FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 25, 1999

Vicente Fernandez

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: So far so good. And I'm striking the ball even better than when I won in Las Vegas. It happened to be that the last two days, I make, two, three mental errors every day, which cost me four or five bogeys. Other than that, I mean, I played very well. And the difference with the last two weeks, which I also strike the ball, is that so far these two days, I putted much better. I think it's because the greens are a little bit faster than the last two weeks, and it's in my favor.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: You know, after the last round of the tournament -- Tournament Championship last year, I didn't feel well until -- the last week of February in April, started feeling much better. I have an injury in my neck which didn't allow me to swing with any freedom. I was a little bit tight. And, since first week of April, I started striking -- swinging much better. I felt more loose and I think that's why I played better. My physical situation put me where I could swing much better and a little bit harder.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Maybe. Maybe overall, two shots, because yesterday, with the wind blowing the opposite direction, you could reach every par 5. Today, I could reach maybe one, No. 13. Other than that, couldn't reach it. Even yesterday, even 17, couldn't reach it. I didn't go because of my lie, but I could reach it. I think that's the big difference.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: You know, it's tougher when it's playing firm and fast. Because when it's firm, it becomes a little bit more narrow because the run -- the ball, it's rolling. And also, the greens are even smaller because of that, again. I think it's tougher when it's playing hard and dry -- with hard greens, too.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: The wind. No, the conditions. It was-- I think as good as yesterday. The only difference was the wind direction, which makes it unreachable on those par 5s.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, always to win a major is very nice. I mean, I won a major in Europe which is considered major, the British PGA. But other than that, I didn't win any major, apart from South America. It's going to be very nice to win it -- to win a major always; what it gives you automatically to qualify you for some other tournament, special tournaments is to be a major winner.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: For me, any tournament was a welcome. Also, it's even better if you can win a major.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes. I played 27 years on the European TOUR. I played two years on the U.S. TOUR. And the rest in South America.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: I bogeyed the 4th. I bogeyed 4th. I 3-putted just from the fringe, pin-high. Then I birdied 5. Hit a driver and 9-iron about three feet. Birdied 7. Driver, 3-iron, L-wedge about six feet. Bogeyed 8. I missed green on the left. Could not get up-and-down. Birdied 11, 3-wood, pitching wedge about 12 feet. Then birdied 13. 13, I was very lucky. I think it was -- so far, the only bad drive I hit. I hooked it, and it looks like the ball goes -- nobody saw the ball. I hit a tree on the left and nobody saw the ball. But my caddie, he could hear it hit the tree, but could not see where it was. We're lucky we found the ball, under the trees very badly. But, I hit a great shot from there to reach the fairway. And then I hit a 9-iron about four feet and made a birdie. That was very lucky. And then I miss a three-footer on 15 for birdie. Then I never have a chance, 17 or 18.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Depending on the weather conditions. I hear that we're going to have rain on Sunday. So if the course stay like this, I think the score is going to be good again, because the course is in very good condition. I think I played three years -- this is my fourth year. And the best ever. I mean, the fairways, they have a lot of grass. Green sides, they have a lot of grass, even though they are not slow, but they have a lot of grass, which is very good.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: On this TOUR?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Or have you had better stretches. I played very well. I struck the ball very well the first year, because I went through difficult time to go through -- to play tournaments. I have to go through Monday-qualifying and I played very well, those Monday-qualifying, which is ball-striking, I think I'm as good as '96 and maybe even a little bit better.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: I commit myself to try as long as it takes.