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CHARLES SCHWAB CUP CHAMPIONSHIP


October 24, 2004


Tom Kite


SONOMA, CALIFORNIA

TOM KITE: Obviously a very disappointing day, a very disappointing front nine, first 11 holes. I hit no shots on the club face, had no clue where I was going. I was not even a good Pro‑Am partner with all shots. It was a very poor exhibition. I struggled with my game all week. Tee‑to‑green, I was very poor all week long. Didn't drive the ball well, didn't hit iron shots close. I kind of got away with it a little bit the first day because I made a couple of really nice long putts and on a couple of par 5s in two. After that I struggled with it all weeklong, until I made a good swing on No. 12 off the tee.

That's the first swing that I made for three or four days ‑‑ the first swing for three days that I felt I had a clue of what I was doing, and I followed it up with a couple of really good swings after that and really missed no shots coming down the stretch the last six holes.

I misjudged the wind on the second shot on 18, had a 6‑iron from 171 yards. The wind went a little left to right and Jose hit a good looking iron shot that moved left to right 15, 18 feet, and I stick it right over by the pin and expecting the wind to move it. I just hit it so solid and it didn't do anything at all and ended up in the right rough.

Had opportunities on the back nine, on 15, 16, and 17, hit three beautiful iron shots in there, and three beautiful putts, and not one of those went in. A good iron on 15, a 7‑iron. A great 5‑wood right behind the pin on 16. I hit the putt on 16 good. And then 17 wasn't a great iron, but I certainly had an opportunity. Came up a little short. It's one of those years that could have been a great year, as we talked about before. This is one of those, as good as it is, it could have been absolutely spectacular.

I'm a little disappointed right now that I didn't close the door in more tournaments. It's something I'll have to address a little bit over the off season and figure out exactly what happened and try to do something so that it doesn't happen like that again in future years.

Q. What happened on one and two?

TOM KITE: I drove it in the left rough right behind the tree on 1, and tried to hit a hooking shot around that out of the high rough and it came out straight. It looked like it was going in the right bunker and lo and behold, I don't know how it did it, it ran through the bunker, just out, where the ball is literally an inch out of the bunker into the high rough and probably ‑‑ well, certainly above knee high, so I had almost no shot there. I was lucky to get a 5.

No. 2, I came up about 20 feet short of the hole and on my third shot into the green and misjudged my putt. The first couple of holes it seemed the greens were ‑‑ Jose and I were having trouble judging the speed of the greens and I came up short on a number of putts, on 2 and 3, and so I three‑putted No. 2.

And then came up short on a long putt on No. 3, but made par. Finally got one to the hole on 4 and knocked it way past and three‑putted there. I haven't had a 3‑putt, I don't think, for about 2 or 3 weeks and then had two of them in the first four holes today. But the putting is not what hurt me. I was a long ways away from those holes and just didn't do much.

Q. I assumed you would win. Did you assume you would win?

TOM KITE: I never assume anything. That's not the way you win golf tournaments, is assuming you will win. I should have won. I should have won. I had the lead. I've been playing well, so I didn't assume anything, but I did expect to win, yes.

Q. You've had over the years success and disappointment. In all the years of playing golf, if you have a bad day like this do you say, okay, I've had it before and I'll go on?

TOM KITE: Well, I'll go on. There's no question about it. It hurts like hell right now. I had the tournament won and I gave it away. I had a couple of those this year. Those hurt.

End of FastScripts.
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