HP CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANS

May 4, 2003

Steve Flesch

Q. Welcome to the 2003 HP Classic in New Orleans, with the champion, Steve Flesch. It's been a long time coming for you, you've had a lot of close calls, especially here at English Turn, but (inaudible) playoff, so congratulations, if we could have some opening comments.

STEVE FLESCH: Thanks. Yeah, I mean, I've been looking forward to this for a long time. It's funny, I knew yesterday I was going to have a chance. Even though I was seven shots back - I played with Lee Westwood, and he beat me, I believe, in '99 here, and we just were reminiscing a little bit while we played about what we did while we were out there, we were talking about his double hit on 14 and all that, and I was like, you know what? I play well here every year, it's got to be my time, and even though I was seven back, when I came out of the hotel this morning that wind was blowing 15, 20 miles an hour, I knew I had a chance.

There's so many guys up there that I had been playing so well - you know, my biggest battle has always been just hanging in there long enough. I'm always trying my butt off but sometimes I just feel like, well, there's no way I can win. Today for some reason I just knew from the first hole, I made a great birdie on the right rough. That's probably the most uncomfortable tee shot on English Turn for me is the first hole, and I didn't hit a very good one but I made a birdie from underneath the tree to the right, and I just kept telling me myself, you know what? If you can get off to a start like that in this kind of wind, you got a chance.

Not to babble, but that's kind of my mind-set to start the day.

Q. Questions?

STEVE FLESCH: To be honest, I wish before I left the green I would have walked it off, but I'm guessing it was 35 feet, and I told some of the television media that when I walked onto the green I didn't even feel like I needed to read the putt, not that I had the putt before, but I just - I don't know, something inside me was just saying, you know, what? You're going to make it anyway. I remember reading the putt, but I don't even remember what I read. I just knew I was going to make it. That's the only way I can describe it.

I got onto the putt and I just tried to go through my routine, but I don't remember hitting - just 15 feet from the hole, when it got over that ridge, 15 feet from the hole I knew it was in. I think it was one of those things where maybe it was just my time and maybe somebody knew it, and I just kind of let my ability take over, I didn't overanalyze it, which I tend to do sometimes, and I just let instinct take over, and I did, so here I am.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: I was listening to it on the radio. Actually Kelly Brooks - she works for CBS or - I knew I was going to have good luck because she was working the camera, and her dad is the new football coach at UK, and I was like this has got to be something special if she's out here with me following me around the whole Back 9, and she put a radio down there because I didn't want to watch it, because I didn't want to go in the locker room and watch it on TV and stiffen up, so I thought, okay, I'm not watching it, it will be all right. Just hang out, stay warm, and hit a few balls, but listening to it on the radio was worse because now I was hearing what was going on but I wasn't seeing it so, you know, 17 and 18 played so tough today, and I guess three of us were tied - I was already in, but when Bob and Scott had 17 and 18 to play were at 21-under, I knew how hard they were playing, I figured, hey, I might even win it outright, but the way I won it, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Okay. Here twice, I don't - I can't distinguish - I don't think I had a chance to beat - I mean, Lee Westwood, I think he beat me by two or three, I don't recall. I believe Carlos Franco was the other one, and he won by - I don't think it was one, but a couple - It was two. Those two I had a chance coming into the final round and I just really didn't put it together. I think I was - I've been a victim of trying too hard on final rounds, getting in my own way, not letting it happen.

I don't think you guys want to hear it but, I mean, that's what I was doing so - but very disappointing, but not so much the fact that I got beaten, but I don't feel like I did enough to win. I didn't perform the way I think a champion should perform in the final round. I just kind of hung in there, I almost (inaudible) my card - I hate to say that - my first couple years.

Ironically, this tournament I've screwed my card, I think, for the year about four times in six years, so the timing of the event and everything has been great, but the second place I had at Disney hurts a little bit because I played so well head-to-head against Tiger, I believe that was 2000 - that was 2000, and Duffy Waldorf hit 62. I tell you, I said to myself, when I had the lead going into Saturday, if I can hold off Tiger for the weekend, man, I was going to win. I held off Tiger but Duffy shot 62 and beat me, but I had a chance there and I played well, but that one didn't hurt so much because I played well - actually, that one hurt more because I played well and I just got beat.

But, you know, today I just told myself from the get-go, hang in there. Because I - not that I don't hang in there, but sometimes I feel like, well, I'm out of it, and I was actually playing two weeks ago with Davis - I was playing the final round with Davis at Hilton Head and we were both plodding along, and neither of us was doing anything special, we were just kind of playing, and he made a 20-foot par putt on 11 that day - I don't even know if TV was paying attention to it, but I know he recognized it later that that was the key putt, I mean, yeah, he chipped it in on 18, but he recognized that as the key putt because he knew that one kept him in it if he can just make a couple birdies, and I played well that day, but I didn't realize that I still was that close and had a chance, and Davis didn't do anything special, he just hung in there, and he holed out the shot on 18.

I was like, "Man," I said to my caddie, Rich, I said "Man, he's going to be in a playoff. He could win this thing." And we were like he didn't do anything special today, and Rich just kind of looked at me and said, "You know what? You don't have to either, you just gotta - not that you're not hanging in there, but you know what? Sometimes to win you just gotta hang in there and make things happen," so - I'm rambling, aren't I?

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Last week was the same thing in Houston, I hung in there and I played well last week in Houston, I shot 41 on my first nine holes of the tournament, I finished ninth - It was one of those things, hell, I was playing unbelievable play at the tournament last week. You know, after the first nine holes and I hung in there and I shot, I don't know how many under, I shot 10-under the next 18 holes, and what I'm getting at is I just - I realized when I played with Davis a couple weeks ago, I mean, you don't have to do anything special to win on Sunday but you just have to hang in there and give yourself a chance.

And today when I got off to that start - I think I was at 4-under 36 or something, I didn't look at the board because I just kind of knew - I felt like I was playing better than most guys could today because I felt so good out there, I just hung in there and played a good Back 9, two great up and downs on 16 and 18, but it is important - but I made a good save on 8, which I think, not to look back on it as a key shot, but I think my save on 8 I kind of ballooned a 7-iron into the wind and it got (inaudible) the front bunker and I only had about 12 feet of green on the (inaudible) from the bunker, so I had all the bunker - I blasted it out right into the hill, road up to 18 and made the putt for par. I mean, not that that would have changed whole lot because I was in a good frame of mind, but that was a mistake because I was like, you know what? Today, not that I'm infallible, not one of those Caddyshack things, but I was like, you know what? You're in a great frame of mind, let's just keep it going.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Yeah, pretty much. I've never had a putt that important in my career. Never - I had one to maybe get into the playoff with Duffy at Disney but it was a tough little grainy 12-foot left to righter. And it was one of those, this one you can make it, but it was a tough putt, but this one - that putt - you know, I'm sitting there reading the putt, and I was like, you know, just hit it straight, just hit it, just make solid contact with it, and I didn't know I was going to make that one, but like I did the one in the playoff - just a straight uphill 6-footer, but, you know, it was one of those things. I have doubted my ability so much just to myself, and I've had so much good support from family and friends, I just didn't get in my way and great things happened.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: The one on 14 wasn't that difficult. I figured the miss had to be over the green there, and I'll tell you what, I hit a great 4-iron but I hit it too low, and there was no way it was going to stop, so it ran through the back but it wasn't a big deal, I figured that up and down was pretty easy, to be honest with you, but 16, I really hit it too far off the tee. I think that's kind of what I heard on the radio, that's what Verplank did, but I hit it down there, if I was in the fairway, I probably would have been all right, but I was in that first cut of rough and I just couldn't stop it.

The up and down - you know, I actually told my caddy, "I think I can make this." I have seen so many guys (inaudible) green, and I didn't grow up doing that, I grew up on greens that were pushed up 4 or 5 feet, so if you missed the green, it was a bump and run with a tight pin, and I think that's just one of my strong suits. I did it all week. Anytime I missed the green I bumped it, and I got up and down so many times on 16, it was a tough one, but for some reason I said "I can make it." I hit a great putt there, I chipped in about 6 feet, hit a great putt, but on 18, I really wasn't left with any choice but to lay up out of the bunker. It really was probably a blessing that I wasn't in the middle of the bunker and had to hit a 2 or 3-iron at the pin because I didn't think you could birdie that hole - obviously you can, I did it in the playoff, but I didn't think birdie was feasible from that bunker, so we just talked it over, and if I say, "Okay, we'll lay it up," and I did it a few years ago, I believe, on 18 to finish second - I knew I wasn't going to win, but I remember, hit it out far enough where you have an angle, and I did that today, I hit a 5-iron out of the bunker, and I was sitting tight, I (inaudible) kind of got burned out, and I was thinking, oh, man, I mean, do the demons rally?

But I hit a great shot, playing back, I hit a great shot. I know it was closer at one point going back a little bit but I just stepped up and hit the putt. I didn't give myself the chance to overread it. I just stepped up and hit the putt.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: In the playoff or regulation?

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Regulation I hit a 5-iron out of the bunker and then a lob wedge.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Simply because I'm very comfortable playing the golf course. I've always liked Nicklaus courses because he sits the greens on angles for you and he doesn't make the greens very big, and if you feel like the strong part of your play is your iron play, that's exactly what you want.

That's another reason I like Harbour Town, small greens. My iron play is usually the best part of my game, and every time I get off the plane here I'm comfortable on the green.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: I'm trying to get him into golf but he's not buying it. I haven't seen it. I know some guys went out there and checked it out earlier in the week but I don't know anything about it, I'm just glad we're back here again next year. I'll be glad to defend here.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Little course - summit Hills Country Club in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. It's just an old style design and every green is kind of pushed up like 18 here where if you miss the green, it's got a lot of undulation just bump and run. That's how I grew up. (Inaudible) but I tell you what, I haven't hit it three times in my career out here. I'm just not comfortable doing it.

I think Bob Estes is another guy that - he very rarely ever uses the lob, and, actually, my caddy caddied for Bob Estes for three years before he started caddying for me. He was giving me a little Bob Estes short game, I guess, instruction, and Bob isn't big on that either, but when Bob hit it in the bunker on 18, I knew I was going to have a playoff because I think he's probably the best bunker player out here. I don't know what his stats say, but --

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: I always have, only because I'm actually a pretty decent iron player and I can work it both ways into the wind where I can get the ball close to the hole. I'm very comfortable trying to keep it down. On a day like today I think - not saying that I'm kind of an old school player, but I think I don't mind working it, you know, back and forth into the wind and hitting a variety of shots, and I think a lot of the guys today, a lot of the young guys that I see, they have one shot, they hit it real high, and in wind they have no chance. I think that's why we've played in some funny conditions this year with some wind and stuff and I think that's why some of the veterans have won out here - most of the veterans, because, yeah, it's a power game anymore, but I think you have to be a good iron player.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Yeah, it's right there, isn't it. It's what you've been waiting on. You know, honestly, I never met Tim until the first tee today, but I've been in his position a lot of times playing final rounds. He played - you got to (inaudible) it wasn't distracting only because I felt myself kind of rooting for him because I knew how much he was struggling, so - but the fact that I was rooting for him or helping to keep him going was keeping me and my own frame of mind a positive frame of mind. I didn't hit too many bad shots to get that upset with today, but the fact that I was hoping he'd turn it around and play a good Back 9 was keeping me positive in my own right.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: I'm not answering that. No, I got a long way to go before I'm up to that, but I was glad to see Mike win the Masters. I'll say that.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: This game can beat you up, and I'll tell you what, I'm a professional at beating myself up. That's what has been the hardest thing for me to get over. I've played so many weeks where even like I finished seventh or ninth or fifth, I'm all over myself and I can't let it go. I think that's one of the reasons why I've been successful is because I drive myself so hard. I don't ever feel - you know, if I hit a shot under 20 feet from the pin sometimes, I don't just say to myself, "Man, that's a good shot," I'm thinking, "Man, it should have been 10 feet."

The fact is, I've come out on the wrong end of it a little bit like Scott did today. That's why I think the guys out here on Tour are so good because, you know what, we can't stand to lose. Unfortunately there is 155 losers a week, but that's what drives us to play. And believe me, it's no fun to get your brains beat in week in and week out, and I feel fortunate, but I feel like, man, I've paid my dues long enough.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Tomorrow?

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: I don't think so, man. I'll tell you what, I plan on having a few beers tonight. No, I - I think if anything - I think more than anything it's going to be big for me because I finally broke through and simply by the fact I just hung in there. Not that I wouldn't before, but sometimes I felt like, hey, the tournament is out of my reach but, you know, this is was a good wake up call for me.

Q. (Inaudible.) Couple more questions?

STEVE FLESCH: Well, that's the main reason. The last couple - I mean, what was Scott leading starting today, 21. You know, 21 under par through 54 holes, that's pretty damn low. That's birdieing like every other hole, so I - I felt like when I walked out of that hotel with the wind blowing, it would at least keep everybody from shooting 4 and 5 under par, and being seven back, the only way I was going to have a chance is if the wind blew hard enough where the leaders might struggle, and I know you guys have heard that before, but when you're more than three or four back out here on Tour, you have to do something special to win, I think, and if it's wind or rain or some kind of funny element, it helps everybody else's chances. Today it helped me. I knew I was playing well and I was putting well, which I always do here, so I figured if I can just give myself a chance and get off to a quick start, I have a chance. It worked out.

I started to belly putt at Bay Hill and I finished 10th, and then I played well at the Players Championship with it the first three rounds, and I don't know why, but I went back to a conventional putter on Sunday and shot the lottery and just said, you know what, let's stick with it, and you're okay, and the last three weeks I've putted well.

If nothing else, my idol out here, and always has been, is Freddie Couples because he's so laid back out there he's the exact opposite of me. I figure, if you can just try to emulate everything he does, you're going to be okay, and I have seen him, he's like this out there - I was actually out of socks, but I wore the footees and I figured, if it's good enough for Freddie, it's good enough for me, and he helped me out with it a little bit in Atlanta, we worked together, but I wasn't happy putting the way I was so I figured, you know, let's try something else and it's been great.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: Rich Schlaack, S C H L A A C K, I don't know what nationality it is.

Q. (Inaudible.)

STEVE FLESCH: No, he actually took a little two-year sabbatical, he was selling life insurance, insurance planning, and actually - our anniversary - his first week with me was Byron Nelson the week after this last year. My caddie and I had a parting of the ways here last year. It was just one of those things, but - yeah, so, you know, he called me at home - I knew him when I played with Bob my first couple years I knew Rich and he lives in Cincinnati kind of near where I live, and he just said, "Man, my only goal out here is to win, I'm backing you whatever we do." We screwed up a lot but today was all worth it.

Q. (Inaudible.) Thank you very much. Congratulations.

STEVE FLESCH: Thank you, I appreciate it.

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