CHRYSLER CHAMPIONSHIP

October 31, 2003

Charles Howell III

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks, Charles. Even par, 71 today. The course is little different, tougher time getting around it?

CHARLES HOWELL III: No. Today the wind blew early which was a big difference. I was kind of hoping that we would get out there and we would have some nice calm conditions where you can make a few birdies early. The wind blew early on today, just like it was yesterday. The wind blew for all 18 holes today.

Q. One bogey on the front 9, you didn't get your first birdie until No. 11, putting, driving?

CHARLES HOWELL III: You know, I just didn't really get a lot going early on. It wasn't really one thing or another. I was hanging in there, made a good few short putts for par and, you know, it's not easy, and there is no really like great birdie holes out there. It's not like a hole you can count on, that you can get one or two back here. Fortunately, I have taken advantage of a couple of the par-5s well. I shot even par, I don't think I moved back too terribly far and it shows it's not a very easy golf course.

Q. Is that score okay considering how it went?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, I think it was okay. I didn't play great today. My back nine was much better, my front nine was okay. I had two or three putts in there which you know. Obviously, you don't need any of those on a track like this when I 3-putted the 10th and the 15th. You know, but I hit some good shots. I made some good up-and-downs. It's even par. Around here with a bit of wind it's okay.

Q. You typically cannot expect to play great all four days, if you get a round like this and say this was my clunker of the week, I am in good shape?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Sure. If you see guys that win, they always generally have one really good round and then three solid rounds, I think.

A golf course like this, if you can go out and shoot a low one, being a 64 or 65, any of the four days and three other rounds, you are going to be in pretty good shape. That's what tournaments like this do for you. Tournaments like last week in Las Vegas and Bob Hope don't. Where you know if you go out this week and you shoot a 63 or 64, one of the four days, and you played well the other three, you are going to be right there. You know like a 71 on a day like today, when it was early, with a little bit of wind; I'm fine with that.

Q. Then this week would be in addition to a test of shot-making, it's a test of patience?

CHARLES HOWELL III: No doubt about it. Well, the last few tournaments have been Vegas and Disney where you make a lot of birdies and it requires very low scoring. You are a bit used to that.

And then you come to a golf course like this which is the total opposite of that.

It just takes a little bit of patience with that. Sure it does. You are not going to hit every fairway, you're not going to hit every green. So it's missing them in the right spots to get the ball up and down.

Q. Do you like your level of patience?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, I'm doing all right, yes. I'm hanging in there with it. All golfers get impatient at times. No, I'm doing well with it. That's one thing that I work on a lot. One thing that Brenden, my caddy, and I talk about during the round is that, especially on a course like this one. Every little birdie, every little bit goes a long way.

Q. Charles, when you came out, obviously, there was a lot of fanfare and a lot of the "young guns" talk. I'm just wondering now looking back on that, was that a blessing or a curse; was it tough to come out here with that kind of attention and expectations?

CHARLES HOWELL III: I think expectations are good because it's a bit of flattery. I think that people think that you are good or you have potential to be good. Then outside of that, expectations don't mean anything. Because you still have to go perform. You still have to go play.

You can speculate on anyone being great. But until they actually go out there and do it and play well then they haven't showed anything.

I think a lot of talk has been made about the young players and I think it's deserved on all of the young players.

If you throw Tiger out of the equation, and you look at what the young players have done from like a Sergio and then myself, and then David Gossett, Matt Kuchar playing his way on TOUR through sponsor exemptions, Luke Donald, there is a lot of good young players, that maybe because of what Tiger has done so extraordinary, has kind of shunned that a little bit.

There is a lot of talent out here age 25 and younger. You take a player like a David Gossett, I think he has made roughly $800,000 this year. People are wondering why haven't you played better this year. I mean, okay, David and I are the same age. $800,000 a year, I guess, nowadays according to today's standard isn't very good.

I think that maybe that's a little unjust.

Q. I think I understood you but I am not entirely clear; are you saying if not for Tiger and what he did, the standard that people set for some of the younger players might not be high?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, that's what I say exactly, yes. Prior to Tiger if you would have said, okay, this amount, a player like Aaron Baddeley, Adam Scott or David Gossett, myself, Luke, is going to come out on TOUR, straight out of college, right on the PGA TOUR, win within a year, solidly keep their card, that's a great player. Nowadays, it's why haven't you won more? What are you doing?

I mean, fair enough. Obviously expectations like that are great. You want people to think you should be right up there at the top and that's what all of us want. But then again you need to give a little bit of credit where credit is due. Although they are not getting a huge amount of recognition or being questioned they are still having very solid years. I mean comfortably keeping their card. Like Aaron Baddeley was even out for 12 weeks with an injury and has made around 850 or 900 hundred a year. That just goes to show you that's not to shabby.

Q. Is that a clothing injury?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, a clothing injury. I think it was, he saw himself in the mirror, jumped back and hurt himself.

Q. For some of the guys closer up the ladder, Ernie or Vijay, you said at some point it's your goal to be No. 1, a year ago, midway through when Tiger starts off with Masters and U.S. Open, did that look less attainable at that stage than it does at the end of 2003 where we are now?

CHARLES HOWELL III: It's a lot of incentive to work really hard. As far as attainable or not, Tiger is the same player then as he is now. He is still right now the best player in the world. No question about it.

For me to be the No. 1 player in the world I have a bit a ways to go.

If you want to go strictly off the world ranking systems, how many points he has and how many I have, I think I ranked 24 or so, he is 1. That's a long way to go and a lot of players to go through. You look at players like Vijay and Ernie. You know after Tiger's 2000 season, I don't think anyone would have thought that he would not have led the money list for the next five or six years. I just looked today; he made over nine million in one year.

Q. That's back when it was cheap.

CHARLES HOWELL III: That's when we were playing for nothing. That was before the shot thing. Back in the stone ages. It just goes to show you the guy has made nine million when the purses weren't as high as they are now. No one would have thought they would have caught him. This year it will be pretty close. A goal to be No. 1, it's still there. I think it's still attainable, but it's a lot of work.

Q. Birdie on 6?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, I missed a 3-wood off the tee into the trees. I chipped out, hit a sand wedge to about eight feet and missed the putt for par.

No. 10, a driver and 8-iron to about 35 feet, 3-putted. I birdied 11, hit a driver and 3-wood over the green on my second shot. Got up-and-down there for birdie.

No. 13, a par-3, hit a 6-iron to about four feet, birdie.

No. 14, par-5, driver and a 3-wood on to the green about 40 feet from the hole and I 2-putted that for birdie.

15 par-3, 4-iron to about 30 feet and 3-putted.

Q. How far was the birdie putt on 11 when you chipped on?

CHARLES HOWELL III: 11 was about 89 feet.

Q. The Shotlink said 19?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Shotlink said 19?

Q. So what is it?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Am I under oath. Am I in a deposition?

Q. No?

CHARLES HOWELL III: I would say it was closer to 8. They must have shot my head instead of the ball.

Q. Is that hole going to be retooled every day?

CHARLES HOWELL III: No; it played straight left-to-right there. I hit a really good drive and had 240 to the front. Yesterday it was a bit more off the left, so as long as it is not hurting it is reachable, yes. With some hurt it will be interesting. The wind was blowing in a perfect direction to play 11 and 14 now because 14 is playing (inaudible) straight off the second shot.

No. 1 is reachable, if you fit it in the neck.

The fifth hole isn't reachable. I would have a hard time seeing someone get there in two.

Q. Under any conditions or today?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Today, definitely not. You would have to have a lot of wind behind you. The second shot is straight uphill there. It will be interesting. I'm not sure someone could get there.

Q. Can you see the 14th green from where you hit your drive?

CHARLES HOWELL III: No, you are still a blind shot over a mound. You are not hitting uphill.

Q. What are you looking at?

CHARLES HOWELL III: You are looking at a Shotlink tower.

Q. Seriously?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes. It's on the left edge of the green. It's 37 meters from the hole.

Q. Just curious, you hit it a mile. Have you ever been on a range and just sort of stopped to watch Kuehne hit?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, it's frightening how far he hits it. He hits it different than anyone else out here. His launches it so tremendously high. I never seen anyone hit the ball as far as he does. I know those long-drive guys hit the ball a long way and all of that, but I would love to see Hank up against them with similar equipment. His speed is tremendous. Very long.

Q. Sort of like having to stop to see the bearded woman at the circus?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Yes, exactly, whatever you like.

I have known Hank a long time. We played some junior and college golf together and against each other. I even think maybe he might hit it further in college when he was swinging harder at it. It's pretty impressive, yes.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you, Charles. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.