THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 30, 1996

Ernie Els

WES SEELEY: 71, 70, 65, for 206, 10-under par. At the moment one of several 10-under stars, Ernie Els. Well, what was different today?

ERNIE ELS: Well, I needed a change. I haven't played very well. This is my fourth start in the states this year and, you know, really I missed the cut at Doral, didn't play very well there, but, you know, at Bay Hill and even New Orleans, I didn't hit the ball all that badly. I just found I couldn't make a score and got really down on myself a little bit, and started trying too hard, and I really didn't enjoy it. But even this week again, the first two rounds nothing really happened for me. Kind of had a tough day yesterday; just almost didn't make the cut. I was even par with about nine holes to play, and I played quite nice. But today, everything just swung around - just amazing how this game of golf works sometimes. You think you can't get it going, all of a sudden everything happens for you. The guys won't believe me now that I was saying I wasn't making any putts, and I made everything today. Everything kind of changed around for me today. And I think this round will really kick start me for the rest of the season, I guess, for the next week, at least.

WES SEELEY: Why don't you tell us about all these birdies.

ERNIE ELS: Well, I started on 1. I missed a putt from about twelve feet for birdie. Second hole, I missed the green just left, pitched it on, made about a 12-footer there for birdie. Number 4, I hit a wedge to about twelve feet, again, made that for birdie. Number 6, I hit 3-wood off the tee and 9-iron to about 15 feet, and made that for a birdie. And number 7 was a drive and a 5-iron from about seven feet, for birdie there. 8 was the longest putt of the day. I hit a 2-iron, short over there, pin-high 40 feet left of the flag and knocked that baby in. And my next one was on 11, hit a drive and 3-wood just left of the green and pitched it up to about five feet; holed that for birdie. And then 16, I hit a drive and a 3-iron and just into the left -- I just missed the green left and I had a tough shot from there, and I decided to putt it and hit it to about three feet, and holed it there for birdie.

WES SEELEY: How long was the putt from off the green?

ERNIE ELS: About 40 feet.

WES SEELEY: Questions.

Q. Did you fiddle with anything the last, I guess, couple of days, or change any clubs or do anything differently?

ERNIE ELS: Well, I changed my putter for the third time in three weeks. Finally I got the right one, I think. And I changed the driver to a different make, and it's the same make as when I won the U.S. Open with. So, hopefully get something going there. Otherwise, I have really been working hard at my game, though, last couple weeks. I have been really hitting a lot of golf balls and worked a lot at my short game and, you know, as they say, it takes time for all that to start working for you, you know, and hopefully, it is starting to work out. The big one is in two week's time; hopefully, I can really start getting my game together and get better as time goes by.

Q. What is the putter you are using?

ERNIE ELS: I have got a Ping still, but it is a Ping Anser 2. I was putting with a Ping Anser. And I changed last week, last round.

Q. The driver?

ERNIE ELS: The driver, I have changed brands (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER.) Say no more.

Q. Do you think 10-under -- can you talk about this round kick starting you for the rest of the season, but how about tomorrow, do you think 10-under is going to be too far back today or --

ERNIE ELS: Well, the golf course is out there -- as I said before, is out there, you know, for low scoring, I guess, low scoring. It is soft and you can get at -- to all the flags if you are hitting the ball well off the fairway. Hopefully, I think I will be within four or five of the lead, I am sure. It is going to take another good one tomorrow. But I am really happy to be back in the tournament again, to feel like I am playing in the tournament again instead of hacking it away for last place. So I am quite excited and, you know, there will be a good taste for me tomorrow. I haven't been in contention in the U.S. all year. This is my fourth tournament, but I haven't been up there at all. So it is going to be good, you know, biggest purse of the year, so everybody is going to be playing hard.

Q. What did you think of the purse increase? Were you surprised by the --

ERNIE ELS: Yeah, I was quite surprised. That is a lot of money to play for. I think we are catching up to those tennis players now. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER.)

Q. Did you have a figure in mind for the weekend, Ernie?

ERNIE ELS: Yesterday?

Q. Yeah.

ERNIE ELS: I was thinking I just wanted to get it under 70 to start off with. As I said, I haven't played anything good for four weeks, but I think I need another low one tomorrow - depending on the weather, obviously, and I think the flags are going to be a lot harder tomorrow. I have seen some spots out there for tomorrow, and it is not as easy as today. So, you know, last round of a golf tournament, of this magnitude, I mean, you know, everybody is going to be kind of tense out there and just -- just got to try and keep your cool and hit your shots and be aggressive as you can out there. There is a lot of youngsters, so to speak, out there, so it is even a bigger test for them. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER.) I have been around quite a few years. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER.)

Q. Do you think those youngster guys will choke?

ERNIE ELS: I am not saying that. (AUDIENCE LAUGHTER.) You are saying that.

Q. Do you feel like a seasoned veteran?

ERNIE ELS: No, I don't feel like a veteran, but compared to Justin Leonard, yeah, the guy is like only 22 or something. He is a great player, but obviously got a very good head on his shoulders, and you know, he is going to be a great player, and you know, he can become a great player here already, if he wins here. So he has got it in the back of his mind like Tommy Tolles; like everybody, I guess. Everybody is talking about first-time winners, so it is a bit of extra pressure on the guys, I think.

Q. Ernie, aside from all the birdies today, were the par savers, those three in a row in the middle of the back nine, this was really the key to your round, and is that different from showing patience for you than, say, two, three years ago?

ERNIE ELS: Definitely. I think the putt I made on 9, the save I made on 9, I hit my third shot just over the green; went for the flag there and made a really good save there; made about 8-footer for par on 9. I think that was just about my renowned savior for the day because I was just getting on a good streak there. And then, obviously, on the back 9, as you say, I saved pars on 13 -- excuse me, on 14, 15 and 12. So made some good putts on the back 9. And yeah, I was really careful in the back 9. I wasn't as aggressive as I was on the front 9 because of, you know, my form in the past three weeks. I didn't want to mess up my round, and I knew I was getting there and I didn't want to make any bogeys. So, I think tomorrow will be a little different. I might be a little bit more -- well, hopefully more relaxed, but more sure of myself, you know.

Q. What has been the problem, putting or --

ERNIE ELS: Just haven't been able to get a score on the board, yeah. Bay Hill, I really hit the ball well, you know, I hit a lot of good shots, but didn't make a lot of putts and when that happens, you try too hard and you know, confidence goes pretty quick in this game; especially when you are not making putts on the greens. And it doesn't matter how good you are hitting the ball if you are not getting the ball in the hole, it doesn't really matter. So I was really struggling to keep my composure; to keep my concentration out there, and you know, you don't want to get into a slump or you don't want to talk about slumps, but you know, after a couple of bad weeks, you lose confidence and that is what happened to me a little bit.

Q. When you were 1 over, I think at one time, yesterday, weren't you?

ERNIE ELS: Yes.

Q. And then the obvious, jeopardy of missing the cut, what was going on in here (pointing to head)?

ERNIE ELS: It is hard to say now. At that moment in time, I can assure you, I wasn't very happy. But you know, what can you do? You can only try. I was really trying hard; trying hard to just keep on hitting good shots and trying to make putts. I was playing with Jim Gallagher and Steve Lowery and we were all sort of on the same score, so one guy made a put; t it kind of brought the other guys with and all three of us made the cut. We made -- played well on the back 9 yesterday and Steve -- I see Steve had a good round today too, so, yeah it is hard, you know, it is such a fine line between playing to make a cut and playing to lead the golf tournament. It is a couple of strokes early in your round and you are off and if it doesn't happen, the cuts are so low nowadays, you know, you got to just stick around and if you are here the weekend, you never know what can happen, but you know, it is -- there is a fine line between leading a tournament and just playing for the cut.

WES SEELEY: Anything else? Okay.

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