CHARLES WARREN: I'll be with y'all in two seconds, as soon as my mind starts working again. Hang on. 10, 11.
11, hit a good drive there. Hit a 9 iron about 12 feet right of the hole. It had a sliding putt, sliding to the right, kind of downhill. I put a really good roll on it, it went right in the middle. That was kind of the putt.
10, I hit it in the fringe, just kind of putted it down there, 2 putted. That was kind of the putt, I was like, "Yeah, this feels good. This feels really good."
12, the par 3, I hit a 7 iron about probably, I'm just guessing, SHOT Link is going to show you how dumb we really are, but I'm going to guess 20 to 25 feet of the hole.
SHOT Link technology, right there, wow.
23 feet, no inches right of the hole apparently. Made a long one there. Made a good, aggressive stroke on that. It was uphill. The long putts I made today, it seemed like they were all straight uphill. Just looked like they have a backboard almost to where all you got to do is hit it on the right line, get it there, it's going to go in.
13, the par 5, hit a good 3 wood. Actually hit it through the fairway in the first cut, had a funky lie, really funky lie. Kind of first cut, kind of ball above the feet, kind of downhill lie. Had 257 something to the hole, hit a 2 iron short of the green. Knew you didn't want to be long or left. I hit a 2 iron in front of the green. Hit a good little chip right behind the hole five or six feet, made that. That's the start I've been looking for all year, was something like that. At that point I knew, "All right, everything feels comfortable. Let's go and swing and play golf."
Then on 15, the par 5, hit a really good drive there, hit a 2 iron in there from 261 just past the hole to the right. That was one of those things to where, you know, our rules officials have done a great job of setting up our golf courses on Thursday. They don't use their Sunday locations, but a lot of their second hardest ones. That was a good example of somewhere where you could sit there and try to hit it at the hole. If you hit it at the hole or left of it, didn't get it there, you were not going to make birdie. Good 2 iron, right of the hole, putted it close to a couple feet, made birdie there.
Next hole, 16, probably the hardest golf hole we play this week. If you hit it in the fairway there, that's pretty huge. I did that. Had 190 in. I couldn't decide how far I wanted to hit it. I was indecisive with my clubs there. I hit kind of a wipeout to the right, the ball ran to the back of the green. It says 50 feet. It felt like 150. You know, at that point I'm I guess 4 under. It was breaking hard right to left. I just hit it. Six feet out, I knew it was going in. It was just like, "Whoa, something's going on here. Something good's about to happen." That goes in. I'm thinking, "Wow, I've hit the worst shot I hit all day and still made birdie." I'm thinking if I can tighten up my ball striking, something good is really going to happen.
17, 4 iron, right of the hole 20 feet. Kind of shook that one in. Bounced around, ended up bouncing in the right side of the hole. At that point I'm thinking, 6 under, I never shot 29 in competition. We do think about it. I wanted to shoot 29.
Hit a really good drive on 18 all the way down the hill. Had 115 yards into the wind, which is a horrible yardage for me. My sand wedge goes about 112, 113 max, from the left. All I wanted to do was not hit sand wedge, watch it spin off the front of the green. Easy pitching wedge, hit it long 30, 35 feet, 2 putted that.
At that point I'm thinking, you got two par 5's on the front that are reachable. You have a couple other short par 4s. Once again, tighten my ball striking up. I've made a mile of putts, but it could have been a lot easier than that because my iron play really wasn't that sharp on that side for sure, especially my wedge game.
Go to 1. It's a good example. Hit 3 wood off the tee, have 103 yards in. Hit it 22 feet. The average out here from 103 yards is probably inside of 12 feet. That's a good example of that one.
5, as well. You know, it says 13 feet. It seemed like a lot longer than that. My wedges inside 115 yards, I just didn't think were that crisp, that controlled today. Hit it 20 feet there, make par. That was I wanted to come out and give myself good chances. I really had a good opportunity there and didn't do it.
2, par 5, hit a great drive, great 4 iron. Actually got up top within 12 feet of the hole and stayed there for a second it looked like then rolled all the way back down. Made a good 2 putt. Pulled the first putt to the left five feet, made a good 5 footer. Spike marks were showing up a lot this afternoon. Those five footers were not as stress free as they normally would be. You had to be kind of aggressive on the greens.
3, hit a good 3 wood. Like I told you before, hit it short 40 feet or so, left it eight feet short with my putt for par. Made that. That was kind of the key to keeping the round going.
4, hit a 6 iron in there just left of the hole 30 feet. At that point I'm just thinking, Let's just give ourselves a few more chances, make a couple birdies coming in. That one goes in. That's when I'm thinking, "Whoa." I've now made 2 putts over 30 feet which is uncharacteristic for me. I make that. That slides in the right side, around the hole and in the back door. Make birdie there.
Next hole, 3 wood off the tee. 87 yards, comfortable wedge. Hit it behind the hole. Leave it in the wrong spot. Now I'm putting downhill. Hit a good putt. It just kind of bounced off line.
6, hit a really good drive there. I drove the ball really well today, which is how I normally play golf. I'm comfortable when I drive the ball well. I was hitting it exactly where I wanted to. My flight was really nice today. Hit a good drive there.
Hit an 8 iron in there and missed it right of the hole 18 feet or so. That was one of those putts looking straight up at it, I really knew that that was a good putt to make. I left it dead short in the jaws a couple feet, make par there.
7, birdied 7. Actually pulled my driver a little bit, but it went way down there, right up against the first cut. Had like 84 yards, 80 to 85 yards, in there. Hit an L wedge kind of behind the hole about 15 feet and made that. At that point I'm just saying, "Get out of your own way. Let's not even start thinking at this point. Just do what you're doing, focus, use your keys and see what happens."
Next hole, par 3, knew I couldn't miss it left or long. Hit it right in the middle of the green, 2 putted there.
9, hit a great drive, had 280 in. Hit 3 wood exactly where I wanted to. There was a pine tree at the clubhouse I was hitting to. Hit it right there, hole high. Left that one a foot short right in the jaws. I'm not going to sit here and complain about that one not going in. But I kind of wish I had gotten it there to see if it at least had a chance.
Like I said, as close to a perfect round of golf as I've ever played.
Q. This golf tournament has been a breakthrough tournament for a lot of guys over the years. Do you feel like, as you look around, this golf tournament is void of the superstars this week, any thought towards that as you entered the competition, this might be a good time to play well?
CHARLES WARREN: You know, not really. It's easy for you guys to sit here and say this. Adam Scott, Sergio, half The Presidents Cup's International team is here getting ready for next week. The marquee guys you're talking about aren't here.
If you come out here and you win a golf tournament, I don't care if it's Phoenix or Harbor Town or the BC Open, anything, you've played incredible golf. You can even say that about the Nationwide Tour now, too.
I look at this event, where I am on the Money List, I'm kind of in no man's land. I want to finish in the top 70. Top 40 would be a dream come true. Growing up 80 miles from Augusta, I'd love to play there. I'm going to have to give myself chances to win golf tournaments if not win, finish second to do either one of those.
I look at it, the golf course sets up well for me. I think Davis has done an awesome job with this golf course. I liked it a lot before, but I think he's done a good job of keeping it up to modern standards. Where we're putting the golf ball now is different than 30, 40 years ago. I look at it as a good opportunity to go out and play well this weekend. There are some marquee guys there. I guarantee you they're going to be in Saturday and Sunday. They don't get in the positions they're in without playing well, without giving themselves chances.
Q. Looking at tomorrow, you kind of curious to see if (indiscernible) your key, new keys?
CHARLES WARREN: No, I won't. Obviously, I could get out here and things could look a little different. I'll just come out, go through my normal routine. The things that I've been working on with my ball striking have been the same all year. Well, the same the last two or three months, for sure, the exact keys. But my putting thing is just opening up my body and my stance. It's not like it's something that's really technical. I could teach any of y'all to do it. It's not like it's rocket science.
JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thank you, Charles.
CHARLES WARREN: Thanks, guys.
End of FastScripts.
