MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 9, 2003

Chris Riley

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Chris Riley, 8-under 65 today. No bogeys.

CHRIS RILEY: No. I played pretty good. I birdied 2, 3, 5, I think 6, then ten, 16, 17 and 18.

TODD BUDNICK: Not a bad start to the year.

CHRIS RILEY: Oh, yeah. I'm real happy with that. Actually 3-putted 15 for par, that got me going. I was kind of upset about that.

Then I fortunately birdied the last three. So I played pretty good, yeah.

TODD BUDNICK: Is this the kind of start you expected to see?

CHRIS RILEY: Well, I mean, I don't know what to expect to see, but I'm pretty happy with it. I know I've been working on my game. 8-under, I don't know if I expected that. I expected to do well.

TODD BUDNICK: We'll take some questions.

Q. How pleasant is it to play in these conditions, no wind?

CHRIS RILEY: You know, I don't know any other different conditions since this is my first time here. I want the wind to blow kind of because I'm from Las Vegas, the wind blows there, I practice in the wind quite a bit.

I like to actually hit different shots instead of just kind of bombs away. I'm putting really well right now. Hopefully the wind will blow.

Q. What do you do when you get mad? Make birdies?

CHRIS RILEY: I just kind of get mad (laughter). How you get mad, you know, couple swear words under your breath, walk to the next tee.

Q. What did you do on the last three holes?

CHRIS RILEY: 3-wood, 9-iron to about seven feet. On 17, I hit driver, 8-iron, to about three feet. Then 18, I hit driver, 5-wood in there about 35 feet and 2-putted.

Q. 8-iron on 17?

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah, 8-iron on 17.

Q. How far?

CHRIS RILEY: I think 170. I don't know (laughter).

Q. You don't know?

CHRIS RILEY: My caddie kind of gives me the club, yardage, but I don't think about it. I just think about how to hit it.

Q. Playing with Sauers, did you guys feed off each other?

CHRIS RILEY: I think we absolutely fed off each other. Like I said, it started on 2. We both birdied 2, we both birdied 3. He birdied 4, I birdied 5, we both birdied 6.

Yeah, we fed off each other quite a bit there today. He played well. We both played well. We had fun. That was pretty much it.

Q. He's been out here a long time, but disappeared for nine or 10 years.

CHRIS RILEY: He says it's his first time over here in 13 years.

Q. Did you know much about him?

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah. When I came onto the Nike Tour in '98, I think he was out there playing. College kid out of college, I know he's won some events on the PGA TOUR. I was kind of intimidated by Gene Sauers, the veterans out there. You're like, "Man, he's Gene Sauers," you know he's won some tournaments. I knew who Gene Sauers was when I came out.

Q. Sony last year with a 65 in the opening.

CHRIS RILEY: Kind of weird here in Hawaii. I played well -- I actually feel like my -- I mean, I'm putting and chipping really good. I always do that. But I don't really feel like I'm hitting the ball that great. Actually, my driver that I've been using for a year and a half cracked on Tuesday. I had a totally different driver out there today I've never used before. I wasn't too comfortable with that out there today.

No, I'm doing all right. I mean, like I said, I hope the wind blows so I can hit the low shots. I know how to hit the low shots.

Q. You had a shot that tournament going into the last day. Did you learn anything there?

CHRIS RILEY: At the Sony?

Q. Yes.

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah, I learned -- I learned -- every week I learn something. But that was a year ago. You know, you just can't force it out here. You know the guys are going to make birdies. You almost got to be lucky to win out here, I think. You just got to play your own game. If you make enough birdies to win, then you win. But I don't know.

Q. Don't you have a bet with your caddie on bogey-free rounds?

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah. Got it again today, 25 bucks if you don't make a bogey.

Q. He gives you the money?

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah. Because I know it turns into bigger money for him when he gets the percentage check at the end of the week.

Q. You give him money, then you give him money at the end of the week anyway?

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah (laughter). It's kind of funny.

Q. We got 18 first-time winners out here, then some of the older guard like Gene Sauers, Loren Roberts. Do you think the no wind today was kind of an equalizer for the whole field?

CHRIS RILEY: I mean, yeah, I guess so. I don't really look at it like that. I just try to play the golf course as it comes. I guess, yeah, I mean, it was even for everybody, for the guys who have never been over here. They say this is unbelievable, it hasn't blown for two days. The 18 first-time winners don't know any different. So it probably does even out the field, yeah.

TODD BUDNICK: Walk through the other birdies, starting with 2.

CHRIS RILEY: 2, 3-iron in there about five feet, hit a real good shot there.

Next hole, I hit driver, sand wedge in there, about 10 feet.

Next hole, I reached par 5, hit driver, 5-wood in there about 45 feet, 50 feet, 2-putted.

Next hole, I hit a driver, L-wedge in there about six inches.

Then on 10, I hit driver -- maybe it was a 3-wood, sand wedge, about four feet.

Then on 16, I hit 3-wood, 9-iron to about seven feet.

Q. Where did your drive go on 6?

CHRIS RILEY: 6? Oh, yeah, it ran all the way down the hill to about almost -- you could toss it on the green. I don't even know how the wind blows out here. Is that hole usually into the wind?

Q. Usually down.

CHRIS RILEY: Wind usually goes... I wish it would have blown today so I could see what it's like (laughter).

Q. You'll get your chance at the end of the week.

CHRIS RILEY: Yeah.

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