BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC

January 23, 2004

Robert Gamez

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Great round today, 60. That was very impressive. Why don't you just talk about your round real quick and we'll go into a couple of questions.

ROBERT GAMEZ: Well, I started on the back nine and I hit a pretty good shot at the 10th hole and missed about a 12-footer for birdie.

Then I birdied 12, I guess it was, from about 25 feet.

This, the par 3, I 2-putted there.

14, I missed about a 6-footer for birdie.

15, I hit a 7-iron about ten feet and missed that.

Then I started making some putts. I birdied 16 from about 15 feet. I 2-putted from about 25 feet.

I hit it about two feet on No. 1 with a 9-iron.

No. 2, I hit it about ten feet past the hole and made that.

I hit it about six feet on 3 with a sand wedge.

4, I hit it to about two feet with an 8-iron.

No. 5, the par 5, I bombed a drive and hit 6-iron, missed the green just short right and chipped in for eagle.

Then I had about a 15-footer straight up the hill on 6, the par 3, and missed it.

Then 7, I made about a 20-footer up the hill.

8, I 2-putted from the front right fringe. That was about a 60-footer. I left my first putt about eight feet short and made that.

9, I hit it in there ten feet left of the hole and made that.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Why don't you make a couple of comments about today and then we'll go into questions.

ROBERT GAMEZ: Well, I guess I finally played well. The first two days I struggled with my golf swing a little bit. I struggled last week with the driver in Hawaii, just thinking about it too much and then something clicked on the range today and I started hitting my driver very well and hitting my irons well. I really haven't been doing anything well the first two days, obviously, being only 4-under. I had seven bogeys in the first two rounds. This tournament you can't do that.

The front nine -- still, my first 9, it was frustrating. I hit some good shots and some putts, but I knew I was hitting well and starting to strike it well. Then the front nine just clicked. I birdied the first four and then the eagle. I was just hoping to make birdie, because I missed the green on the short-side to the right and it rolled in. Just one of those days.

Q. Were you thinking you had a chance at 59?

ROBERT GAMEZ: After the eagle I thought I had a chance. And then at 6, I hit the shot exactly how I wanted and thought, well, if I can make a few more birdies here -- well, I knew I had to birdie it. I knew I had the par 5, 8, which was downwind, and thought, well, if I can maybe make eagle there. I started thinking about it and I was nervous. I was definitely nervous. I got a little tentative I think on the first putt on 8 and it was just a little bit of nerves. It went up the hill. That green has the tier, and once it gets on top it goes away from you and I got a little tentative with it and left it about eight feet short, but I made it.

So, I was nervous, especially that last putt. Luckily, it was a fairly simple putt, just inside left putt from about ten feet.

Q. Given that what Indian Wells is, it's pretty short and everybody knows it, it gives up birdies and eagles, do you ever go to that course thinking that this is the kind of round that you're capable of on this golf course on any given day?

ROBERT GAMEZ: Yeah, you know what, we had perfect weather. All of the courses here do such a great job of getting them in shape. This golf course, yeah, it's short, but you still have to make the putts. The greens have some good pace to them and you've got to hit good golf shots. Even though you're hitting wedges a lot you still have to hit some good shots.

You know, I just got it going today and this is the type of course that we do look for and I know I was looking for it, being 4-under after two rounds, thinking the cut is going to be 10 or 11, maybe 12, and I knew I had to have a good round today.

Q. If you had one do-over for 59, what would it be? The putt on 6?

ROBERT GAMEZ: You know, probably the couple on the front that I missed. The back nine, I actually hit a pretty good putt there. It just kind of bounced on me. I fixed some pitch marks and didn't fix them well enough because it bounced on me and I missed it. It was a pretty good stroke.

The ones I had on the first nine, the par 5, 14, it was basically a 5-, 6-footer straight in or right center and I missed that. I just pushed it.

Then the next one, on the par 3 there, 15, I had about a 10-footer, and it was just a right-edge putt and I pushed it, as well. I think those were the ones, really.

On the front, I don't know if I really could have got more out of my front nine, which was my back. Obviously I shot 9-under.

Q. I think you come to PGA West tomorrow.

ROBERT GAMEZ: Right.

Q. You shot 61 a couple of years ago, didn't you?

ROBERT GAMEZ: Yeah, on Sunday. It's nice because I guess the rough is up pretty good over there. So it's kind of nice knowing I started hitting my driver well again. I don't know what it was last week and this week, I just struggled with it and, like I said, something clicked on the range this morning and I only hit really one bad drive and that was on 17 today. I hit it left and hit it off a tree and made a great up-and-down because I missed the green left.

JOAN vT ALEXANDER: Thanks, Robert, for spending a few minutes with us and we'll look for you over here tomorrow.

End of FastScripts.