home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

THE HONDA CLASSIC


March 7, 2009


Mark Calcavecchia


PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I played great today. I hit a few loose shots in the middle of the round on 8, 9 and 10. But after that, I settled down. You know, it was tough. Those last four holes are scary. It's like 17 in Jacksonville. You kind of spend all day waiting to get to 15, except now you've got to do it twice here instead of just once there. So it's a tough finish, but I'm happy with the round.

Q. (You played well this year, good start?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I did some work. I actually practiced a little bit for a change, with Peter Kostis and just made a couple of
drastic changes. In the beginning of the year it was tough. I wasn't putting well and I started hitting it better at AT&T, actually made some putts out there, and still doing the same thing. I've been putting it very good.

Q. (You won this in 80s, 90s?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Last year I had a good chance. I said last year, if I can keep my ball out of the water all day long, I'd have a good chance and I hit three balls in the water last year, including that bunker shot on 15. So we'll try to erase that memory. If I can keep my ball dry tomorrow, like I said last year, I may have a good chance.

Q. (Surprised scores so low?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Yesterday it wasn't really a tough day. The pins were a lot easier than they were the first day, and it wasn't as windy. The wind just came up in about the last hour. It wasn't bad at all on the first 10 or 11 holes, but came up pretty good now. It should be interesting the rest of the day. We'll see what happens.

Q (How far back you expect to be at day's end?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I don't know. I've got to hit the road and drive down and pick up Eric, he's flying in and his buddies, so I won't be able to watch it. But it's not getting any easier. It seems like the wind just came up a little bit and those last four holes are going to play that much harder for everybody. So to par all four was great for me.

Q. (Always play good at Honda?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Well, I love the grass down here. I've been here since I was a little kid and wind doesn't bother me. You learn how to play in wind and sand when you're a kid down here and all the different places we
play. And I love Bermuda grass and staying at home. Even all the years at Doral and wherever the Honda was, we stayed at home anyway. Will MacKenzie said it the other day: There's nothing better than sleeping in your own bed and then just coming to the course from home. It's a nice change from all the hotel life we have.

Q. (2 bad swings cost you last year, confidence this year?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: It is nice to know. It is nice to know that I can still compete out here with these young guys. It is. I'm still confident in my abilities and if play a great round tomorrow I can win the tournament and that would be a huge thrill for me.

Q. (Still need affirmation?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Well, yeah, I do. I need to know that. I've always needed to know. Confidence with me goes up and down. You've seen me play great and you've seen me in the dumpers, like I'm doing just miserable. And I'd
be the first to admit where I go through stretches where I'm just miserable, I can't hit a golf shot on the clubface, and then two weeks later I'm playing great. I'm streaky, up and down, and right now I've actually got some confidence in what I'm doing.

Q. (Mind canceling your family trip next week to the Bahamas?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Not that I've thought about that. Well, I thought about that yesterday. I think I've got to finish first or second ... for next week, for the FedEx Cup points, that'll put
me in the top 10 after this week.

Q. (But you love Doral)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I do. Shoot, my wife can take his son and his buddies to the Bahamas. I'd rather be teeing it up in a World Golf Championship event for 8 mil.

Q. (Strange year with top-10s in places like Pebble and Riviera and missing cut in Phoenix).
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: My theory was, I played terrible in perfect, 75 degree, calm weather the first two weeks of the year. And then I figured cold, wind and rain might suit me up at Pebble. And sure enough, that's the way it happened.

Q. (Last miuute decision to play Pebble?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: No. I hadn't been there in five years, so I was kind of due.

Q. (You shoot even par in first round, you might be leading. What happened?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I just had three three-putts. I bogeyed four of the last six holes the first day and three-putted three of them. Missed four 4- and 5-footers. Hit three of the four as good as I can hit them. I just misread them and they didn't go in. That
was the only difference.

Q. (Did you change putters?)
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: (Shakes his head no.) Unusual for me, isn't it?

End of FastScripts




About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297