MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 9, 2003

Jonathan Byrd

TODD BUDNICK: Jonathan Byrd, 5-under 68, great way to start the season. Also Rookie-of-the-Year last year. We'll start with today, then we'll get to last year later.

JONATHAN BYRD: Okay.

TODD BUDNICK: Tell us about getting off to a great start.

JONATHAN BYRD: Yeah, it was a good day. I mean, kind of got to throw the expectations out today. First round of the year, everybody is probably a little rusty.

I think I hit 17 greens today. I didn't strike it real good, but my misses were good. Got off to a good start. Hit it about six feet on the 1st hole, missed it. Played the next few holes solid, had some good opportunities.

Par 5, 5th I guess, I hit it short of the green, right, got it up and down, pretty easy birdie.

I had a few more chances, just made pars.

9, I hit it about 25 feet for eagle, 3-putted.

My first mistake of the day.

Came back on 11, hit it about 10 feet, made birdie.

11, I hit it about, I guess, 20 feet, just over 20 feet, made birdie.

15, par 5, I hit 3-wood, 3-wood, about 30 feet or so, 2-putted for birdie.

Then I made a good 6-footer for par on 17.

18, got up and down from the right of the green, about 10 foot for birdie.

TODD BUDNICK: No bogeys.

JONATHAN BYRD: No bogeys. Always nice.

TODD BUDNICK: Did you play much in the off-season?

JONATHAN BYRD: I didn't play much. I practiced a good bit, tried to practice on my swing, get better. I think I only played nine holes, maybe 18 holes in the off-season, but I hit a bunch of balls.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's talk a bit about last year. Just announced this week, Rookie-of-the-Year. Had to be a thrill with that announcement.

JONATHAN BYRD: It's been a pretty cool three months. I win that tournament, finish off the year, getting in the Masters.

TODD BUDNICK: Get married?

JONATHAN BYRD: Get married. I had great holidays, then I got Rookie-of-the-Year. You're only a rookie once, so it's pretty special to be Rookie-of-the-Year, pretty big honor. Now I'm in Maui. It's been pretty exciting lately. Just keep getting blessed every week.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's take some questions.

Q. Looking down the road this year, obviously you had a lot of success last year, do you feel in any way it might be a little easier the second time around, knowing courses? Are you looking at it like that? Do you feel you might be able to build on what you did last year?

JONATHAN BYRD: I think so. I think the one difficult thing last year is just preparation. You kind of feel like you're behind every week. These other guys have seen the courses. You're trying to kind of catch up. Then you're not playing in the Wednesday ProAm. Have you to do all your work on Monday and Tuesday.

I mean, you know, I worked pretty hard last year. I played 32 tournaments. Now I know the courses a little bit. I'll be in a lot of the Wednesday ProAms, I think. I'll be able to kind of take my Mondays off, relax, but still get my work done on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I think my preparation will be a lot easier this year. Then you just feel a little more comfortable. You're still not content, but you're a lot more comfortable than you were your first year.

Q. What are your goals for the season?

JONATHAN BYRD: I guess my main goal is to just keep getting better. I'm still not real satisfied with my golf swing, some technical sides, just constantly trying to improve that, get better. Greens in regulation is my biggest goal, 130-something last year. I need to improve that the most. But just trying to get better at everything. You got to keep getting better; there's no room to stop out here.

You know, I got the same goals of winning golf tournaments, getting better from that end. But keep most of those to myself.

Q. Give us an idea of the conditions out there, if it changed during the day.

JONATHAN BYRD: Pretty easy. I mean, for here. Got a lot of room off the tee; the greens are big. You got a lot of room if you miss shots.

I've watched this tournament on TV at home, in college, or last year, waiting to go to Hawaii. I've never seen it like it played today. Usually the flag sticks are hitting the greens or something.

Not really what I expected. It was kind of there for the taking today, if you hit it well and putted well.

Q. If the winds do pick up over the next couple days, is that going to expose any flaws that you said you might have in your swing right now?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, obviously, the wind, you know, exposes the mistakes more. I didn't strike it too well today. But I got a few days. I got this afternoon to work on that. I need to strike the ball a little better when it gets windy.

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