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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

September 4, 2004

Bill Haas

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Bill, thank you for joining us in the media center. What a great round and an awesome finish with those four birdies on the back side on your last six holes. Why don't you compare today with yesterday and we'll go into some questions.

BILL HAAS: You know, I really played well yesterday on my back nine. It was just solid golf, made a few putts. I actually chipped in once, so that kind of led into today. This morning was calm, perfect greens. Got off to a good start, birdieing the first two, and that seems to be working for me if I can get off to a good start.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: You obviously feel pretty comfortable here in the State of Massachusetts. With a victory already underneath your belt with your dad there CVS Charity Classic, why don't you talk about that a little bit.

BILL HAAS: Yeah, I guess I'm comfortable up here, nice weather. I don't know, hopefully it keeps going. Unfortunately the tournament is four days and not two. Or maybe that's a good thing. Maybe I can keep doing it. Yeah, I'm enjoying this state and Providence and this area.

Q. Do you look at the leaderboard?

BILL HAAS: You know, I look at the leaderboards. If you're a baseball player, you don't not look at a scoreboard. Or if you're in basketball, you don't not look at the score. I disagree with not looking at the scoreboard. You've kind of got to know where you are.

I think maybe I look too much. I'm anxious to see my name up there, but it's nice seeing it, no matter what day. That means I'm doing something right and hopefully I can keep on doing it. Tiger, he's going to be up there, so it's a bonus for me to be up there.

Q. Inaudible?

BILL HAAS: Yeah, it definitely helped to play a round, we played with David Toms and Chad Campbell who I think are two of the better ball-strikers out here. And to play with them and to see how they play, me and my dad, to win that, sure it gives me more confidence. But this an individual deal and I haven't had the success I'd like, I guess. I'm hanging around for four rounds, which is what I want to do, but I don't seem to be putting four solid rounds together.

Q. (Inaudible.)

BILL HAAS: Missed one by a stroke. This is the eighth.

Q. Talk about Reno-Tahoe, I know the weather kicked in, but what was that like?

BILL HAAS: Yeah, I guess it was a learning experience, as painful as it was. I think through eight holes I played pretty well and I was 6-over and nothing really turned around the other way for me. I don't know how to explain it.

Q. Talk about going through the Monday qualifying -- inaudible?

BILL HAAS: I guess unfortunately I played early Sunday after a bad round, but I didn't play that late, so I was able to get done just an hour and a half drive. I drove up there. I actually got in a cart and carted around that golf course, so I got to see it, didn't play it but got to see some of the holes. Then I guess they put -- I was last off in the qualifier, so I guess since they knew I played Sunday, they did that. Came out the next day, played well and came here. Made six birdies in the first seven. I was able to cruise in.

Q. For the rest of the year, how many more Monday qualifiers do you have?

BILL HAAS: I'm not doing next week. I'm doing Tuesday a qualifier for Nationwide event in Virginia beach. I'm going to go straight there from here. I think I'm going to do Texas, the next week, San Antonio. That's the same week of the Ryder Cup. I figure if I make it, because then I get to play; and if I miss I'll go watch the Ryder Cup. And then I don't know if I'll do anymore after that.

Q. How often do you talk to your dad when you're not at the same event?

BILL HAAS: I'll talk to him tonight. I talked to him last night. He and my mom were out there, so they want to hear from me, whether it's about the golf or just to know I'm alive I guess. They are on vacation, so they are doing their own thing.

I talk to him, I want to tell him about this round, so I'll talk to him tonight.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Let's go through your many birdies today, starting on No. 1.

BILL HAAS: Yeah, hit a pitching wedge just about 15 feet; 14 feet, three inches, exactly what it says there.

I really putted well. I hit a lot of greens and even the 20-footers that I missed, 25-footers, really looked good. And that makes it -- and a lot of tap-ins, so that makes the day a lot easier.

2, I hit a perfect drive. I actually hit an 8-iron in there about 25, 30 feet for eagle and missed that.

I bogeyed 6. I drove it, good drive there and kicked left. Tough driving hole. Kicked in the left rough and hit a flyer about 20 yards over the green. Hit that, a pretty good chip, to about 12 feet and missed.

7, hit a good drive and actually hit driver on the first cut of rough up to just short of the green and chipped it about six feet and made it.

10, I hit a 3-wood and 7-iron into the breeze there about 15 feet and made a really good putt there.

13, I birdied. I hit a driver off that tee and a 9-iron, pitching wedge, about ten feet and made that.

15 was into the breeze. I hit driver there and a 9-iron there about eight feet and made that.

17, I hit a 3-wood and a 9-iron to about four feet and made that.

18, knocked it just over the green and putted from the fringe. Actually made a good 12-footer for my second putt.

Q. Inaudible?

BILL HAAS: None. I haven't played any. If I get in.

Q. Will you talk to your father about this position you're in?

BILL HAAS: I don't think so. In Reno, I was like fifth going into the last round. I talked to him and he said: You're going to be nervous and it's normal to be nervous. And it's a good thing to be nervous because that means you're doing something right; you're up there near the top.

But he won't say much, no. He's letting me learn it on my own. He learned it on his own. There's nothing that he can say to me that's going to make me play any better; it's all me. I've just got to go out there and forget that I'm 9-under and try to keep shooting under par. That's what you have to do out here. You can't back up.

Q. How much of an advantage is it to have him as a father and coming out here?

BILL HAAS: What kind of advantage is it to have him as a father? You know, I've told people the thing that I've gained from him being out here for so many years is just the stuff off the golf course. Like in the locker room, everybody seems to say hello, and maybe they say hello to everybody. But I feel like I'm more comfortable off the golf course around his peers. I think that helps. You know, as a young player, it can be kind of, not lonely but tough to be out here to come out here and try to earn your way out here.

But on the golf course, I don't know if it helps any. Like I said, I'm hitting the shots. I wish I could sub him in sometimes.

Q. Can you talk about the course and the crowds this week?

BILL HAAS: The crowds are great. Everybody has been supportive to me. I don't know why, I'm not from up here, but I think they just like to see good golf. They are just good golf fans. So if you're playing well, they are going to cheer for you.

The course is good. I hope the greens get firm this afternoon. I don't want the scores to be any lower. I saw some good scores up there today. I don't know why, there was not much breeze. If there's not much breeze, a guy can light it up.

But the course is good. It's long. That favors me, if I can keep driving it well. If I can keep driving it well, maybe I can keep scoring.

Q. Going in on a Monday to a course you've never played, how confident are you -- inaudible?

BILL HAAS: Well, I just tell myself I can -- on that thing I could have beat anybody there that day. So I only have to beat -- I finished in the top four, so I finished fourth. I feel like I can do that if I play good golf. I think it's one of those days where you have to be aggressive. You only have one day to make it. You can't shoot 72 and back that up with a 67. You've got to go out and fire at all the pins.

Q. Your thoughts on being matched up with Tiger?

BILL HAAS: I think that would be great. It would be a heck of a learning experience for me. Yeah, I'd look forward to it. These guys, looks like if a couple of guys that are better than 9 today, I won't be, or maybe it's just one -- I don't know. I wasn't looking at it that hard. But my name is right underneath his on the list. If it works out, it would be great. I'd enjoy it.

Q. Talk about the learning experience this year, has anything caught you off guard along the way?

BILL HAAS: I don't think it's any tougher. I make it tough on myself by shooting 146 on the weekend. If you play well, there's no trick to it. It's just golf. So if you can play well, you make a lot of money and you stick around.

I didn't learn anything I didn't expect. Like I said, I've been around it so I've seen it. I had the luxury of being able to practice and play with a tour player growing up, so I see how good they are and he is one of the best. No tricks, no nothing.

Q. Are you going to keep Joe as a caddy for a while?

BILL HAAS: Yeah, he's great. I got to know him, he caddied for my dad this year at Charlotte. He said, "If you ever need anybody, I've love to do it." I took him up on it. Fred doesn't play every week. He takes a few weeks off because of his back, and Joe said he would do it.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you for joining us.

End of FastScripts.

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