WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 24, 2002

Tiger Woods

Q. Kind of got yourself back in position?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, I did. I got myself back in the tournament with a chance to win tomorrow. I played pretty solid all day until the end.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: That's the way it is every week, so that really hasn't changed.

Q. It seemed like you were in a zone the middle part of your round there. Putting it into perspective, how was it going for you?

TIGER WOODS: I was really playing well, and I put myself in position to make putts, and I was able to knock them down. I had some tough putts, but I was able to make them and keep the momentum going. I made a big putt over there on No. 6 for par and just to keep the momentum of the round going, and I birdied the next hole. So I felt like I was hitting the ball solid all day, as I said, until the end. But overall, I'm very pleased with the way I played.

Q. Would you go through your irons and distance on the birdies on the back?

TIGER WOODS: On 10, I hit a 9-iron to about 150 yards.

No. 12, I hit a 6-iron. I had 190, hit it to about four feet.

Next hole, par-3, 185. I hit an 8-iron.

And then 15, I hit 7-iron from 179.

Q. Can you talk about 17?

TIGER WOODS: It was just a nice, smooth 5. And Stevie talked me out of a 5 into a 6. And what ticks me off is, I had the final say so, and I didn't trust my own gut instincts. Just keep the loft open on it, hold it open, and just put it right in the middle of the green. It's 230 yards. It's just a stupid play. And it cost me a shot.

And on 18, I compounded the problem by hitting a quick hook off the tee, and hitting another pull into the green and didn't get it up-and-down.

Q. How important is the front nine to the immediate attack tomorrow? It seems like guys have been scoring low on it all week.

TIGER WOODS: It's usually because the greens are so soft all morning, that the guys are able to take advantage of it. And these are poa annua greens starting out. They're always smooth by the time you finish. The last four or five holes you get the waffle effect. You hit a good putt and it wobbles down there. If you want to take advantage of it, you have to take advantage of it early.

Q. Nice chip there behind the green with grass like that.

TIGER WOODS: You have to blast it and hopefully you get lucky and gauge it right, and I didn't. It's just one of those things where you've been chipping around the greens before you go out, and it's just all blind luck, really.

Q. The scores were a little higher today. Is it just firming up a bit and playing quicker?

TIGER WOODS: They put some pretty good pins out there. They tucked them in the corners and had to really hit good shots to get close to them. And tomorrow they'll be tougher. They'll really hide them for tomorrow.

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