Q. Can you give us an idea what sort of adventures you've had as a rookie, what's surprised you?
AARON BARBER: First month, I couldn't find the golf course. I was getting lost, everybody city you get in, and then you get to the golf course and you have to find two more that week. It's been an adventure, learning what hotels to stay in, meeting a lot of the guys, I got to meet everybody all over again. And that's been a bit of an adjustment, and so I get along real well with my caddie and so we spent a lot of time together. We're working through everything. It's his first year on TOUR with me, so we are just trying to learn the golf courses and get comfortable.
Q. Does the course set up well for you?
AARON BARBER: I think I shot 78 in the Pro-Am Monday, so I didn't think so. But today was a lot warmer and the wind was not blowing as hard.
I think it does because one of my strengths is that I drive it pretty straight, and if you do that out here, you're going to get some birdie chances. Also, I like the firm, fast greens. Like I said, it's something I'm used to.
Q. (Inaudible.)
AARON BARBER: No, I only had to play one golf course. So I sent my caddie in two days early and he got it scouted out. We got a good hotel, the restaurants are close by. It's been an easy week by tour standards.
TODD BUDNICK: Let's go through your card.
AARON BARBER: 10, yeah, I hit a good drive and 3-wood just up in the green-side bunker and hit it out of the bunker to about eight feet and made a good putt.
Then I birdied 13, real short par 4, just drove it up short of the green and chipped it up to 8, 10 feet and made that putt.
15, hit a good drive and had, I think, 135 yards in. Just hit a punch 8-iron in to about two and a half, three feet.
Then my first bogey was the next hole. I 3-putted from the right fringe, kind of a stupid mistake. That was one of those real fast putts that kind had to have experience to learn it for the first time.
The front nine I made a bomb on No. 3. I hit if probably 30 feet was the closest and just got lucky and made that one.
Par 5, No. 4, hit a wedge to about three feet.
No. 6, hit a wedge to about three feet again.
No. 8, just missed the green in the bunker and didn't get up-and-down.
It was pretty boring, but I like it that way.
Q. I missed the beginning, were you expecting this week, have you been playing better and you thought maybe this might be a good week for you?
AARON BARBER: I don't know if I necessarily would say I was expecting to be tied for the lead or whatever after the first round. You know, I expected to play well ever since Tucson when I got in contention. I really felt like that was a big step for me. I felt like I belonged out here.
The next couple of weeks, I felt like I played well again and made quite a few mistakes and still was making the cut. I feel like I'm getting in a little bit of a rhythm. I've definitely lifted my expectations from the first month, which was just trying to make the cut and make some money.
Q. What's your caddie's name?
AARON BARBER: Shawn Ward.
Q. Is he like your age?
AARON BARBER: He's 27. He caddied for me up on the Canadian Tour the last four years. I told him, if he can get me through the mess at Q -School, he can have the bag this year.
We didn't start out real with good and there was some tough times but definitely getting better now.
TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Aaron.
End of FastScripts....
