NEC WORLD SERIES OF GOLF

August 22, 1996

Billy Mayfair

BILLY MAYFAIR: At this moment.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah, I made the pars on the front 9, not much to write about that. You know, I wasn't disappointed. All I tried to do was keep myself in the ballgame out there. Pars aren't bad on this golf course. I made about a 5-footer on 9 for par, and kind of kept me going, and I parred - then I parred 10 and 11, same way and it got to 12 and hit a 7-iron in there about six feet from the hole and I made that for birdie. Parred 13, parred 14, and then got to 15 and it was downwind there. I hit 6-iron from about 180 yards, about three feet from the hole there and made birdie. On 16, I hit a sandwedge from about 90 yards, about twelve feet from the hole; made that for birdie. Then 17, I hit 6-iron in from about 180 yards, 15 feet from the hole and made that for birdie. Then on 18, I hit over in the right trees and kind of hit the tree; kind of wound up short of the green and right then the whistle blew and had to think about that chip for a little bit, but hit a chip shot from off the edge of the green about three feet from the hole and made that for par. It was a good day. I was happy the way I played. Making 9 pars on the front; then getting it going on the back, it's a good way to start here, that is for sure.

BILLY MAYFAIR: I don't know. I seem to come here and start hitting the ball good and start playing well. I just -- because I like being here. It is an honor to be here. If you are here at this tournament, you have won something to get here, and it is a great honor to be here. And plus I have got some memories from last year that I know, that birdie on 14, 15 -- no, 15, 16, 17 I would have taken last year, I would have ran away with this tournament, but that was last year and this was this year. But I can't -- I mean, I enjoy the golf course. I enjoy the area, I enjoy being here and maybe the pressure not having to cut after two days -- you just go out for four days like the Tour Championship was and you keep playing every day to try and win, and maybe that is what I like about it. I don't know. It's just I seem to play very well here.

BILLY MAYFAIR: I am way down there.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Well, it was funny at La Costa this year got in my first bunker on the 11th hole; got it in the bunker; said, oh, my God, I led with sand saves here, I better put it close. I started putting pressure on myself. I had some problems out of the bunker. I started putting so much pressure on myself expecting to hit good shots and if I didn't, I would get more and more frustrated because I was No. 1 on Tour; because of that you don't need to get -- miss too many sand shots until -- you just go way down on the stats because players out here are so good on the sand. Then the other thing is I haven't putted as well, so if I do hit good sand shots I haven't made all the putts. Just put those two things together, you are talking maybe 3, 4, 5 strokes around that, 15 shots by the end of the week. That is not hard to figure out.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Last year at Phoenix when I started playing so good, I think I tried to slow down everything, get just some kind of - like stop and just take my time a lot more and everything like that. That is what I have tried to do at the bunker now, just get there; take my time; get my, you know, what I want to do and go hit the shot and don't have high expectations; kind of downplay the thing and for the last couple of weeks, it has gotten a lot better. I know I was in one bunker; I got up-and-down, so.... But it just goes hand in hand. Hit bunker shots ten feet; not putting good; not -- I was putting great last year; if I hit a bad bunker shot, I 90% of the time made the putts.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah, slowed down, essentially, yeah and try not to have my expectations so high that, okay, I led sand saves last year; I better get this up and down and not put pressure on myself.

BILLY MAYFAIR: No. 1. Hit 8-iron in there just to the right of the green, bounced in the bunker and hit it about four feet from the hole; made that for par.

BILLY MAYFAIR: On 4, I hit left of the green, 4-iron and chipped up about six feet from the hole and made that for par. Other than that, pretty much I hit every green 9. And 9, I hit it in the right rough and hit it right at the pin; just didn't quite get up there and chipped it by about six feet and made that coming back, so it was a scrambling nine holes, but at least I put myself in position on the back sides and if I did get hot, which I did, I was in a good position.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Well, you know, I am the type of person if I can't win, I am always cheering for the guy who does win. I mean, I am glad to see Steve Stricker break through this year and all the guys first time they won this year, but it has been a hard year for me because I feel like I have been close. But I just have haven't had as good a year as last year. You know, only thing I can say, I just haven't putted and chipped as well as I did last year. It is that simple.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah, two playoffs --

BILLY MAYFAIR: I lost two playoffs before I won my first one too, so I mean, that is what I am saying, such an honor to get here. I mean, everyone who tees it up here should be honored that they are here because they have won a tournament and that is how you get here.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah, I was. I was kind of surprised. I really thought I had my putting and my chipping and everything down pretty good and if I did get kind of heywire, I could correct it kind of quickly, and unfortunately I haven't. I was -- I guess that is what I am most disappointed about than anything. I really didn't think I was -- obviously I didn't think -- my expectations weren't as high as last year's, but I really thought I was going to play much better than I have this year so far, but this crazy Tour as it is I go out and play three more good rounds, I turn a so-so year into a great year. That is what I got to keep saying to myself and stay positive.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Absolutely. Every time I tee it up you can't worry about what you have done the last 21 weeks. This is the week that counts right now and if you play good, everyone forgets about everything else.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Well, yeah, I think my birdie holes, but mainly on the front side just, you know, I didn't make any birdie putts, but I was not there whacking it out of the rough, whacking it off the edge of the greens. Pretty much hit a lot of fairways; a lot of greens. Made 9 pretty easy pars. Then on the back, hit some shots close to the hole and made some putts, so, yeah, I drove the ball pretty well today. If I did I was fortunate enough. I never really had any lies that were just death, so, but, you know, the golf course is in great shape, and, you know, I don't know what the winning score is going to be, but the scores I think will be lower this year than last year. Unless the wind gets up.