home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

BAY HILL INVITATIONAL PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD


March 20, 2004


Chad Campbell


ORLANDO, FLORIDA

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Chad thanks for joining us. An up-and-down round for you today, but you're just four behind Stuart going into tomorrow and second place. You're still in good position to win the Bay Hill Invitational. If we could start with some opening comments about your day today.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I came out, the front nine, I played really well, me and Stuart both. Made a lot of birdies. On the back nine missed a couple of fairways and got in trouble a little bit and didn't really finish off the way I would like. But Stuart played a great round and it's going to be tough to catch him.

Q. How bad was the wind out there?

CHAD CAMPBELL: It was quite a bit tougher than the last two days. You know, there's a couple shots like 17, that wind is taking right-to-left pretty hard, it's really hard to feel from the tee box. That hole without any wind is tough enough. It's quite a bit tougher than it was last two days.

Q. He obviously didn't give you any indication that he's going to not keep playing well; so do you feel you have to really do something special tomorrow?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I think so. He's hitting it really well and making a lot of putts, which is usually pretty tough to beat. So if he continues to do that, I'm going to have to shoot a really low number.

Q. Did you feel like you guys were feeding off each other in the first nine?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I think so. You know, he would make a putt, I would make a putt, kind of kept each other going. It was fun. I kind of slacked off on the back nine.

Q. But he wasn't just making like putts, he was making...

CHAD CAMPBELL: He was making some pretty lengthy ones.

Q. I wonder if you could talk about that stretch,5 through 8. And did you ever get a sense you were having to just keep up with him?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I know on 8 he made about a probably 40 -- 30-, 40-footer but I made a 30-footer for par which is pretty huge. Then 7 he made, I don't know what that was, probably 30 feet. And then 6 made 10-footer for birdie, 8-footer for birdie, if that. Probably not even that far.

What did he do on 5?

Q. He hit about a 40-footer, 45, something like that, yeah. Probably got used to it.

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, that was a bomb he made there. That was a great putt. But he's hitting it good, too. It's not like he's hitting it bad. He's hitting a lot golf shots, driving it really well. You know, making a lot of putts, like I said before.

Q. When it looks like you can maybe cut the margin a little bit and then he drops in another one on 17, at that point do you just throw your hands up?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, that's true. Nothing really you can do, it's kind of his day today. He took advantage of it. Got a pretty comfortable lead.

Q. All year long every tournament, it seems to comes down to the last hole or the last shot; big leads don't last and guys in lots of playoffs; there are no runways anymore?

CHAD CAMPBELL: It seems this way, it hasn't been that way. Every tournament seems like it's came down to the last hole. I guess I can say hopefully this tournament will, too.

Q. Over the last year and a half or so, your name has been mentioned as the next big thing, do you feel your own game coming together and mentally and physically?

CHAD CAMPBELL: No, I don't think it's a burden at all. I think it's an honor for people to say that and say that about my game. I have pretty high expectations of myself and I just try to exceed those and I'll be fine.

Q. On 15, John Daly was saying he just takes driver off the tee; he had no idea what to hit there. You drove it through the fairway.

CHAD CAMPBELL: I still haven't figured that hole out yet, I don't know why. I've hit everything. Today I don't think 2-iron would have been a bad play. You've just got to hit it over those bunkers, but you have to keep it short of the rough. It landed on a downslope. Driver is definitely not a bad play. You have to throw it out over the houses, but it's just -- you can hit a little bit of everything, hit 3-wood and slide it in there.

Q. What did you hit today?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I hit 3-wood and kind of double-crossed it.

Q. Do you think it's a benefit for you coming from behind to play with Stuart or to be maybe two or three groups behind and start posting a number?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I'm glad I'm in the last group. I guess I am, I don't know for sure.

Obviously, I would like to see what he's doing, if he comes out and plays well or if he plays bad, I know what I have to do to catch him.

Q. This is going to be your third time last group, going back to the PGA?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, that sounds about right.

Q. Is there any way that your win last year can help you tomorrow?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Yeah, I think so. You know, just knowing that I can get the job done that I have in the past that gives you a little confidence going into tomorrow; that you know that you can. If you haven't had a win, you might have a little doubt in your mind.

Q. What happened on 14? What kind of lie did you have?

CHAD CAMPBELL: 14, the par 3, it was just pretty thick. You know, it looks -- it's back into the grain but it's downhill and kind of back into the wind. It wasn't that bad of a lie. I just didn't hit a very good chip.

Q. Did you see Appleby's car?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I did.

Q. Can you fit in that?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I'd like to be able to fit in it. (Laughter.)

Q. See many of those in Texas?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Not many of them. That's a pretty nice ride.

Q. Are you optimistic about tomorrow?

CHAD CAMPBELL: I am. You know, I feel like I'm playing good. Just need to keep the ball in the fairway. I think that's what got me in trouble on the back nine. Obviously I hit one wrong club on 14, but other than that I feel like I'm swinging good and putting well. So I'm not worried about my game at all. I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow. I think I can come out and make a lot of birdies.

Q. You've been out here long enough now that be familiar with had some of these guys games, Appleby in probably the last four months is playing as well as anybody; he would be the first guy this year to win twice, do you see anything different with him, improvements or anything that you can put your finger on?

CHAD CAMPBELL: Honestly, this is the first time I've played with him. I heard him saying that he's putting a lot better this year and obviously saw that today. But yeah, you're right, he is playing as well as anybody is this year, playing really solid.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: If we can go through your score card. Birdies on 5, 6 and 7.

5, I hit 3-wood, wedge to about 12 feet.

6, I hit driver, 3-iron just off the front edge, putted up to a foot or two.

7, hit 6-iron to about 12, 5 feet past the hole.

12, the par 5, I hit a driver, 3-wood and hit it short right in the bunker, fanned it, had a great bunker hot to about eight feet and made that.

14, it's so hard to hit that -- you've got to land that ball short. You know, it's tough. I hit 6-iron. I obviously should have hit 7. Looking back on it it's easy to say now. Back on the tee I never thought it was 7.

15, 3-wood, left rough, up against the tree, chipped out and had like 195 yards. Hit it about 20 feet past the hole. 2-putted there.

16, driver, 5-iron, to probably 40 feet. 2-putted.

18, drove it right in the rough and didn't really have a good enough lie. Obviously didn't have a very good angle so I was just trying to play it short left and hit it there, hit it in the rough and chipped up to about 15 feet and missed the putt.

Q. Can you talk about the bunker shot on 17?

CHAD CAMPBELL: That was a great -- I was very impressed with that bunker shot. (Laughter.) It was kinds of a downhill lie. Luckily I had the wind blowing at me. If I didn't have the wind I would have had no chance; that was one of the better bunker shots, I've ever hit.

Q. Did that putt seem longer after the 20-footer he ran in?

CHAD CAMPBELL: You know what it did. It was probably three feet, but it was a good putt. Definitely needed to make that one.

Q. Would you like to see it blow tomorrow?

CHAD CAMPBELL: You know, either way, really. I think you probably have a better chance of making up ground if it does blow, like if it's a day like today, I think it's a lot easier to make up shots. So, I guess so.

End of FastScripts.

About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297