NEC WORLD SERIES OF GOLF

August 25, 1996

Steve Stricker

STEVE STRICKER: It actually got better as the week went on. I didn't feel too good about my game coming in here, but in between rounds yesterday - in between rounds yesterday I spent a lot of time on the range. I went out there about an hour and a half before my tee time, just worked on my tempo a little bit. It helped for the next two rounds, and it kind of turned the - turned my momentum around. I played with Freddie yesterday and that got me excited a little bit, more motivated to play well. That kind of turned my whole tournament around, I think, that little practice. And then playing with Freddie and I played well with Freddie, and it just turned the whole next two rounds around.

STEVE STRICKER: Bogeyed on No. 1. Drove it in the right rough, pulled a hook, an 8-iron. I think the rough turned it over; hit left to the green; made a really good bogey. Number 2 driver and 2-iron, to the front edge of the green and 2-putted. The second putt was probably about a 10-footer. Number 5, I 3-putted; hit 5-iron to about 20 or 25 feet right at the hole and 3-putted. And then birdied 12, hit a 6-iron to about twelve feet, 13 I hit 7-iron, about 15 feet. And 14, I hit sand wedge to about -- another 12 or 15-footer and made all of those.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, kind of disappointing. We hit it close at 16 to about five feet and I don't know if -- I didn't hit a very good putt. I thought I hit it on my line. I might have been lined up wrong, but just leaked away to the right and 18 I had it about twelve feet again and I didn't hit a real aggressive putt, pulled it maybe just a little bit. Tried to squeak in there, but it just wasn't a very aggressive putt. Those two putts kinds of disappointing.

STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, I really did. You know, we made a good solid par at 15 and I told Nicki, you know, if we could just get -- I told her if we could birdie the last 3 and get to 6, you know, I thought that might do it. And as it turns out, it might have tied, but, you know, I got excited and I didn't feel overly nervous, but I was excited-nervous, and you know, I feel good the way I handled it coming in. I hit some good shots coming in. Just didn't convert and make the putts.

STEVE STRICKER: I had 80 to carry the water and 90 to the pin.

STEVE STRICKER: I hit a 60 degree wedge, which was the max for that club, you know, I had to hit it hard.

STEVE STRICKER: Like somebody told me -- oh, Peter Kostis - I was hitting balls and he said, oh, "you got the fifth major next week," meaning my hometown tournament - not my hometown, my home state, and it will be exciting to go home and play in front of the state people. They support me and Nicki a great deal. Last year we had a big crowd on Friday and hopefully if the weather is good people can come out, so it should be a lot of fun.