BUICK INVITATIONAL

February 15, 2004

Chris Riley

JOE CHEMYCZ: 3 under par 69. Good week for you in your hometown.

CHRIS RILEY: I actually scrambled well the first couple of days and I found my swing and actually started ball striking. The way I was putting, I knew that I would I didn't know 10 under was going to have a chance at the end of the day. Actually, I was fortunate enough to be where I finished. However, to lose in a playoff like that, what an atmosphere, people yelling, coming down the fairway, it was great being a part of it. I would have bet my life on the putt. I told my caddie I'm going to make this putt. I felt so good over it. I wanted to take John to another hole. It's unbelievable because I just told myself I've practiced my whole life just staying in the putt and I didn't even see what it did until the end. I saw it lip back out. When it came off the putter I thought it was dead center. Take my hat off to Johnny, he's been through a lot. To see him win is great.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: I didn't see it horseshoe until it came out the right side. In regulation, I saw Duffy had the same putt and he kind of pulled his a little bit. I knew it wasn't going to go hard right so I had to keep it in the hole. I'm proud of myself. I think I made like eight birdies today or something. I made a lot of birdies. And to make that putt on 18 in regulation, when there was one guy at 10, and I knew I had to make it, what a great feeling.

I also got some good breaks. I snaphooked it on 17. I hit a tree and it kicked into the right rough. What a great week to come home and hear people yell for you, right here in San Diego. Who knows what can happen next year.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: It would definitely be more special to win here at Torrey Pines. This is one of my big tournaments of the year. I put this up there with the Masters. It's a tough week. People coming at you from all angles. Mr. Wilson, the tournament director, is so nice to give me so many tickets. I got a bunch of tickets this week in my locker. And for him to give me all of those is great.

I started thinking about that, walking down 18 in the playoff and in regulation to win here at Torrey Pines, and I started getting teary eyed. It just wasn't meant to be.

I gave it my best stroke. I'm just so proud of myself for hanging in there and staying in my routine. I did all that I could, it just wasn't meant to be today. I really thought I was going to make that putt on 18. And to see it horseshoe like that you know, I would have liked to take John Daly another hole.

What a story, though, to see him just pull out that 3 wood, I guess he hit from the middle of the fairway on 18. And people are yelling right when he was trying to hit it. It was something I'll always remember. I have a feeling I'll be in that position again sometime.

Q. What did John say to you?

CHRIS RILEY: I've known John we have the same manager, sports manager, so we've talked a little bit over the years, I've been paired with him a couple of times over the years. He's just a really good guy. He just said, Tough luck. When I won my first tournament, the Reno/Tahoe Open, Jonathan Kaye hit a putt on the first playoff hole that I still cannot believe it didn't go in. It was breaking right in the hole, and then had a doughnut effect.

You have just got to get there a couple of times. This is definitely a step forward for me, to battle all day and to not hit the ball the way I'd like to, but to just hang in there and grind and keep a good attitude. I would make a bogey out there and it wouldn't even bother me. I was going to birdie the next hole. It's just a great week.

Q. We all know you never know until it's done. You guys are looking at the 6 footers and he's over there in the upslope of the bunker. I guess your thoughts about that banker shot, he hit from 25, 30 yards?

CHRIS RILEY: I have a feeling what touch he has for a guy who hits the ball a long ways. That's why he's won his majors. He has great hands. As soon as he hit it out of there, it was coming out pretty hard and I saw it check, and I thought this has a shot. And the crowd was getting louder and louder as the ball went towards the hole. It really didn't phase me. I was going to stick to my routine. And as loud as they yelled, two practice strokes, keep that head still and stroke it. And when I stroked it, I would have bet a lot of money that it was going to go in, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: I would say about six feet.

Q. What were you thinking when he pulled the 3 wood out of the bag?

CHRIS RILEY: I thought he was either going to make eagle or he would be out of the hole. Hats off to Luke Donald, too. I played the first three rounds with him. We were neck in neck all week. He hit the ball a little bit better than me, but I made a few more putts. We're pretty good players ourselves and we weren't intimidated I mean, I wasn't intimidated at all. It was a just a great feeling to be out there playing with him.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: I've got a good friend, Craig, in Las Vegas, we always joke, if we get in a playoff I would rather lose to him. But John Daly, what a great story for golf. I'm just happy for him. He's a phenomenal player and to win is something.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: To tell you the truth, I didn't really me and Todd were talking yesterday that this course is a monster, if you can post a score you know, I wasn't thinking 10 was going to playoff, when there was a 13, a 12 and an 11 to start the day. I new Stewart Cink was up there at 12, and he's played in U.S. Opens. He is a great player. I told myself not to look at score boards, I peeked and saw they were coming back to us. Maybe that's not a good thing. I have to work on that, not look at score boards, because it's just added pressure. I have enough pressure out there as it is, just working on my game. 10 under, I didn't think I was going to be in a playoff today. If you had told me at the beginning. I made a lot of birdies, but also made a lot of bogeys. It was fun. It was a lot of fun.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: That was one of the best putts I hit in my life, on 16.

Q. (Inaudible)?

CHRIS RILEY: Absolutely, those putts but I didn't know the situation. I don't even know, was I 10? Yeah, I was 10 going into 15. I made a great par there, up and down.

16, I made one of the best putts I've ever hit. It broke about two feet, and it would have gone through the size of a ball, I hit it so good.

On 17, I still thought I was one back and I hit a quick hook and got a great putt there. And then my putt there, I thought I made it.

To make birdie on 18 to get it back to 10, I was very happy.

Q. Standing over that putt after Daly putted out, were you nervous at all?

CHRIS RILEY: Surprisingly, no. I was more nervous waiting for the playoff to start. My stomach was hurting a little bit. Athletes I love having to make a shot. Sometimes I don't do it, but I love to know that I have to make this putt. That's what I practice. I can't tell you how much I thought I was going to make it. I told myself this is what I'm here for, I've worked all my life on my putting to make this putt in a pressure situation. All I can do is hit a good putt. Obviously I made a good putt, but not good enough. It was something.

Q. When you were walking back to 18, were you thinking this is my home course?

CHRIS RILEY: No, I was thinking more like you're going to have to make birdie. Par 5, three guys, you know someone is going to make a birdie. Playoffs in the past, birdie is going to win. I really felt there was nothing to lose, everything to gain, especially, I guess, a Buick, if you can win a Buick, I would love to get a Buick Rainier.

I felt great. I did everything I could, it just didn't turn out.

End of FastScripts.