GREATER GREENSBORO CHRYSLER CLASSIC

April 27, 2001

Jeff Maggert

JEFF MAGGERT: I am pleased, obviously, with my score today. I struggled a little bit with my ball-striking so it was nice to be able to shoot a good score and when I haven't been playing well. That hasn't been the case most of the year. It seems like when I struggled, I really struggled to shoot a good score. So my game is coming around. It was nice to rely on my short game and chip the ball close and make a few putts when I needed to and be able to post a good score on a day where I didn't want to hit the ball that well. So I feel like my game is coming around a little bit. I feel like I can make some improvements still. But there is a lot of good things starting to happen in my game and my confidence is probably getting a little bit better than it has been in the last few weeks.

JEFF MAGGERT: I had to really pretty -- well, pretty steady West Coast. I didn't have any really good tournaments where I had a chance to win but I played just real steady most of the west coast. My game was starting to get a little bit better. My putting was getting better which I struggled with quite a bit last year. Then just had kind of an up-and-down couple of months there; played good here and then missed the cut there and played good somewhere and missed the cut. I played always my -- probably my best Masters that I have played since I have been on Tour, just for four days, I was really excited the way I played there and I really liked the way my game was coming around. Then I missed the cut my next tournament in Houston, so it has been a little bit of a mystery the last few weeks, but I feel like my game is coming around. I got a lot more confidence in what I am doing. I feel like Houston was a little bit of a fluke the way I played there. I feel like the way I am playing this week is more indicative of the way I have been starting to hit the ball and hopefully you know, I can keep improving the rest of the summer and keep posting some good scores.

JEFF MAGGERT: I mentioned this to Scott before and he probably doesn't like to admit it but I caddied for Scott Simpson in the Houston Open when I was a sophomore in high school, so you know, he has been around a long time and he is a great player. Obviously you know, I think two U.S. opens or one U.S. Open -- just one. But he has been a steady player his whole career. I know probably the last few years he hasn't played as well as he would like to, but I think I am finding that as you have a lot of success out here on Tour, when you get to be kind in your late 30s your kids are growing up, there is a lot of other things that get to be important instead of standing out on the driving range hitting practice balls. I think -- I played with Hal Sutton the last two days and I really think he has been kind of an inspiration to me because he struggled a bit a few years ago, but you know, he really stuck with it and stuck it out and look what he is doing now. I think he is probably -- he might be a better player now than when he was in his mid-20s. I think the talent is still there for a lot of guys. I think you kind of lose some of the desire, been working hard to kind of get my game back in shape, really trying to focus in and realize that you have to do all the things that you did at 25 when you are 35 and 40 in order to stay competitive out here. I really feel like I have got my game back in pretty good shape. Physically I am probably in the best shape that I have ever have been. I have been working out pretty steady for three years now. My game is starting to get better and I am really looking forward to playing some good golf.

JEFF MAGGERT: 1980. I think it was probably his rookie year on Tour that year. I didn't know who he was. I was a high school kid. We always tried to get a job caddying, but that was back when they had Monday qualifying, so your best chance was to find a young rookie in the Monday qualifying and hopefully he would make it. But I can't remember who I caddied for on Monday. He had missed on Monday and I was just standing on the driving range Tuesday afternoon and Scott was there hitting balls and he didn't have a caddie with him. So just went up and asked him if he had a caddie for the week. He said, no. I said, well, I'd love to caddie for you.

JEFF MAGGERT: He played good. Finished Top-10 that week. I think he finished 5th or 6th in the tournament. I was rolling in the dough, that is for sure (laughs) for 16 years old.

JEFF MAGGERT: He paid well, yeah. Of course back then I think he finished probably 6th place and won maybe $4,000, so a little bit different between 1980 and the year 2000.