FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 7, 2003

Bob Tway

JOHN BUSH: 11 under par. 133, Bob, you stand in really good shape here at the halfway point obviously.

BOB TWAY: I'm pleased with how things have gone, playing this afternoon, as usual, it's a little more difficult because you know the wind is going to blow. We had a lot easier conditions, at least the front 9. This golf course always make it more difficult when the wind is blowing. I think any time you can shoot 68, you got to be pleased.

JOHN BUSH: Let's go ahead and go through your round, three birdies today, started off with a birdie on the first.

BOB TWAY: I started on 10. I -- didn't -- hit a good 3-wood. I hit it into the fairway bunker. I hit a pitching wedge 15 feet behind the hole. That was a nice way to start. I got on the par train.

I did make a wonderful par save on the 18th hole. I drove it in the right rough and had no shot to go at the green and hit a sand wedge out and another sand wedge about 12 feet behind the hole and made it so it was a nice save.

And then I was fortunate enough to hit some good shots on 5. I hit a nice sand wedge about 12 feet and made that.

Hit another good pitching wedge on No. 7. 14 feet and made that one.

8, I hit a nice drive and a good 5-wood on the green and 2-putted from about 20 feet so I kind of went from a so-so round to go a good round kind of quickly.

JOHN BUSH: Let's take some questions.

Q. Bob, when did you feel comfortable with the -- not right off the bat?

BOB TWAY: This is my fourth week of doing the belly putter. I was a little apprehensive about even trying but I didn't like how I was putting so I thought I would give it a whirl. I had messed with it a little bit over the holidays but I didn't seem to have a whole lot of success with it messing around at home. I said I'm going to try it and stick with it a few weeks to see how it is. In San Diego when the greens were slow one day I putted pretty good and then the other days on the poa annua I didn't put all that well in L.A. in the poa annua. Last week when the greens have been good and this week when the greens have been good I rolled the ball very nicely.

Q. Why are you apprehensive about going to a belly putter?

BOB TWAY: I never done it before. I always been a fairly decent putter in the last few years I didn't feel very consistent. I don't know about other people but I'm always reluctant to change. I don't change equipment very often. And I don't change the way I play very often. I'm a little apprehensive because I don't like to get out there and feel uncomfortable.

Q. Any stigma to the long putters and belly putters at all anymore?

BOB TWAY: Well, I don't know, it's hard to say. I guess as long as they are okay to use. It won't be much of a stigma. The guys are using them. So people are playing well with them so you might as well try it if you seem to like it.

Q. Bob, when is the last time you had the lead?

BOB TWAY: I've got no idea. It hasn't been very often lately.

Q. The Memorial or something?

BOB TWAY: Right, the Memorial last year, very good. I played well that week. I didn't obviously play good on Sunday. I didn't play good on Sunday a lot last year or I would have had a much better year. I think what happens you haven't been in the hunt as often and you really would like to win so you go out and try way too hard and I have done that a lot in my career, a lot of people do. That's okay. That's human nature. But the Memorial I played very well. I didn't play well on Sunday but that was a nice week. I always enjoyed going to that tournament too and I always enjoy this one. It's nice to play well where you enjoy going.

Q. How do you feel about your chance this weekend?

BOB TWAY: Obviously, after these two days I feel good. I haven't played that well this year. The last week I played okay, I saw some good things happening. I kind of like -- there are some good things happening to my game. I am driving the ball long which I like. I am hitting them solid. I have been a good iron player. If I can drive the ball in the fairway I can play good. I made some nice putts this week. I don't know what is going to happen. I am looking forward to the challenge.

Q. You are talking about hitting the ball long. Any problem on this course with finessing -- (Inaudible) --

BOB TWAY: Sometimes you are finessing and sometimes you are not. Some of the straighter holes you can go ahead and hit a driver. Then on the dog-leg holes, it is sometimes tough to hit drivers with the crosswinds. But I have done a combination of both. Sometimes I have taken it over corner bunkers and sometimes 3-woods just to get out there and play depending on the circumstances. I am sure I will continue to do the same thing. A lot depends on the direction of the wind.

Q. Do you think that belly putter ought to be legal, your own opinion?

BOB TWAY: Probably not. I don't think the long putter probably either. But I guess as long as you can you might as well use it.

Q. Why don't you think you should?

BOB TWAY: I don't think you should afix something to your body. I don't know. It's not like you put a long putter in your hand and belly putter in your hand you make every putt. You still have to play. It's not that big of a deal. We have equipment, balls that go a long way, and driver heads that are more forgiving and irons are more forgiving, I guess it didn't matter. You have to play well. I have used it a few other weeks, it didn't do good. It's not like it's a cure-all.

Q. You said you don't like to change. Is it a sign of desperation or about you being more open?

BOB TWAY: I wouldn't say desperation, maybe I'm getting older and maybe not quite as stubborn.

Q. And there is more guys doing it?

BOB TWAY: That's true.

Q. The stigma is off?

BOB TWAY: Well, you see people having success with it, you say maybe I should try it. It's like everything, a new shaft comes out or a new club head. I'm not the first one to try something. I don't want to go through the hassle. You see some guys using it and you say, well, maybe I better try to it see what's going on. If you tried everything that's coming out would you be spinning your head.

Q. You would be Bob Estes.

BOB TWAY: I don't know. I don't want to name names but you would certainly be trying an awful lot of things with that many companies producing new things.

Q. And that is why you have been resistant to change up until recently, there is so much out there or too much changing that the guys have done?

BOB TWAY: I don't know, I think it's just me. I think I'm stubborn and set in my ways and once I find something I just don't change a lot and a lot of times never felt the need to.

Q. When is the last time you changed your irons or woods?

BOB TWAY: Well, I am using a new driver, but I have used the Titleist driver on and off. I used to use Taylor Made. Now back using Titleist. I change occasionally. Irons I am using the same ones I have used for the past couple of years. I have a new set at home and I don't want to change those. When things are working you don't need to change a whole lot.

Q. You guys have talked about how hot this is, isn't this what it is like in Oklahoma?

BOB TWAY: It can get as hot as it wants to, I could care less. I love hot weather. And after playing the West Coast, it's a wonderful feeling to hop off that plane and feel the humidity here no matter how hot it is.

JOHN BUSH: Anymore questions? Bob, good luck this weekend.

BOB TWAY: Thank you very much.

End of FastScripts....