I hit driver and a 5-iron. You're talking about a four- or five-club difference into some of those holes. Could not reach No. 3, but I could hit 4-iron there on two days. So it was playing quite a bit longer. But it was soft, and if you were hitting good shots, you could get in there close. The course was actually in very good shape. Thank you very much.