|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIPMay 10, 2013Charles Howell IIIPONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA Q. Charles, five top 10s on the season, and now you're sitting in the top 10 on the leaderboard of THE PLAYERS heading into the weekend. How close is your game to being where you want it to be? CHARLES HOWELL III: It's getting there. I had a nice week last week at Wells Fargo, but this golf course here is so different. We played this morning and it was early in about as good of conditions as we can play in. So the weekend will be tough if it continues to dry out like this. It's going to get a lot tougher. Q. You've made a lot of starts here, and we're seeing some crazy low numbers already after two rounds from guys you wouldn't expect and that don't have a ton of experience on this course. For someone that does have a lot of experience, what are you seeing out there that could maybe be the answer to that? CHARLES HOWELL III: I don't see that many low scores out there, to be honest. The scores yesterday were really low. 9‑under is incredible out here; I don't care what the weather. So I still don't see that low of scores, and if it firms up, I don't think you'll see anymore. Q. Conditions‑wise everyone is saying these greens will be pretty baked out on the weekend. Where do you kind of expect guys to fall heading into moving day? CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, I think par's going to become a really good score over the weekend. The greens are starting to get baked out now, and the leader and some of the afternoon guys haven't teed off. So it will be interesting this weekend. Q. So you like late‑early? CHARLES HOWELL III: If the weather's like that. Q. You shot 5‑under this morning, 67, pretty good. 5‑under for six. CHARLES HOWELL III: We had the best weather we could ever play this course in, so, yeah, I think that's my low round around here. The scores I saw yesterday, I didn't see that many low ones out here so it was impressive. So I took advantage of it this morning and we'll see what we've got this weekend. Q. You're bogey free today. Pretty interesting par on the last hole. You want to talk about it? CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, yeah, obviously, any time you can par 18, I'll take it, a nice up‑and‑down from short there. But there are so many hard holes out here with the greens getting baked out, par is going to be a good number this weekend. Q. Were the greens as pure as they were this morning or as they were yesterday? CHARLES HOWELL III: The greens were better this morning because we had no traffic on them. But right there the last few holes, they were starting to get baked out a bit. But they're still rolling so darn good, that you can make putts if you hit them on line. Q. What is the plan for the weekend? CHARLES HOWELL III: Play as well as I can. Q. Was it firm and drying as you played yesterday afternoon? CHARLES HOWELL III: Yeah, and it's starting to get that way a little bit now. But the greens are still fairly receptive though. The shots still held well into 17. Q. Talking about today or yesterday? CHARLES HOWELL III: Today, this afternoon here, say 12ish. I've got to think as the weekend goes on it's going to get a lot firmer. Q. Five eagles by the morning groups on 11. Just that pin being on the back and no wind, you're able to attack that? CHARLES HOWELL III: I guess that's what happened. I sure didn't. Yeah, because when we came through there, the wind was kind of down off the left with the back right flag. So I guess if there is going to be a hole location forward as that, you've still got to hit two good shots though. Q. What did you do well? CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, I putted well today. The greens were perfect this morning. It was like putting on carpet out there. Yesterday they had gotten a little spiky and whatnot in the afternoon; this morning they were absolutely perfect. So I still think it sets up for a guy to go out tomorrow morning and shoot a low one. I think with the low wind in the morning and some of the humidity early softening the greens a little bit, I still think a guy can go out tomorrow morning, shoot a low one and get back in there. Q. As balanced as this field and this course allows you to be, it's surprising no one has done that before? CHARLES HOWELL III: True, it is because a lot of events we see the guys make the cut on the number and still win the tournament. But I've got to think if there's ever a year if the greens somehow get firm and baked out tomorrow afternoon and it's like it was this morning tomorrow, I still think you would see a guy shoot 8‑under in the morning and run at the leaderboard. I really do. Q. I guess it's the strength of your iron game over the years it's been a strength. What do you attribute that to, your practice routine to get to where you are now? CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, it's really just a balance of everything. I think one of the hardest parts about golf is practicing everything equally. So I think it's more or less just a function of trying to keep as balanced practice as I can. I've always felt fairly comfortable working the ball both ways with the irons, and I don't know. It's just something I've always felt comfortable with. Q. Looking back on your career at this point, what are some of the highlights that you can draw from? CHARLES HOWELL III: Oh, man, probably my longevity and consistency. I haven't won a lot of the tournaments I wanted to, et cetera, but I've had a consistent career. My first year was 2000 and it's already 2013, so it flies by. In times I've struggled. I've tried to look back at the consistency of it, and remember that it is a long year and it's a full year. Q. (Indiscernible)? CHARLES HOWELL III: Oh, yeah, well, Augusta being the most, the nerves of it, but also the excitement just to be there and playing. Yeah, all the majors for the first time especially the British Open as well, playing golf over there. I still remember the first year I played. It's sort of the combination of nerves and excitement. Q. Do you look back on your seconds at this point? Humana, you had a solid performance there. CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, I wish they were first. But it means I was in contention. It means I had a chance to win and do well, and that's pretty much the best I can draw from it. Fields now are deeper than I think they've ever been. Great example last week is who won at Wells Fargo. So, yeah, I'd like to be first, but it means I've had a chance. Q. You're playing well; Casey played well yesterday. He's in the afternoon and he's got a chance to get back up there. Hunter's playing well in the afternoon. By sheer numbers, it's probably not that unusual to have that many Oklahoma State guys up there. But do you remember four or five in the top 10 at this stage of a tournament like this? CHARLES HOWELL III: Man, I don't. I'm trying to think. No, I really don't. But I bet Hunter stays up there. I'd say that much. Q. How much encouragement goes on back and forth between you guys in a given week? CHARLES HOWELL III: Well, my closest friend out here is Bo Van Pelt. We went to school together and we spent a year together. So we play every Tuesday together and whatnot, do dinner a lot with the families. So there's always a bit of that and a bit of bouncing ideas off each other as well. As it goes along the year, there are always some ups and there are some downs and whatnot. It's just nice to have somebody that you trust and that knows you as a person and your game as well to talk some ideas through. Q. Do the Oklahoma State guys do a pretty good job of staying friendly after college, or as a younger guy comes up like a Rickie, are you guys pretty tight? CHARLES HOWELL III: I think so. All of us have played for Coach Holder. We all have certain things in common or we wouldn't have been attracted to go to school there and play for him. So we're all alike in a lot of ways. After spending X‑amount of time in Stillwater, you sort of grow a bit closer, because really all there is is the golf and the school. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|