SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

April 26, 2003

Mark Calcavecchia

TODD BUDNICK: Welcome Mark Calcavecchia, 68 today, one back of Freddie heading into tomorrow. Will be another matchup between you two tomorrow. Talk a little bit about that.

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: It should be fun. I always enjoy playing with Fred. We played a lot of golf together a couple of Ryder Cups and I figure four Hyundai team matches, I think won a couple of those Best Balls so we know each other's games real well. I almost know when Fred is going to make a putt before he does, I think I knew he was going to make the one on the last hole. It puts him 1-up, and I am going to have to play a really good tomorrow to beat him - anybody else for that matter. The course is giving up some low scores; weather is perfect. It is playing a lot faster, so I think tomorrow the key thing for me is I got to hit more fairways somehow.

TODD BUDNICK: Obviously both want to come out a winner tomorrow but does it make it easier playing with somebody that you are comfortable with; does it change your thoughts going into tomorrow?

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Yes and no. Just makes it easier in sense that Fred is a friend and you know, very good guy to play golf with. He will tell you great shot or talk about something else or hockey or basketball or something as opposed to you know, Stuart and I aren't that good of friends although -- everybody is friendly out here, but I really don't know him that well and if we were to be paired together probably be a little quieter atmosphere as far as talking. So I am just glad I am in the last group again. I kind of lagged my putt on 18, I mean I was trying to make it but I didn't want to 3-putt because I was aware of the fact that Fred and I were 15-under. Whether he made his or not I knew if I 2-putted I knew I would be playing back tomorrow. I didn't want to race it by three feet.

TODD BUDNICK: Talk about what has gotten you to play solid.

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I have hit a lot of good iron shots. My short game is pretty good. I did miss some greens. I made -- I saved three shots today really with my L-wedge on 10, 12 and 13, so you know, holing out the bunker shot on 13 helped, great ups and downs on 10 and 12. Played the par 5 okay, I think I am 8-under for the 12 par 5s but I missed every fairway on the par 5s today. If you are going to hit four good drives you need to do it on those four holes. If you can do that and take advantage of those four holes maybe birdie all four of them, you just set yourself up for a good day right there.

Q. Will you watch the scoreboard tomorrow or?

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I definitely look at it. I like to know what is going on. Sometimes you forget about it you go three, four, five holes and not really think about it. All of a sudden you will just look up you will see a scoreboard. Doesn't bother me in the least. Especially being in the last group obviously we would know exactly what is going on what we have to do on the last hole or two, and if somebody, Jay Haas or somebody two, three, 4 shots back is going nuts then obviously it is kind of a wake-up call to say hey, we got to step on it right now and just be super aggressive and try to make birdies.

Q. So it does influence you?

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: It does definitely influence the way you play. For some reason everybody in the last five group shot even par on the front nine, well then it might -- influence you the other way, well nobody is going anywhere, don't do anything stupid type thing. So I like to know whether I don't need to do anything stupid or whether I need to need to try to do something stupid.

(Laughter). I don't know if that makes sense.

Q. You have been hanging around Fred too long.

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Yeah, exactly (laughs).

TODD BUDNICK: What is the keyed to your day tomorrow?

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: My goal is to hit 10 fairways tomorrow and that's my whole goal/key. If I do that, and don't win, then I either hit my irons bad or putted bad. But I don't think that will happen. If I can hit a lot of fairways tomorrow I am going to hit some irons close to the hole and make some birdies and I think have a good day.

Q. When you pick up three shots on one hole any temptation to go conservative to change your approach?

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: No. Especially not on a Saturday. When Fred doubled 7 and I made birdie, I really didn't think anything of it. You know he's going to make some birdies. He's playing the best I have seen him play in a long time actually and we played a lot together and he is hitting a lot of good shots. So I knew he was going to three -- I wasn't worried about him not having a good day at that point I was just happy I birdied the hole and was trying to figure out how to get the ball on the fairway. I am not going to be paying a whole lot of attention what he's doing tomorrow, but you know, just worry about my own game and hopefully get off to a good start and just kind of seed how the day unfolds and whether -- if I am having a good day whether it is Fred or Stuart or whoever is behind me, you know, then I will kind of evaluate the situation from there and see if I can get it into the house. I am going to the range to hit my driver. I can hit the range. I haven't missed the range this week (laughter).

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