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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 28, 2004

Jay Haas

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA

JAY HAAS: The course is playing so fast, and I hit 3-wood off 18, I guess, every day but the first day. I hit driver the first round. The wind probably is as easy as it could be, kind of right-to-left and down. That was about as far as I ever hit a shot off the tee there. Usually when it's a driver shot, if it's into the wind, I don't get it out there. And I only hit an 8-iron; that's probably the least club I ever hit in there. 3-wood, 8-iron. I was juiced.

Q. You said this was maybe one of the best rounds you ever had.

JAY HAAS: Yeah, tee-to-green -- I wasn't absolutely perfect down the middle on every shot, but just under control, hit a lot of good tee shots, a lot of good irons, hit a lot of greens, never really felt out of sorts, just the greens are really, really firm out there. You have to really strike the ball crisply to keep the ball on the green and get it anywhere close to the hole. I made the most of my opportunities when I got them. But that's kind of what it was. It was just one of my best from tee-to-green, and overall putting. My pace was good on my putts. I couldn't really want for anything.

Q. Were those greens good preparation for Augusta?

JAY HAAS: I think so, yeah. These greens are relatively flat, and they're probably 13 or 14 today. I know they were 12 on Monday. I saw the guy do it on Monday. And they're much drier and browner today. You really had to search for a ball mark. They were pretty scary. But they're beautiful there, immaculate shape, and the ball is true. With a little more tilt, they would almost be unputtable.

Q. How do you assess your game, looking to your 20th Masters?

JAY HAAS: I hope the course plays fast. I do better when it plays fast there. I can't get it out there quite as far as a lot of the guys, and I like -- I hit a lower ball, so I can get more run off the tee and therefore hit a shorter club into the green. Everyone does that, but it allows me a little more advantage for my game. If I play like I did today, I can compete anywhere.

But I don't know, I'm happy to be going there again. That's a special trip, and hopefully it won't be my last year. I thought it might be about three or four years ago, but I want to keep doing it.

Q. What's different now? I mean 350-plus guys made the cut here. Seems like everybody from Wake Forest wants to do a farewell tour but doesn't know when to stop. Can you talk about playing here and the ability to keep on playing here and playing as you get older?

JAY HAAS: This is what I know. I'm looking forward to someday playing on the Champions Tour, whether that's next month or next year or whenever I do go. I love the competition, I love it out here. When I play rounds like today and tournaments like this week, it makes me feel like I can compete out here. This is the best in the world. These are the best players in the world, and to be on equal ground with them or close to it is pretty gratifying, pretty satisfying feel, that I can still do this. That's the motivation for me, I suppose, just to compete on the grandest stage there is.

Q. You know you're probably going to make it for next year now. You're going to have enough money to get your card for next year, for sure.

JAY HAAS: I'll look forward to coming back and giving this one more try. I said that last year, but who knows. It's nice to have the opportunity to continue to play out here. It will end soon enough, I know that. But while it's lasting, I'm enjoying it and going to try to continue to work at it.

End of FastScripts.

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