THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 23, 2000

Kenny Perry

KENNY PERRY: I bogeyed 10 my first one out of the gate. I had like 141 to the hole, hit 8-iron, went about 120 yards into that wind, upshot into the bunker. I didn't get up-and-down. Show you how strong the wind was, No. 11 is par 5. Hit driver 5-iron about 30 feet; made it for eagle. So I have never hit anything on the 11th hole less than a 2-iron ever.

KENNY PERRY: Less than a 2-iron on that hole. I hit 5-iron into that green today. That is amazing, that is how much the wind was blowing.

KENNY PERRY: I had 141 on 10 and hit 8-iron. That probably went about 120 yards. And then 11, I hit a driver, 5-iron, which on the green made eagle, which haven't ever hit anything less than a 2-iron on that hole into that green. The wind is howling. 15, 3-putted. Driver 6-iron front of the green. Knocked my first putt about four feet by; missed it coming back. The greens, they are so deceptive and so subtle and slick. Even the uphill putts are very fast. So then the next hole, 16, I hit it in there, I don't know, probably 10, 12 feet. Made a nice putt for birdie there. Parred 17, 18. Hit two nice shots. 17 is a tough hole today. It is only 134 yards today. But the wind is in and right-to-left. Woody ballooned his ball, his 8-iron up. It went in the water short. Mine carried to the back of the green. My 8-iron, it was on top back there, and I just barely hit that putt. It still went six feet by -- six, eight feet by coming down that hill. You can't stop it. So 18 is playing severe. Hit a good drive. I hit it like 197 to the hole, still have a good tee shot. Hit 4-iron middle of the green, 2-putted for par. I was pretty happy to get off that back nine with 1-under. Then 2 is playing short. I hit a driver and 4-iron on 2 and made birdie there. 4, I hit a 3-wood. It's playing dead downwind. I hit a 3-wood. I had 100 yards. Hit my 60-degree sand wedge to about eight feet right of the hole; made that for a birdie. Then I bogey 7, my 16th hole. Hit driver in the right rough. That was the -- I drove it really well today. I drove it. That is only one I missed, only fairway I missed, and was in the right rough chipped it took a sand wedge, couldn't move it, chipped it probably hit it 80 yards; then hit 8-iron on the green, 2-putted for bogey. 9, I hit a good drive and 3-wood, I still had 82 yards to the hole, hit a little pitching wedge six feet left of the hole and just missed it.

KENNY PERRY: 15 to 20 at times. It is really gust -- it comes and goes. It's really swirling through the trees. Makes the club selection pretty difficult.

KENNY PERRY: I think -- I caught a break today with that 7:10 tee time because that is probably as soft as the greens will ever be. They are still hard and fast and firm and I just can't imagine playing -- having that one something tee time this afternoon and playing some of those pin placements. That number -- just No. 12, that little short hole, that pin is front left over there and I hit it just by the hole and I could not stop it, almost went off the green. I made about a 4, 5-footer coming back for par, but that is a pretty severe pin placement right there. I mean, there is about 4 of them out there where they just get rolling past the hole. They are going four and five feet by you can't stop them. It is going to put a lot of nerves on the guys putting today. But you know you really got -- I tried to just play smart golf today. I just tried to hit to the fat of the greens and kept it on the tiers that the flag was on. It is so easy to get a ball moving just a little bit and swing off a tier and next thing you know you got a 40-footer up a tier, up and over and down, it is hard to 2-putt.