CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

July 29, 1999

Skip Kendall

SKIP KENDALL: You want to start on the front side? I started on the back. 13, par 5, laid up with a 4-iron. Hit sand wedge -- or a lob-wedge about five feet. Made it.

SKIP KENDALL: Birdie.

SKIP KENDALL: 15, laid up there, also. A lot of guys I know were going for it. I figured the pin was in the front, and I knew I couldn't reach it. It was a tough chip. I laid up, hit wedge about eight feet or so. Made a nice putt. Next hole, hit 6-iron, just right behind the hole about 10 feet. Birdie.

SKIP KENDALL: No. 2, hit 3-wood, sand wedge about -- probably about 10 feet. Made a nice putt. Birdie. No. 4, I hit 6-iron, probably about 10 feet again. Made it. 8, I hit 4-iron. Actually, it was kind of short and left on the green. Probably had 35 feet. And one of those putts, I knew when I hit it was the right line. It just depended on if it slid into the hole, and it did. Just kind of dead-centered it. Kind of a surprise, actually. It was nice to see that one go in. And No. 9, I hit 9-iron about -- probably about 10, 12 feet just behind the hole and to the right. And hit a nice putt there.

SKIP KENDALL: Oh, yeah. Obviously, you could tell before I started, there's already, I think, two guys in at 7-under; so you could tell the scores were good. The scoring was good. You know, I got out there. Really wasn't much wind at all. Wasn't a factor, anyway. And you know, the course is in beautiful shape. The greens are putting nicely. Even as late as I played, you know, they really weren't bouncing or anything that much. The course -- it's going to lead to low scores because of that, I think.

SKIP KENDALL: I agree. The fairways are pretty saturated. A lot of times, that's leading to a lot of mud on the golf ball, too. It's kind of widening the fairways a little bit because the fairways are so soft. The ball is not running off the fairways, which is okay, but I'd rather see them running, to be quite honest. It kind of narrows the fairways and brings the rough in more, but it also leads to mud on the golf ball. So it's kind of a give-and-take, I guess.

SKIP KENDALL: Actually, 11 and 12, I had some really good opportunities. I probably missed a 4-footer on 11 and a 5-footer on 12. I knew I was playing well, though. It was one of those things that you kind of get a good feeling out there. I hit some real solid shots to begin with. It's just a matter of getting the ball in the hole. Made a nice little right-to-left 5-footer on 13. I think that just kind of got it going a little bit there. But you knew the course was -- the low scores were attainable today. Like, we're talking about as soft as the course was playing, and really, virtually not much wind out there, it's going to lead to low scores. I'm not sure why they are soft. You're probably asking the wrong person about that, though.

SKIP KENDALL: Maybe they would die; I don't know. Obviously, they have to keep them watered. The fairways, though, I think are a little surprising than the greens. I'm not quite sure about the fairways.

SKIP KENDALL: Oh, gosh, I hit a tee shot on No. 6; it backed up. If that's not soft, I don't know what is.

SKIP KENDALL: Is that where they are getting it from? I don't know. Still a hazard, though, and it's still going to roll into the water if you hit it there. It's not like it's dry.

SKIP KENDALL: Yeah, a lot of times there was. You know, the fairways are soft; so, the ball kind of plugs and it barely will roll. Because of that it brings up the mud, and the mud is all over your ball and it's just more difficult to hit iron shots in because it's harder to control it. It wasn't as much of a factor today as it was yesterday. Yesterday, I played the Pro-Am early and it -- I mean, it was like we just had 10 inches of rain the night before. It was so wet out there; it was unbelievable. They were a little, you know, firmer today. And I would think as the week goes on, they will firm up even more.

SKIP KENDALL: Yeah, I think that's the way a lot of guys do look at it. I'm not so sure if that's always the case. If you play well, you know, like I did today, I think it just happens. And if I don't play well tomorrow morning, I don't care if the conditions are perfect, this is still a good golf course, and it could eat my lunch. You've just got to take one day at a time. If I play well tomorrow with conditions being good, hopefully I'll get another good 1-under my belt heading into the weekend.