Now, I grind it out a little bit more than I ever used to. Especially with the money that we are playing for now. I understand it. And me, I have always been the type of player that can make six or seven birdies in a row. I just never let myself do it. I would always -- if I was out of it I didn't care. That's how I played the first part of my career which is why I struggled so much.
You know I had those good weeks when I finished second or third, you know. But I would have too many where it didn't matter. I would miss the cut by 10, you know, that kind of stuff. Now I grind it out over the last bunch of years. I missed a lot of shots by one shot. Maybe not playing well, but grinding it out and getting close.
Q. Don't players who don't grind it out, don't they convince themselves they are; what made you realize --
ROBERT GAMEZ: You know, I don't know. I got older, I think more than anything. I think that's all it is, just a little maturity. Just realizing that there is more to it.
And probably a few rounds where I did struggle early and didn't give up right away and came back and brought it back. I think that probably did it more than anything.
Q. To some degree, is there a negative connotation of being a grinder; it doesn't say I'm flashy; it's not impressive, "Well, he grinds"?
ROBERT GAMEZ: I think everybody out here grinds. For the most part just some players take a little longer to grind than others do, is what it is. The worst thing is the slow play out here. And people think of that as a guy grinding too hard and taking too long.
I think everybody out here is grinding whether they are John Daly. I know John kind of gives up once in a while. But early in the week he will be out there grinding but he plays quick. That's the way I am. Now I grind it out but I play fast. It doesn't take me all day to play. At least I don't want it to. The longer it takes me to hit shots the worse I hit them, it's always been that way, the more I started thinking the worse I'm going to play.
Q. By that approach then, I would think that this is a golf course that you obviously said you like but that would be a good reason because it is a grinder's course?
ROBERT GAMEZ: It is a grinder's course and you know what, I have always been a good ball-striker, that has always been the thing that was the best part of my game. I always used to drive the ball in the fairway and hit good iron shots. Like I said, today, I did that. I may have only missed two or three fairways; maybe two where I was really not -- maybe a couple just on the edge in the first cut. But maybe only one or two in the thick rough.
Again, I think I only chipped three times. I chipped three times. I missed a couple of greens on the fringes, but they weren't far from the hole but just on the fringe, that kind of thing.
Q. How big a deal is it for you guys to come to a golf course that you say that you like?
ROBERT GAMEZ: It's huge.
Q. Does it immediately feel like you can post a good score there?
ROBERT GAMEZ: It's huge. You know, I think I don't go to courses that I don't care for. I don't play Castle Pines. I just don't play there because I don't care for the golf course. I loved Wachovia in Charlotte this year; was one of my favorites -- probably my favorite course of the year. And this is two or three along with Bay Hill. I finished second. You just get to a course and you really like it. It gives you a little confidence, just happy to be there. It suits me, just looking at the tee shots and the greens and just everything about it. I have good memories from here, you know. Like I said Wachovia, I didn't get to play a practice round but when I first got out there and my caddy told me where I was going, I mean just looking at the golf course was a good golf course to play.
Q. You started coming here in AJGA?
ROBERT GAMEZ: I started playing the AJGA Tournament here, the Match Play.
Q. Do you recall how old you were?
ROBERT GAMEZ: 16 or 17 or 18. I have been coming here a long time.
Q. You had good success?
ROBERT GAMEZ: I had good success. I always liked the golf course. Then the J.C. Penney. I think I only skipped one year; I skipped in '91. You know, I just love coming here. It's nice that we are playing a tour event here.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Go through your birdies and bogeys, start on the first birdie on 3.
ROBERT GAMEZ: I hit a good drive. I hit a driver up the left side. Hit a 7-iron there about three feet.
I bogeyed 4, hit it just over the back. I probably could have putted it but it was just off the fringe and I hit this chip. It wasn't that bad a chip it just got away from me. I didn't judge the speed right. I hit it by about 15 feet and missed it.
And then on 5, I had to lay up. It's a lot longer now. I had 108 yards to the hole and hit a sand wedge about six inches, five inches; it was going in the hole and broke right at the very end.
And I 3-putted 6. I hit my tee shot -- what I thought was going to be perfect up the right and I hit it in the rough. I hit a good shot to hit it on the green and I 3-putted from about 20 feet.
7, I hit it -- I hit a sand wedge in there about a foot.
8, I hit a 3-iron. That's the only really good putt I made. I hit it just right of the hole. I was hole high, just right so whatever the pin is from the edge of the green, like a 12-footer maybe.
13, I hit a decent tee shot. I hit it up in the air a little bit. Hit it short of the green, hit a mediocre chip to eight, ten feet and missed it. Eight or ten feet. It was an easy putt and I didn't hit a good putt.
On the par-5 I hit my second shot in the left bunker. Hit a long bunker shot about 30 yards, hit it six or seven feet and made it.
17, I hit a 3-iron in there about six inches from the hole.
Like I said I had 30 putts today, what I consider -- like I said a couple from the fringe. I just didn't make -- I had a lot more close putts. I missed a short one at 11. I lipped out one on 1. I lipped out on 18 from about 10 feet.
It could have been better. It couldn't have been much worse. I really didn't get up-and-down -- two of the bogeys on the par-3 where I missed the green. I didn't get up and down like I should have. I had the one 3-putt and didn't make anything. I'm striking the ball so well that it's fun to play but it's also frustrating when you don't make any putts.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Robert thanks.
End of FastScripts.
