WGC ANDERSEN CONSULTING MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 22, 2000

Sergio Garcia

SERGIO GARCIA: I've always liked playing match play. And I'm looking forward to play here. I think this is my first event -- second as match play. But hopefully we'll play well. Let's see if we can win or do something good.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, it's a little better. I started, I would say poorly, but got a little better and had an okay week in Australia. I had an okay week. And the game is getting a little better, and hopefully we can play well here, and let's see if we can do something good.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, I played on Saturday. I came here and I had a week off, and I stayed like three days in Australia, and then I flew back on Thursday morning, I arrived here on Thursday. And I practiced on Saturday. It was a nice, beautiful day like today. And after that I just played seven holes yesterday.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, the course is pretty good. I like better the back nine, it's a little tougher. But the greens, when they get fast, they can be really difficult. And I like -- I think because of the rains it's going to be a little soft. But if it gets firm, it will be pretty tough. And the rough is really okay.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes. I'm here five days, so I feel pretty good.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, we're getting better, and looks like we're doing less mistakes. And we started so-so, but we're starting to know each other. It was a little tough at the beginning, because, well, you know, you've been with the same guy for ten years. So it's always tough to change. But it's changing a little, and we're starting to make a nice little group, and a pretty good team.

SERGIO GARCIA: A lot of things. A lot of things, because, Nick Faldo, he's a different player than me, and she had to change a lot of things.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I would say Nick Faldo is more mechanical than me, and I'm a longer hitter, I don't know, things like that. Little things that sometimes they're little, but they're tough to realize.

SERGIO GARCIA: No, I don't think so. We spend more time on the golf course.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I don't really like too much thinking. I like to have it clear and just go ahead and hit it. Sometimes I think that if you think too much, you're thinking too many things, you're not thinking about hitting the shot. And for me, for my way of play, I don't know, I want to know where the wind is coming from, and say can I hit a little cut or whatever, and that's it. I don't want to think about too many things.

SERGIO GARCIA: Just have it clear and hit it.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I've never played with him. But I know he's a great player. And it can be one of those games where you think, well, I don't know, he's maybe not that good, but then you realize that you're wrong. So I'm not going to be thinking like that. I know all the players here are really good players, and you have to believe in their possibilities all around. They're all good players, and you can't go out thinking, well, it's going to be easy, because then you start making a couple of putts, some birdies, and after six holes you realize you're 3-down, and you don't know what to do.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, he can. I heard he can get up-and-down from almost everywhere, and that's a good thing in match play, because there's something when you see your opponent on the green and you're thinking you're probably 15 feet from the hole, and you're thinking maybe I'm going to win this hole, and he goes up-and-down, and you miss it and you go, well -- it feels like you lost the hole instead of tying it. But I think I have to take care of him, and I have to be really concentrated, and just -- I think it's going to be tough. Every single match I think is going to be tough. So you have to realize that and play your best.

SERGIO GARCIA: I just saw, if I win and Carlos wins, we'll play the third round.

SERGIO GARCIA: What?

SERGIO GARCIA: A long time ago.

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I don't think at the beginning you're going to see that much, because Ryder Cup is different. But I think you're going to see some. Not only from me, I think from every player. So I think it's going to be a great tournament, and I hope that the people enjoy it.

SERGIO GARCIA: Two weeks off, Bay Hill, TPC, Masters -- I don't know, week off, I think, Spanish Open, Byron Nelson -- I don't know.

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, of course.

SERGIO GARCIA: He helped me a lot, and I've said this a lot of times, he's been very good with me and of course I'll probably end up doing exactly the same things, but of course I've seen some of the things he's done, and I've talked to him. I'm trying to do the best for me. And trying to do it the right way. Sometimes you don't, but you always try your best.

SERGIO GARCIA: Everything. I wouldn't say anything specific.

End of FastScripts….