100TH WESTERN OPEN

July 3, 2003

Cliff Kresge

CLIFF KRESGE: I talked with a friend of mine on Wednesday about the fact that I grew up and learned how to play golf on the course called Dubsdread. I think maybe it's a good element, so I guess that's a good start towards that.

Q. Can you talk about your eagle? Did that kind of get your round going?

CLIFF KRESGE: Well, I was thinking about the third hole where I hit it left off the tee, I had to hit a putt shot underneath the tree, over a bunker and onto the green, and somehow I did it and ended up making a great par, and that kept the momentum going. I hit a good shot on the next hole, made birdie. Hit pretty close, about six feet, on that par-5, so I made eagle and that kind of got my score going pretty well.

Q. (Inaudible).

CLIFF KRESGE: Well, I hit a great drive. I only had like 169 to the hole, 170. The wind is swirling around and everything and I wanted to hit it right of the hole and I pulled it and the wind totally exaggerated it and it went down into the water.

Q. (Inaudible).

CLIFF KRESGE: Like simulated skydiving. My wife is the one that got me doing that. She used to do skydiving and wind tunnel flying. You just kind of fly around and it's pretty neat.

Q. Sounds dangerous.

CLIFF KRESGE: It could be. You wear protective padding and clothes. You could get hurt, but you can get hurt doing anything.

Q. Were you aware that you were in the lead?

CLIFF KRESGE: Yeah, I heard somebody shout hey, you've got a two-shot lead or something like that. Yeah, I just tried to play one shot at a time.

It's early. I've never read a tournament after 18 holes. I'm kind of disappointed about making double, but 5-under is a great start.

Q. You've had a couple top tens. (Inaudible).

CLIFF KRESGE: Yeah, I'd like to think so. Last year on the BUY.COM Tour, winning a couple times out there helped me deal with that kind of situation, and the more comfortable I am the better I'm going to do.

Q. What town was that Dubsdread that you grew up on?

CLIFF KRESGE: Orlando.

Q. (Inaudible).

CLIFF KRESGE: Definitely helped me a lot. If Chicago likes me, maybe I should relocate, right?

I played real good the week prior to that. I had a lot of confidence going into that tournament and that kind of steamrolled and last week I ended up playing all right.

Q. How many years did you play the Nationwide Tour?

CLIFF KRESGE: I played there 97 and 98 and then 2002, last year. I played the Hooters Tour in 2000 and had my card out here in 2001.

Q. How much does the Nationwide prepare you for the routine?

CLIFF KRESGE: A ton. It's the same thing. You've still got to beat a lot of good players. The bottom line is you've got to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of shots and you've got to prepare for it.

Q. A lot of people say it's the second best tour in the world.

CLIFF KRESGE: I would definitely agree. I'd say it is. There's some guys out there that couldn't quite make it on that Tour but yet are doing okay. There's a lot of great players on that Tour.

Q. You've got to go low out there to win, don't you?

CLIFF KRESGE: Yes.

Q. What's the mentality out there compared to here?

CLIFF KRESGE: Same thing. More than anything it's getting comfortable with your surroundings. Your misses are more penalized than they are on that Tour, so some of the scores are real low. I try to keep it the same.

Q. Was the wind bothering you at any point?

CLIFF KRESGE: The wind was tough all day. It was swirling a little bit and I was lucky enough to hit some good iron shots and get away with some misses. I didn't make a good swing on 18, that was the reason, but I was a little bit puzzled by what the wind might have been doing but that's only because it's swirling today and you have to deal with it.

Q. The third hole where you hit the shot out of the tree?

CLIFF KRESGE: Yeah, I hit it out of kind of a ditch. I hit a terrible shot and I was underneath the tree and it was going to be very difficult to not hit it in the trap in front and and if I did not knock it over the green. Somehow I hit it perfect and it rolled up onto the green. Instead of going 1-over I birdied the next hole and I eagled the hole after that and ended up being 3-under. That was great for keeping the round going.

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