	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

QUAIL HOLLOW CHAMPIONSHIP

May 2, 2009

George McNeill

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: George McNeill, thanks for joining us hereafter your third round here at the Quail Hollow Championship, a little bit of a delay but you finished with a 70 today and you're 9-under par and right in contention heading into the final round. Maybe a few opening comments from you, please.
GEORGE McNEILL: Sure. Basically I played pretty well, kind of the same as I have the first couple days. I feel like I hit it a little better today than I did the first two days, but the scores obviously don't show that.
I made some putts, missed some putts, and obviously bogeying the last two holes isn't the way I wanted to finish off, but it happens. I'm not the only one that's going to do it.

Q. What was it like having an hour and a half to think about that shot where you had hit before the rains?
GEORGE McNEILL: Into the fairway bunker on 18? Actually I had already played out of it before they delayed us.

Q. What are you thinking about during the delay?
GEORGE McNEILL: Nothing. We went in and watched the Kentucky Derby. We were just hanging out. Just nothing. Everybody is in there having a good time in the locker room.

Q. When you see a 50-to-1 longshot win the Kentucky Derby, does that make you feel better about your chances tomorrow?
GEORGE McNEILL: If I'm that good, I'd be surprised (laughter).
No, I don't really think about all that. But it's just -- you see people play their games, and that's the beauty about golf is at any time somebody can step up and get it done.

Q. You've played with Tiger one other time, two times in one tournament. Obviously the circumstances would be a little bit different, final round, near the lead. Any expectations for what that will be like, and will last year have helped any having played with him before?
GEORGE McNEILL: Well, I definitely don't think it'll hurt. I know the crowds are going to be out there. They were out there today. Tiger is Tiger. The people are out there to see him play, and that's great.
To be in the final round playing with him, you know you're doing something right. You'd like to be playing with him every single week that he plays in the final round because usually he's going to be near the lead. I just look at it as an opportunity to get out and basically show everybody that I can play a little bit, too.

Q. In that case do you kind of go at it with a mindset that if I can stay with him the whole way, I know I'm going to be at or near the top?
GEORGE McNEILL: Absolutely, because you expect him to perform like he always does. So yeah. But again, I'm trying to win a golf tournament, as well, but like I said, if I can stay either near him or ahead of him, I think I'll be doing just fine.
Of course we've still got Zach Johnson to worry about who's got a two-shot lead. I'm not playing against necessarily Tiger, I'm playing against the golf course for one and Zach, as well.

Q. Could you talk about the way Zach played today? Seems like you could compare the setup to a major championship kind of things with the baked out greens, and of course he's won a major and it seems like he's holding up under duress.
GEORGE McNEILL: Yeah, Zach played great. He made a couple bogeys early, as you do in any tournament. And especially a major championship type field, you've got to stay patient, and that's what he did. All of a sudden he rattles off a couple birdies and an eagle and then a few more birdies, and next thing you know, he's in the lead.
But that's how -- this course sets up very well for Zach. It's a lot of holes moving right to left, and he can just send it out to the right and let it come back, and that's his game. But like you said, he's a very good putter and he keeps the ball in play, drives it very straight, and like I said, that's very conducive to his game.

Q. A lot is made of the Green Mile, the last three holes, and once again today, they're living up to hype, aren't they?
GEORGE McNEILL: Oh, absolutely, and like I said, I'm not too happy about bogeying the last two. But I'm not the only one that's going to do it. You never know what can happen tomorrow.
I played them in even par the first two days. I parred them -- parred every one of them the first two days. I figured if I can par them every day and play them even par, I'd be way ahead of the field. I didn't do it today, but you never know what can happen tomorrow. Those holes are as good as we get to finish on TOUR.
JOEL SCHUCHMANN: George, thank you very much. Good luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297