JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC

January 31, 2004

Thomas Bjorn

GORDON SIMPSON: Okay. Well, Thomas, you managed to hold on to your lead although at one point Jimenez got in front of you. But are you satisfied with the position?

THOMAS BJORN: No, you got to be satisfied with leading a golf tournament. It was tough today. It was about the hottest I've probably ever been on a golf course I think. No, it was a long day. Didn't particularly drive the ball very well today and I created some problems for myself. And all in all, I probably got what I deserved today, but no, I was happy. I kept it going, especially on the back nine when I started hitting a couple loose tee shots and I still just maintained a good rhythm and stayed positive and just am happy to get in the club house and be in a position for tomorrow where I got a chance to win the golf tournament.

GORDON SIMPSON: Is it the concentration that goes? Is that the hardest bit?

THOMAS BJORN: It's tough. It's tough to -- I mean it makes it tough when you come out and you play and you all of a sudden find yourself in a situation where you hope to be in that situation, but you might not really expect it. And all of a sudden everything comes back so fast and you have just not been in, you're not into the rhythm of playing golf tournaments. And I mean I was hitting it from, after 7 holes or so, I was 5-under par and leading the golf tournament. And I've led the golf tournament pretty much ever since. And that takes a little bit extra out of you. And in this heat it just make it's a little bit difficult. But, no, I'm happy with the way I'm performing, I need a good rest tonight that's for sure and then I'll be ready for tomorrow.

GORDON SIMPSON: Questions?

Q. You would say that's the hardest day you've ever had an on a golf course?

THOMAS BJORN: No I said the hottest.

Q. Hottest?

THOMAS BJORN: That's different. I've had harder days, certainly.

Q. I was going to remind you of a few. Three really good breaks, the one-on-one, obviously with the drive to get over the trouble. Nearly in the water on that?

THOMAS BJORN: Um-hum.

Q. On where? On the 11th? No. Here on. Just carried the water from the rough?

THOMAS BJORN: Oh, on 11, my second shot.

Q. Yeah.

THOMAS BJORN: There was a couple of good breaks, but the last four holes I got four putts. On 17, that's nothing, but 15, 16 and 18, they are never missing and they all missed. And it evens out for the day. I got my good breaks and you got to take advantage of that. But all in all, I said to you before, on this golf course you need a couple of good breaks, because it's tight, the rough is severe. And I just made the most of it. If you saw the lie on 11, you would say it's impossible for the ball not to come out and fly. And it didn't. So is that a break or is that unlucky? I mean, you got to look at those things from two ways, and that's the way I look at it. And I was pretty sure, I mean if I got half decent contact, that it would carry the water, I mean, it just made it over.

Q. And the really good lie obviously for the second shot on 17.

THOMAS BJORN: Yeah. But I mean I hit a wonderful tee shot there. Straight down the middle of the fairway and it runs out of the fairway like that. I mean, I can't hit a better tee shot than that. Yeah, I caught a good lie, but tell you what, it was sitting that high in the grass that if I had got under it, it could have still been there after the shot. It could have gone straight under it. So it was not the easiest golf shot in the world. But I hit the best golf shot of the day there, the second shot, really, a 5-wood there. It was almost 250 yards. But, no, that was the highlight of the day that's for sure.

Q. You talked about these past three days, but is it important to you psychologically not to lose your lead?

THOMAS BJORN: No. I'm a good enough player to win from behind and I'm also a good enough player to win from the front. And I know that. But there's some good players out there and I had a chance today to put some air in between me and some real threats, but by only getting it to 14-under, a couple guys are still in the golf tournament. And I could have put some daylight between me and them. But we'll focus on golf tomorrow and focus on me. And there's some good players right behind me and a little bit further back there's some top quality players.

GORDON SIMPSON: Thomas, well done. Thanks very much for coming in.

THOMAS BJORN: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.