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CIALIS WESTERN OPEN


July 7, 2006


Trevor Immelman


LEMONT, ILLINOIS

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Trevor Immelman, thank you for joining us after a couple good rounds here at Cog Hill at the Cialis Western Open. Maybe start with some opening comments on a couple good days for you.

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Yeah, thanks. It feels like I've played really well, and I've enjoyed the golf course. I think it's a fantastic design. It's very well prepared for us, so I've really enjoyed it.

Q. In terms of the golf course, the 5th hole was changed from a par 5 to a par 4, a couple or three years ago. Is that a good hole for a par 4?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Well, it's a pretty demanding hole for a par 4. It plays uphill, too, it makes it a little longer. But over the last couple days, I hit yesterday driver, 6 iron and today driver, 5 iron. The key there, as with the rest of the golf course, is you've got to drive it in play. If you hit it in the rough, you're going to struggle to reach the green. If you can get a straight drive away, then it's a fairly large, flat putting surface. Once you're in the fairway you can try to get it on the green and maybe have a look at a birdie.

Q. Do you look at the conditions in the afternoon, is that going to help you guys out if it starts blowing a little bit more? It looks like it's just going to be another beautiful day.

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Yeah, I mean, it's been fantastic weather for us all week, probably the best weather we've had on Tour this year so far.

You know, it's an interesting question because some holes the wind helps you a little bit. Obviously if it gets really strong, it can be quite tough. But I think all of us coming to Chicago anticipate a bit of wind, so you kind of go out there expecting something to come up a little bit. I think all the guys that go out in the afternoons, just like me yesterday, were pretty ready for it.

Q. Did you feel you really had to take advantage of playing in the morning?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Yeah, I mean, definitely this morning I knew coming out here, even though it was early I don't play many practice rounds as early as what I teed off this morning. It was quite early. You know, I knew the conditions were fantastic, the golf course was incredible, and the greens were just so smooth that if you were going to shoot a low round, today was the opportunity for you to make a few birdies.

Q. You're three back right now. Where do you think it will go from here, given this golf course usually gets tougher?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: You mean at the end of Sunday what's going to happen?

Q. Yeah.

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Well, I've never been very good at choosing the winning score, but let's say what, 10 under is leading now. You know, the greens started getting firmer today, so if they start cutting pins just over bunkers, it's going to be hard to get the ball inside of 15, 20 feet. Let's say we get a little breeze. I'm saying between 15 and 20 under, somewhere in there. Like I said, I wouldn't run to the bookies with what I'm saying.

Q. Coming in did you think this was a course you could score well on?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: I thought this was a golf course if you drove the ball straight you'd have plenty of opportunities. You know, it almost plays like a mini major here. If you can drive the ball straight, with the good weather you get a lot of run on the fairways so you're going to have some medium and short irons into some par 4s, and then you can really stare down the flag and try and make some birdies. That's the key to this course. If you can keep it in play, you can get something going in the red numbers.

Q. Rees Jones is coming in starting in September and they're going to do a redo over the next several years to attempt to get a U.S. Open. If this course got some tweaking, would it be U.S. Open ready?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: It would get my vote, no doubt about it. It's all there. Obviously you could maybe lengthen a few holes, or you'd have to lengthen a few holes to be U.S. Open length standards, but with regards to design and esthetics, shot value, just the way the course feels, this is one of the best courses we play on Tour, there's no doubt about it.

Q. Are you going to be sorry when it turns into an every other year course?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Well, to be honest with you, I haven't played the other courses that they're moving to, so I might like those, too. Yeah, I mean, I really enjoy this course. I would always come back here.

Q. Speaking of changing the course for the Open, you might have heard that next year they're talking about having a 280 yard par 3 at Oakmont for the U.S. Open. I think it's the 8th hole here. I think the 6th hole here if they want to they can stretch it back to about 260, something like that?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: Close, yeah.

Q. How long is too long for a par 3?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: In my opinion I don't like seeing guys hitting woods on par 3s. I think if you go back to when the game started and all the guys were designing courses then, you know, par 3 is an iron shot, so it's basically a par 3 is getting rid of the drive and then an iron.

I'd like to see maybe a shortish one and then a medium one and then maybe one that's a 3 iron, so let's say you can go up to about 220, 230, especially when you look at that 6th hole. I mean, that's a really narrow green and it's very well guarded by bunkers. If you're hitting a wood into that green, it's maybe a little bit too far. But the way they've set it up the last two days, yesterday was a 3 iron, today to the front flag I hit a 5 iron, and in my opinion that's perfect for that shape and size of the green.

Q. They haven't used the back tee yet?

TREVOR IMMELMAN: They haven't used the back tee. I hit a Rescue club in practice to the front portion, so we'll see.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Trevor Immelman, thanks.

End of FastScripts.
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