SONY OPEN IN HAWAII

January 15, 2004

Carlos Franco

JOHN BUSH: Carlos, thanks for coming by. 7-under par 63, great start to the tournament.

CARLOS FRANCO: Thank you.

JOHN BUSH: Can you comment on your round today?

CARLOS FRANCO: Oh, I'm tired. I played very solid today. I made my first birdie on No. 7 hole, par 3. It's maybe ten feet.

I shoot great driver, No. 9 hole. Second shot, 6-iron, 200 yards and maybe 25 feet for eagle, make it.

No. 11, 6-iron, almost 200 yards, too, and maybe four feet for birdie. Make it.

I made a birdie on No. 13. I had a big driver, 187 and I had a 7-iron, maybe six feet for birdie and make it.

I tried to make No. 14, 15, 16. It was very close, six feet, six, seven feet.

No. 17, I had 7-iron again, two feet for birdie.

No. 18, I hit 3-wood, 3-wood on the green. Maybe 35 feet with two putts.

JOHN BUSH: Thank you.

Q. How much work did you spend in the off-season to come in here and shoot that?

CARLOS FRANCO: I played only one week before come here, I start practice. My practice days, hours are different and sleeping in my country, maybe 3:00 A.M. 4:00 A.M., because seven-hour different from here, you know and practice very late, 3:00 P.M. and finish 8:00, something.

So a good idea, start and looking for to change the time to practice one week before to come here.

Q. What's the time difference?

CARLOS FRANCO: Seven hours different.

Q. Were there any conditions this morning, did you have to worry about any?

CARLOS FRANCO: You know, I played very consistent and very confident because no angry when I miss one shot, I know I need only -- I hope to pick up the chip and putt it. Because very narrow fairways here, and very important only to make it on the fairway. And I don't use much drivers. I use maybe only four times driver only and a lot of 3-wood, too.

Q. You're hitting your long irons pretty straight on the approach shots.

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, my long irons are always a good distance because my swing is very formal. 3-iron almost 220, 230. And especially today, because when I make one birdie, two birdies, three birdie, my swing is more fast, you know and more consistent.

Q. Adrenaline when you start playing well?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yes, exactly, because when you play well, everything is good. When you play bad, very difficult to come back for your game.

My mental only today is play golf, looking for the fairway, looking for the green and shoot a couple birdies.

Q. And you probably could have shot -- you could have shot a 62 or 61?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, I'm very lucky because I missed a couple putts for birdie. Played very well. Except the first four holes, I didn't play so good. But I missed only one shot.

When I start to try to birdie, you know, miss, miss and I don't lose the focus, only my mental for next hole. This is good for me now, a start this year.

Q. Where did you miss the shot today?

CARLOS FRANCO: On No. 1 hole, a 3-wood in the rough offer the left. Good recovery; I had a great chip-and-putt for par.

Q. Obviously, you know that you came out here, I think it was three or four years ago, you were Rookie of the Year, I think it was in Hawaii that you got named that and since then, it's been kind of a tough road. Can you talk about that a little?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, you know, I'm looking again for rookie, I hope. (Laughing).

I like it here because the weather is nice, only too far to come here. When I come here for 1999, my first tournament here and missed the cut. And my mental is only, looking for next tournament, next tournament and I'm rookie and never experience for her.

But I win many tournaments in Japan and my ranking, my World Ranking is good, Top-50. I have a chance to play in majors. This gave me a little confidence before 1999. I was very lucky to win my first tournament very early. Absolutely unbelievable.

Q. But since then, since that win?

CARLOS FRANCO: You know, every tournament win always helps you. Especially in the PGA, when you win a tournament here, everybody knows you. And my country, too, because when you play here on the PGA almost you are an ambassador of your country, and I'm very happy, too.

Q. What was last year like for you?

CARLOS FRANCO: Not really happy, but it's okay. Save the card is very important here. But every year, many young players come on strong. And old ones, too, 40 -, 45-year-old guy, unbelievably strong. This is the golf game. You need to have patience and forget last year and come strong for next year.

Q. Did you spend time in the off-season thinking about what you just talked about, about thinking about each shot at a time, not worry about your position?

CARLOS FRANCO: You know, I told you, when your mental is good, you forget everything, only you know focus on your game. My mental I hope is better this year because I lose too much money. I lose too much game, I lose too much friend, I lose too much everything in the last couple years.

Because when I start here my first two years, I played very, very well and win the tournament. You know, Top-10 every time and the win three times. Everybody is happy and enjoying you.

But last two years, nobody knows. When I come back home: "What happened Carlos? Is Carlos no more golf? Or he have too much money?" Sometimes you're angry at this, because somebody don't understand, especially my country, don't understand golf. Because golf is very difficult. It's my business. My focus. Sometimes I lose, and I hope this year it comes early. Start with a 63, I'm happy.

Q. Is there any reason why you feel like you lost your focus?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, 100% I lose my focus the last two years.

Q. But do you know why?

CARLOS FRANCO: I don't know. Nobody knows, you know.

And look at David Duval, he's No. 1 before in the world and now he don't like to play more. I don't know what happened. He's a good player. He's very young and winner of the major tournament win, too. You know, golf game is almost keeps you crazy sometimes. You need to go into the fishing. Maybe better.

Q. Snowboarding?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, exactly. You know, David Duval, he's a good friend of mine. He's a good guy. I don't know what happened to his game. He lose the game.

Because he's an excellent player, big talent. You know, I played many times together practice round and I don't know what happened, man. Exactly my problem, too. The last three years, I don't know what happened because I lose the focus. I don't know why but I lose.

Q. Did you feel like you ever lost your game?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, you know, when you lose the focus, you lose everything. You lose the game, you lose everything. When you play good, you win everything.

Win my son, too. Because he's a good player. He's starting, shooting maybe 82, 84, for a 15-year-old.

Q. Do you play together at home?

CARLOS FRANCO: Sometimes yes, practice.

Q. Does he drag you out there or do you drag him out there?

CARLOS FRANCO: Always I anger him because I like him beating me now. Because when I have a 15-year-old, I have zero handicap. He's 12 now. Always I push and I go strong. I say that golf game is very difficult, my friend. No angry and no happy. Only focus on the golf, the golf course.

Sometimes he angers me when I miss the putt. When he miss, the same.

Q. Would you like to set up a game, you two and Michelle Wie?

CARLOS FRANCO: Good swing, long swing.

Q. Want to see if these two could play together?

CARLOS FRANCO: Yeah, I hope to, next three years, five years, maybe okay.

Q. Can you think the last time you shot a round this good with this kind of focus?

CARLOS FRANCO: I told today when I signed my card, I said to the guys, I said, "Long time no see, same score. 63 and difficult course." This is normally par 71, 72, especially if the rough is very high. To shoot 63, I can't believe it. I don't know what happens tomorrow, but I come, same something tomorrow and forget it, shoot 74 or 63 forever. Next three or four days, try to win.

JOHN BUSH: Carlos, great start to the season. Keep it going.

CARLOS FRANCO: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.