DORAL-RYDER OPEN

March 4, 1999

Doug Barron

DOUG BARRON: I played real solid. I drove my ball really well. There were some really tough driving holes out there with that wind blowing. No. 3, in particular, kinds of sticks out in my mind. Just a lot of good driving holes. I have never played this course with that wind before. So it was pretty tough. I mean, 10 was a tough driving hole. 12 -- I kept hitting good drives. I hit a bunch of fairway bunkers, but the bunkers, they have done them great this year which I was more comfortable in them. The last couple of years in the past they have been kind of real soft and I have struggled out of them. But today, the fairway bunkers were much more playable. I thought they done a great job on those.

DOUG BARRON: I birdied 10. I hit a 9-iron in there, I think I was only like 115, but the wind was blowing so hard I hit it a couple feet. Then I birdied 12, hit 6-iron for my third shot out of the fairway bunker. That hole was playing extremely long today. Then I birdied 18, I hit a 9-iron in there about probably a foot. I hit it in there pretty close.

DOUG BARRON: About ten feet. I'd said ten, twelve feet.

DOUG BARRON: I bogeyed 13. I hit a really good shot. Misjudged the wind. I tried a 3-iron into a right-to-left wind; didn't quite get to the green. I didn't get it up-and-down. Actually made a good putt for bogey. 18, I hit it in there about a foot with a 9-iron. Never seen 18 play like that. It was the last two years I remember hitting 2-iron in on Thursdays, so, kind of laid down today for us, I guess. Let's see what other birdies. I birdied 2. Hit 7-iron from like 130 to about a foot. I had a lot of foot putts today. Birdied 5, hit 8-iron out of the fairway bunker to about 15 feet, made that. 7, I made it from just off the green, but it was really the best spot to be in. It was straight uphill about a 20-footer right in the center. Bogeyed 8, I had 206 to the front, hit really nice drive, and I had about 226 to the pin, hit 3-iron. I didn't get comfortable over it. I hit it a little thin; caught the water, I wedged it up there; hit a really nice putt. I just misread it. So.... Stumbled a little there, but when it is windy out there, I think you are going to hit some crappy shots every now and then. So.....

DOUG BARRON: Well, the second round we finished up in the dark, I was going to miss the cut, and I wasn't going to make it anyway, so I just -- I ended up flying home after that. It wasn't a matter of being injured as it was kind of pointless to come out and play five holes when I was playing bad. It was just -- didn't feel like going out there the next day.

DOUG BARRON: It is being -- I have never played well here at Doral, so really I wasn't really looking that forward to coming back. But I have gotten one of my best friends with me, a minister from back home, spending some time with me, and really just been working on trying to take a little pressure off my golf game. I have been putting too much pressure on myself, I guess, starting my third year I had all these great expectations and just got off to a bad start on the West Coast; didn't necessarily play bad every week, just my scores ended up too high after I finished everyday, so...

DOUG BARRON: Memphis. You can't tell?

DOUG BARRON: Chris Connely. He is sitting right behind you. I usually bring him out to a tournament once a year. He helps me at home a lot, disciples me at home, and like to bring him out once a year just to, you know, see how I am doing out on the road, kind of keep me in line.

DOUG BARRON: He did. I think he did. My wife will be happy with him.

DOUG BARRON: Looks like it is calming down out there. I think, you know, you never know out here someone shoots 65 everyday out here. I wasn't really thinking about a score or anything. Obviously No. 8 I kind of stumbled, cost a couple of shots, but seems like everyday someone gets hot, either in the morning or afternoon. So I think 66 will probably be the score of the day partially. The greens are just too good.

DOUG BARRON: Straight downwind, that is the most comfortable I have ever been on 18th tee. I am not a long hitter, probably average on Tour, and I mean, the water wasn't really in play today. Kind of a nice feeling. You can kind of take it over to where you know how Tiger feels now every time he plays all those long holes.