BELLSOUTH CLASSIC

March 31, 2000

Paul Stankowski

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Well, today was pretty much the same kind of day as yesterday. I didn't hit it that great. Hit some good shots, though, which helped capitalize on a couple of birdies, but still wasn't what I wanted tee-to-green, but definitely 2-under par, I will take. It was kind of swirly out there. The wind blowing about -- it was about a club wind and so I thought the golf course played fairly tough today, a little tougher than yesterday for sure. But, yeah, it was one of those days. I had three 3-putts, but yesterday I made a couple of good putts, so, I am pleased with the outcome.

PAUL STANKOWSKI: No. I mean, I don't think that it makes a difference one way or the other.

PAUL STANKOWSKI: You know, I'd like to hit the ball well. That is the thing. If I had a lot of confidence right now I'd be sitting up here saying shoot, I am -- there is no doubt I am going to win the golf tournament if I keep hitting it good, but I don't feel like I am hitting it that great and -- but I know that if I continue to do what I am doing, I am going to have a chance to win the golf tournament. But I am not sitting up here with a lot of confidence that I am going to shoot 66, 66 the next two days. I definitely know it is possible. I believe in my abilities, but I am not quite as sharp as I want to be and so -- yeah, I don't know if I answered your question or not but that is basically it. I don't feel that -- for the last two years I have played pretty poorly, but I still believe that every time I teed it up that I'd have a chance to win a golf tournament if I hit it good and I just never hit it good. If I hit it good, I putted bad. (inaudible). So I never stop believing that I have the game to win out here on Tour. I know that when things are going my way and I am rolling it good and chipping good and hitting it good, obviously, anybody out here who hits it really well, chips it well and putts it well is going to have a chance to win regardless of who is in the field. I believe I am in the same category, just some guys can hit it good, putt good, chip it good every week and other guys do it three times a year. I'd like to get more opportunities. 1997 was a fun year to me because I had a ton of opportunities to win, every week going into the weekend, you know, I had a chance to win. I think that year I had a 72 scoring average on Sunday and still finished 20th on the money list. But I think that this week isn't any different from last week going in. Obviously I shot 159. Now I am not at 159 so, there is a big difference but I don't feel any different this week as did I last week, who knows, go figure.

PAUL STANKOWSKI: No, I think that if I hit it exactly like I have hit it the last two days, I can still win the golf tournament. I have not done anything outstanding the first two days and currently I am an 8-under par, but I have made four putts over 25 feet this week and if I can keep that up, shoot, good things are going to happen. I have gotten up-and-down every time I have missed a green which is a good thing. But like I said, today I had three 3-putts but they were from 30 feet, 50 feet and 30 feet. So, that shows I am not hitting the ball really closely all the time, but I had a few 5-footers today and so -- yeah, I can still win hitting it the way I am hitting it just because I believe I am a great putter, great putter, I am a great chipper. (laughs).

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Yesterday I hit a drive down the left side of the fairway, I couldn't get there. Today I hit it down the right side of the fairway and had 4-iron, but I had 4-iron in my hand, downhill lie, it is a still challenging shot. Today was probably one of the tougher pins, front right, but no, I like it. I like the par 5s; that if you hit a good drive you can get home in 2, but you are not going to hit 5-iron or 7-iron into the green. To get home in 2 this week you are going to have hit a good second shot or to hit it close because it is downhill lie. You are going to have either a hanging lie or downhill lie, and that is not too easy. I like the hole a lot better now definitely.