CHRYSLER CHAMPIONSHIP

October 31, 2003

Jose Coceres

TODD BUDNICK: Jose, back-to-back rounds of 68. Talk a little bit today about the course playing differently today than yesterday.

JOSE COCERES: Yes, I play in the afternoon, yesterday in the morning.

Q. A side from the time periods, the same score?

JOSE COCERES: I played two rounds.

THE INTERPRETER: I played very concentrated, two rounds and have 69. He said it's very important because of the conditions to hit the fairways, center of the fairway, center of the green. Take advantage of the opportunities as they come but really shoot for par.

JOSE COCERES: Not too many chances for birdie.

Q. Jose, a tale of two cities, a tale of two seasons; you make 36 of your first 11 cuts, seven of your last nine; what's the difference.

THE INTERPRETER: Basically, last year going back to 2002 was because he was recovering from his hand. This season it's the beginning of the season, he wasn't as comfortable personally, his life wasn't as comfortable as it is now. Now he feels more comfortable.

Q. The hand injury, that was the soccer injury, correct?

JOSE COCERES: Yes.

Q. How disappointing was it to become injured that way and to then, you know, have to take time off from golf?

THE INTERPRETER: That was the first time ever he was that long without playing golf. Normally it was a month, taken a month off or some period of time but never that long. He says that he thanks God, thanks God that he has come back strong and now basically it's not a factor at all. He has fully recovered. And he said actually it was a pretty good rest.

Q. Just to clarify, it was just a freak accident, correct, horsing around while playing?

THE INTERPRETER: They were playing and horsing, they were playing and he obviously is a little more aggressive and fell down. It was the left-upper wrist, not the wrist but the bone itself. I don't know which bone that is. A hairline fracture.

Q. Why has it been difficult to get comfortable personally this year?

THE INTERPRETER: Basically those are more personal issues and not going to be discussed. But he says it's something that he is learning how to feel a bit more comfortable in his own skin and that, you know, it's more important for him to now start feeling more comfortable as opposed to winning tournaments. It would not be of value to him or of benefit if he wins a tournament and doesn't feel good about himself. Now he is learning to be a little more comfortable, from our description in his own skin and coming to terms with how he has to address his life.

Q. He missed how much after football, the soccer injury; through Match Play, right?

THE INTERPRETER: He played BellSouth and Masters. He didn't really recover.

Q. That's my question, was it very difficult that being his first chance to play Augusta?

THE INTERPRETER: No, no. He had played Augusta twice before.

Q. We are talking about the 2002 masters?

THE INTERPRETER: He played in 2001 and he played in 2003 as well. And he missed the cut by one.

Q. Foreign invitation?

THE INTERPRETER: Top-50. He won Dubai and was Top-50.

Q. Can you ask what he thinks of the golf course here?

THE INTERPRETER: He thinks without a doubt it's good enough to play a major event here. He likes the golf course. He says it's very difficult because of the wind and the conditions. There is some greens that if you miss it just on the wrong side with some green and the drops or the lies, the angles on the green are tough.

Q. What through in the off-season will you go back home, what's the schedule like once the season is over?

THE INTERPRETER: Go play football with the friends. With my hands behind my back. He has three children so he spends a lot of time with the children, plays soccer. Argentina it's backwards, so it's summertime now. They go to the beach, the river. Put some time back in the family because I'm over here a lot and in January go to the beach.

Q. Will you put your clubs away; do you practice play at all at that time?

THE INTERPRETER: He keeps on working out but he may put the clubs away for a month. He needs five days of practice to get back into shape.

Q. Obviously, last year the injury recovering from that hurt his play and kept him from any kind of a decent chance of making the President's Cup team?

THE INTERPRETER: Which he would have made if the President's Cup team hadn't have been suspended for 9/11.

Q. Countrymen like Romero and (inaudible), was it disappointing to him?

THE INTERPRETER: He thinks that taking into account Romero's quality of play, world ranking and his experience, he says he was surprised that Romero wasn't picked as one of the captain's choices because agewise he is not going to have that many opportunities.

Q. Does he think Americans have any idea how rich Romero is going to get by the time he is 50?

THE INTERPRETER: He is offering to manage him. Easy money.

JOSE COCERES: Easy money.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.