THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT

May 26, 2000

Steve Lowery

STEVE LOWERY: A lot easier day. The golf course was absolutely perfect and the conditions were really good. I felt like pin placements weren't as tough today as yesterday, and you're able to get your iron shots a little closer in there.

STEVE LOWERY: I think it was a combination, really. I mean, it was just easier to get the ball close. So I guess the wind probably had a bigger factor than anything, yesterday.

STEVE LOWERY: I played -- I birdied all four par 5s and just played consistent -- you know, kept the ball -- tried to play smart when I could. Laid up most of the time on the par 5s and didn't really go for it, when I could have a couple times. On the 4th hole just laid it up and made birdie there, kept my round going. Did the same thing on 7. I laid up there and got the wedge up-and-down. 11, also, wedge up-and-down. 15, I actually drove it in the rough and had to lay up and got that one up-and-down. Par 5s were good for me.

STEVE LOWERY: He sure did. We had 225 to the front. I could easily get there in 2, but he just said, "You know the ball is going to hit over the back and it will be a tough downhill chip. I think you could get your wedge closer than that downhill chip." And I hit my sand wedge about a foot. So it worked out. It worked out today. Kind of kept me going.

STEVE LOWERY: Yeah, I putted good all day. I made all the putts I expected to make, and I just felt really good putting. Really good. Yesterday, too.

STEVE LOWERY: Everybody knows it's coming, from what they are talking about. But we have forecasts like that and it could go north and be like today. So you just can't -- you just kind of take it as it comes, just like the golf course. You kind of make decisions on the fly. If the weather starts coming around or mill around, just have to adjust to it when it does come. You know it's going to affect the scores and you just have to adjust accordingly. You have to be patient in that kind of situation.

STEVE LOWERY: Yeah. I'm really -- my game has been coming around. It's been on the outs for a while. These things are really starting to come together. My short game is a lot better than it's been in a while, probably in a couple years. Putting is coming back consistently, you know, and I just -- I'm feeling a lot better about my game. 2nd hole, I kind of played it out to the left. Pin was tucked over there by the water, and that putt had to be 35, 40 feet, I guess. And it just -- you know I was trying to lag it up there and it went in on 2. And then I birdied the par 5 from a foot. On 7, birdied that from about -- I hit the wedge probably about 15 feet, 10, 15 feet. 11, laid up there and hit a wedge to about 12 feet, I guess. Made a good but there. It was a breaker there. 13, I hit 3-wood off the tee and hit 7-iron to about five feet. Made a good putt there. Kind of a slick putt. 15, I hit a sand wedge up there about, I don't know, four feet I feet, I guess. I had a few other chances. I had a chance there on 18, pretty close didn't make it. It was probably about seven feet.

STEVE LOWERY: I think it's perfect. I don't think it's soggy. The greens -- the pace on the greens is getting quicker. If it doesn't rain, the scores may turn around and start coming back the other way. The greens are getting quick; so, I don't know, if the rain softens it may stay the way it is. But I can definitely see this golf course getting hard and fast on the greens.

STEVE LOWERY: Absolutely. I'm starting to play better. And to shoot 6-under round here any time is good, and with this field to be right in there, I feel good.

STEVE LOWERY: I've been working on my grip and my long game; and my grip got a little bit too strong and it was affecting my short game. I think when I changed -- made a grip change a little bit in my long game it seemed to help my short game. So, it just kind of carried over.

STEVE LOWERY: No. Not really.