THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 27, 1997

Taylor Smith

TAYLOR SMITH: Well, I played a practice round yesterday for the week on the backside, so I knew it a little better. No, I am just kidding. I got off to a pretty good start, birdied one of the first four; hit it close on the first four holes, made a double-bogey on the fifth. It got stuck in one of those pot bunkers. But, double there. And, parred around and made bogey on 9 with a wedge on there and then backside -- you want to go over this?

TAYLOR SMITH: About 12 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: Pitching wedge.

TAYLOR SMITH: Hit it in the right pot bunker on my second shot, and it kind of stuck on that wall up there in the grassy area. I left it there, then hit it on in two putts for 6.

TAYLOR SMITH: I hit it in the right rough in two. Hit pitching wedge short. Chipped it by and two putts for 6.

TAYLOR SMITH: It was about 15 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: Bunker shot about four feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: Sand wedge, 15 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: 6-iron, 20 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: 7-iron, 15 -- 20 feet. 20 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: I made a good 2-putt.

TAYLOR SMITH: No, it wasn't 80 --

TAYLOR SMITH: It was 70 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: Two putts from -- 5-wood in there, 2-putts from about 40 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: Yeah. Hit 9-iron about 8 feet.

TAYLOR SMITH: Well, I really -- I couldn't make -- the first four holes -- I think I birdied the 4th hole, but other than that, I hit it close and just couldn't make a birdie. And, felt like I was going to play real well on the front, and then after that double-bogey, I just kept plugging away. I was hitting good shots. My score wasn't good. Next thing I know, I turned it 2-over, and I felt like I played, you know, felt like I could have shot 33 easily. Then, the backside, I just kept hitting good tee shots and hitting it fairly close to the hole. And, once you make a few putts out here, you make two birdies in a row, you are thinking 3, then you make that one, then you feel like you can't miss. Everything is positive.

TAYLOR SMITH: Not really. Made par 5s. I was teeing it up on pencils on all the par 5s trying to carry it a long ways because I know if you get it on in 2 -- if you hit a low tee shot on the par 5s, you are not going to get there in two because the ball is just plugging, it is actually just not rolling very far. So I teed it on pencils and got on both -- right on the edge of the first one in two, par 5. Then, the second one, I got on in two, but if you can hit these fairways, you are going to play pretty good this week. I think I only hit it in the rough once. It was very deep. So the guys -- if they are not hitting their tee shots good this week, you're definitely in trouble.

TAYLOR SMITH: I usually carry those long tees for holes like that. And, my little brother was following me today, and he said he only had one left and he had to play a match tomorrow, so he wouldn't give me his, so I had to use pencils. When I have to carry the ball a long ways and it is a little downwind, every now and then if the hole is kind of open I will tee it up on a pencil.

TAYLOR SMITH: Probably twice as high as a normal tee.

TAYLOR SMITH: I pull the eraser out, and you've got a perfect little tee.

TAYLOR SMITH: I just want to get off to a good start is what I told myself last night. Get yourself anywhere around the lead. You can't win it the first day, but you can lose it the first day. I just wanted to get -- just get a good solid start and just plug it away. This tournament is worth -- this will make your whole career if you can win this thing, so I told myself I am going to really, really shoot for the first.

TAYLOR SMITH: I probably -- I think my driving average is around 270, maybe, but I probably gain about 20 -- at least 20 to -- probably 20 yards off a pencil, it will carry, but I am not as accurate off a pencil, so I don't do it very often. Just on par 5s.

TAYLOR SMITH: Just keep plugging away. I just want to treat each shot out there as if it is the most important shot of my life. If I can do that, then even if I walk off the golf course with a 75, I will still -- I will know that I tried as hard as I can. That way you keep peace of mind out here. When I have been in contention, that is what I said, I am going to try as hard as I can on every shot. Then when you walk away that day, there is nothing else you can do. That is all you can do.

TAYLOR SMITH: Yeah, same putter, different grip. I have got foam grips on there, really it made it -- made it lighter or made it really the head of it heavier swing weight, but it is the same putter, yes. I cut the grips off the holed putter or I pulled them off and put it on a replica putter and made it the same length and donated it to the Christopher Reeves Charity, spinal -- they had an auction or something and I don't know what they got for it but still it went to good use anyway.

TAYLOR SMITH: It really helped me, I think. It made me a hungrier golfer out there. It makes me, each week strive to win. I know I can win. It makes me play a little bit harder and focus on first rather than just playing finishing good.

TAYLOR SMITH: It was a spinal --

TAYLOR SMITH: Yeah, it was up in Saint Louis. First annual, I think, and a radio station called me up there and so I fixed it all up and donated it to them.

TAYLOR SMITH: Some sports radio show was helping them put it on and I did an interview on the radio and then they told me about that and they asked if they could have the grips, so I put it on a replica putter.

TAYLOR SMITH: It did, but I don't know how much it got. I don't really want to know. (Audience laughter.) Probably hurt my feelings.

TAYLOR SMITH: No, I now that I think about it.

TAYLOR SMITH: I am pretty positive -- I am pretty sure it is.

TAYLOR SMITH: I break them every time.

TAYLOR SMITH: My caddie, he carries them. When doesn't have them in his pocket he gets fined.

TAYLOR SMITH: No, I have always -- I used to tee the ball up on junior events. I used to tee it up as high as I could on the first tee and just sky, pop it up and look at everybody and start laughing. My dad told me I used to do that, I always teed it up as high as I could and just didn't have any long tees this week, so I had to use pencils.

TAYLOR SMITH: No, I am just --

TAYLOR SMITH: I don't know what I was doing when I was a little kid.

TAYLOR SMITH: I used it on two par 5s on the back No. 11 and 16.

TAYLOR SMITH: Yeah. I will do it tomorrow. I will do the same thing.

TAYLOR SMITH: Yeah, with the eraser, short ones with the erasers.

TAYLOR SMITH: In Hawaii, I was on 18 and I am sitting there and Jim gal Gallagher and some other threesome was walking by and I am on the tee box sitting down trying to put this golf ball on my pencil and it took me at least five minutes to get it on there. I finally got it on there. It is tough without the eraser, the little metal cap on top.

TAYLOR SMITH: No. Jumbo Ozaki, I think he tees it up on a big tee as high as he can.

TAYLOR SMITH: Chi Chi has those big high tees. I have got bags of them at home. I just didn't have any with me or else I would have used a regular big tee. But I did birdie those holes with the pencil, so I will keep doing it.