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CHRYSLER CLASSIC OF GREENSBORO

October 7, 2006

Daniel Chopra

GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA: Third Round

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Daniel Chopra in. 6 under par 66 today in extremely adverse conditions.

Daniel, maybe just talk a little bit about the weather and how you played, and we'll open it up for questions.

DANIEL CHOPRA: Well, obviously I played really well today. I mean I struck the ball just beautifully. One of my best ball striking rounds of the year.

You know, it wasn't quite as windy as yesterday but it was colder and the air was heavier so the ball wasn't going anywhere near as far so, therefore, the wind was affecting it.

In reality played almost the same way the wind, especially into the wind holes. Every shot that I had to shape one way or the other I just shaped it perfectly.

Yesterday I was kind of complaining a little bit, trying to hit the perfect shot too much and today I actually did. I saw a shot and I was able to hit it today and just to be out, the first group in the morning you're not really all that close to the lead but then I walked on the driving range and told my caddie I just realized wow, we're only 7 shots off the lead. I shoot 4, 5 under today, tough conditions, you could get pretty close and I shot 6 so it was special.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Questions?

Q Is there any pressure on you or what point did you start to feel, starting to back into this?

DANIEL CHOPRA: As soon as I birdied 14 to tie for the lead, you know, and a par 5 to play.

I thought that was kind of neat to go out in the first group on a Saturday and be leading the golf course, managed to have about 15 spectators by the end. Word spread around.

It was kind of neat to be leading the golf course and nobody out there. Horrible. Like you're playing at home, you know.

So I made that, that was kind of neat. I looked at the leaderboard to see if my name was up there. Nobody else was there. I thought I might as well cheer myself on.

Q How do you keep your hands keep the feeling in your hands?

DANIEL CHOPRA: This morning I actually went into the pro shop and I believe the head pro was there, one of the guys was in there and I asked him if he sold gloves. Yeah, of course we sell gloves.

No, I meant like mittens like he says, "Actually, we do, but we put them away in storage, it's going to take a bit to get them out. You probably won't be the first person to come in here asking for that."

I warmed up on the driving range and as soon as before I teed up, I went back to the shop and brought a whole box load of mittens but it wasn't that cold. I would have worn them. I usually always do.

When it's borderline I wear mittens or gloves to make sure I keep my hands warm or get hand warmers. I wasn't as prepared this week because you weren't expecting it to get this cold.

Temperature is fine but with the wind, it really make it feel very cold.

Q You anticipate scores to go up this afternoon with the weather?

DANIEL CHOPRA: If it stays like this. When the rain comes down, golf course plays tremendously long, really long. If you miss the fairway even if you have a good lie like on 16 the only bogey I made, I had a beautiful lie in the fairway.

I got up there and kind of breathed a sigh of relief because it was I missed the fairway before but that was the second fairway I missed and I knew it was going to be a fairly long shot into the green. Little bit of grass behind it. Just soaking wet. You could see the droplets of water all around.

I hit it as good a I could with a 6 iron and came up short of the green. It's playing really, really long.

The ball is just not going through the air at all and if it stays like this, it's going to be tough. The guys that get off to a good start and are patient, they'll be a few guys will play well, but I'll say the majority would struggle out there today.

Q Can you go over your round quickly?

DANIEL CHOPRA: Okay. No. 1, it was very cold and I hit a 9 iron. Hit it really well about six feet left of the hole and made that.

Should have birdied 2. Had a beautiful drive. I was trying to hit a little baby rescue and pull hooked it. Then I birdied No. 5. Hit a beautiful little three quarter pitching wedge, pin in the back, take some spin off to about three feet.

Best shot of the day, best shot of the week really was on 6. I hit a 5 iron from 185 into the wind, punch cut, just a beautiful little knockdown shot to about five feet. I made that.

Then on 7, I hit again a little three quarter hit driver there. Took it up that close and I had 85 yards and tried to hit a little three quarter sand wedge and it flew straight into the flag. Beautiful shot.

Would have pitched two, three feet past the pin. Hit right in the middle of the flag, spun back 15 short. Henrik's caddie said it was such a great shot might as well make it. I did.

12, the par 3 again, it was strong into the wind. Hit the perfect little punch draw 6 iron about 18, 15 feet right of the hole and made that.

Then the next I actually hit my 3 wood fat and I am up short of the green. Hit a pretty good pitch shot that didn't quite spin back. Holed about a ten footer down the hill there.

Then at the next, it was again playing extremely long into the wind. Started to drizzle a little bit. Hit a perfect drive, couldn't hit it any further than that. I was between a 5 or 6.

I told my caddie we're hitting the ball so well right now and instead of hitting my normal punch shot, a little cut which takes a little distance off, let's hit the exact same shot we hit on the 12th hole downhill. Hit a 6 iron, knock it down and hit a low draw in there.

He said, "I like the 5." No, I hit the 6. This was just absolute rifle, about ten feet right of the hole, low draw and it was all over the flag and the wind was moving the flag around. I came down to look at it. Actually flew in the flag again.

It was just about 8 feet short of the hole and made that. That tied me for the lead at that time.

JOE CHEMYCZ: 15?

DANIEL CHOPRA: It started to rain pretty heavy on that tee. I didn't even think about trying to bust my drive to give myself a shot. I was just trying to get something out in the fairway and I just miss hit it a little bit and hit it in the right hand banker and hit a great shot to get it 9 iron distance from the green for my third.

Q Not scoringwise, with your game, is this your best round of the year?

DANIEL CHOPRA: I would say so. It was especially since I struggled a little bit yesterday, similar type of conditions to come out and really perform well today, similar type of conditions and I always take great pride whenever the conditions get hard, tough, I take great pride in my good rounds when I play because that's really really anybody can have a good round of golf when the weather is perfect and warm like the first day, you know, but days like today when it really takes a quality shots all the time, you know, in order to make birdies and give yourself opportunities and today I was able to do that.

I'm really pleased.

Q Obviously you played in rain this year. Rain, wind and cold, is this the worse Tour event?

DANIEL CHOPRA: This might be the first time I played in rain all year. Usually when it rains there's thunder and lightning. So we can't play.

I can't really think of a round this year where I played Wachovia Championship we played in some rain. I think it was the final round or the third third and final rounds, maybe.

I didn't really play particularly well on the weekend there in the rain. We don't get a lot of practice in the rain as we would have done, say, playing in Europe, we get a lot of practice.

I have my routine when it gets you play in the rain and all that but you don't use it that much over here.

Q Do golfers, do they concede this kind of weather and think, well, we all got to play in it, or do they wake up, are there some who say

DANIEL CHOPRA: I'm sure there's a lot of guys that might have been on Tour for 20 years, whatever and maybe are not in contention maybe in this position I'm in that might not be anywhere nearly as motivated as, say, what I would be.

I'm sure all the rookies that are out there are just chomping at the bit to have the opportunity. I guess it just depends on your attitude towards where you are in the position or in your career and all that but days like today the more experienced players would go this is a great day to catch up ground if you're behind or pull away if you're in front.

The majority of the people will not score that well.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Any other questions? Anything else?

Q What are you going to do now, watch the leaderboard, just hang out?

DANIEL CHOPRA: Nothing I can do about the leaderboard. There's not much point in practicing. I'm pretty happy with what I did.

I'll probably just take it easy today, this afternoon. Go back some place where it's nice and warm and dry and my hotel room.

Bought that "Saduka" puzzle book. Ever done any of those? I'm starting to get into that. I'll sit back and solve some puzzles. I'm sure I'll watch a little bit of golf on TV and the evil side of me will sit back and enjoy watching the guys struggle this afternoon, hopefully.

Yeah, I'll just take it easy.

Q Did you find a good Indian restaurant?

DANIEL CHOPRA: I'm on my own this week. I've been kind of sitting back ordering room service, got my DVDs with me. Kind of chill out, bachelor pad in my hotel room, take it easy.

Q Do you think the course was set up for scoring today?

DANIEL CHOPRA: A couple of the tees I think the PGA Tour, they're very aware of what the conditions are so holes like 18, long par 4 into the wind, put the tees forward.

I think on 16 as well put the tee forward. Holes are going to be long, they put the tees up a little bit. The pins were not overly difficult but I'm sure all the tough ones will be used tomorrow.

They did that last week. Saturday pins, got that played well give them a chance to go at it. Put the pins really difficult positions tomorrow to make sure the guy that really plays well on Sunday gets rewarded. I think that's a good way to do it.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Okay. Thanks.

End of FastScripts.

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