SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

April 24, 2003

Stuart Appleby

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks Stuart Appleby for joining us today after 6 under, 66. Let us start talking about the new course. Obviously, you like it.

STUART APPLEBY: The course was in beautiful shape. The fairways are magnificent. The rough is probably not that long, which is, I think, helping the errant drives that I had for a fair part of the day. I didn't drive the ball that well. The greens, I think, are little new; still got to settle in; haven't quite got their full growth into the surface, but I think with a generous high cut of the rough being a little shorter than normal and pretty wide fairways, that's negating the length of the course. Again, being in Texas, it's pretty dry. So far the ball is bouncing just as much as any other tournament we can think of. Probably TPC in Chicago the Western are the bounciest courses.

It is in good shape, great condition, most of the course, good layout, good strong holes, can't really complain. A lot different to the Woodlands, that aspect. The Woodlands was a lot tighter. I guess you felt a little cozier playing that golf course. This one is much more open and spread out.

Q. Where were you in the rain when the delay started?

STUART APPLEBY: Only got about what time -- teed off at 7:40, so we got about not even an hour and a half golf in.

Q. Did the course change?

STUART APPLEBY: No. Greens got a little slower as the day went on. I think this type of grass, we are actually putting a course in Orlando just like it, does slow up as the day goes on. There really wasn't that much rain to really make a difference here.

Q. Would you agree you don't have a lot of options?

STUART APPLEBY: Hit driver off just about every hole. I do anyways. I think there's a couple of guys probably might hit a couple of 3-woods. I am hitting driver just about everywhere. The thing that's different to a normal American golf course is that this course bounces and that's not really a typical scenario for us on Tour, generally balls are landing, running 10 yards at the most and even trying to chip and run around the greens is very difficult. Here you can actually get some bounce, so there's not a lot of options on the tee. You do just hit driver. And the rough not being as long is allowing the driver, like myself I didn't drive it that great today. I definitely need to improve my driving. You can get away with it because you are not getting shots -- you don't have to chip out anywhere unless you got a tree in your way otherwise you can get your full yardage.

Q. What about around the green --

STUART APPLEBY: There's no lob shots because the green is so hard, so firm you can't seem to slip under it as quick. It is much more the chip and run scenario than -- there's only -- again TPC you can think of and Jacksonville that's got to be under perfect conditions to get chip-and-run type golf course firm. The Western can get pretty bouncy around the greens. This place definitely firm and you have had rain, so that's certainly saying a lot. If we can get three, four days of sunshine coming in it is going to get pretty bouncy around the greens. The lob shots aren't in the bag unless you are in some thicker rough.

TODD BUDNICK: You started with five 6th place finishes, and Sony Open, seems it's been a struggle since then. What is going on?

STUART APPLEBY: Just thought I'd give it a rest and give the guys a head start for a while. I just had to wait until I got to Houston, is that right?

No, I just played pretty ordinary through that stretch, and didn't putt the ball very well through basically after -- I play well normally in the Florida swing. It's not too bad, my record shows that. Actually when I think of it, not always that great either, but there's been stretches where I have done well. It's been definitely a drought in the last few months. I am certainly not playing at the level that I want to play and know I can play at. Today was a pretty relaxing day. I didn't get out there and put pressure on myself. I wasn't driving the ball well. I sort of know what I am doing well so I am trying to iron that out. But I do like the way I am relaxing out there and not getting too -- sort of not trying too hard. I am just trying to let go and the year is going to be over before you know it. If you keep busting your balls all the way through the season you are going to spin your wheels all the way and, done. Relax and know what I am practicing and what I am doing really is the right thing.

TODD BUDNICK: New course help to kind of break that up?

STUART APPLEBY: Maybe a little bit. Like the course is not -- it's got pretty generous fairways but saying that -- they are firm so the ball can get out of control. The rough is not too thick. John Daly had 11 birdies yesterday didn't birdie one of the par 5s and hardly hit a fairway. You can miss fairways and you are not screwed. If they lengthen the rough here two inches you have one bear of a golf course.

Q. What are you trying to fix?

STUART APPLEBY: Everything. (Laughs). No, I have been chipping really, really well this year, been chipping around the greens not putting very good this year, driving the ball has always been a weakness of mine; haven't been driving the ball nearly as well as I would want in what I consider a good long, solid accurate driver of the ball, I need to get into that zone, instead of just being longer. I think from fairway through hitting more fairways, you hit more greens. We're only talking about maybe one fairway around and one green but over a whole season that will translate -- I think it translated into 25 shots and depending on what tournament could be from fifth to first, from 10 to 3, last year I really was only just a shot or two away from having -- winning the British Open, winning Las Vegas, you do that, just like that, all of a sudden you have had a great year, awesome year. So the fine line between yeah, yeah, okay, you hit it really good, it's never that far.

Q. Last win is here, right?

STUART APPLEBY: Yep.

Q. Three years ago?

STUART APPLEBY: '99.

Q. Change of golf course, do you still have a good feeling coming back here?

STUART APPLEBY: I guess in a way you can use you know, you have played well at Houston as your motivation and I guess you really shouldn't because that means you are pretty susceptible to the way you play. You are going into a place you haven't played well, you suck yourself out. You really should go to everyplace like something is new and fresh. Although saying that when you go to places where you played well you say, well, I have played well there before, you turn yourself around. It has been a while since I have won so I have not delved into the psychology of well, I am back in Houston, I have played well before. Maybe it is the time I get going, certainly that time of year.

Q. Change of course has probably really hurt --

STUART APPLEBY: No, not really. The Woodlands was becoming in pretty good shape. It was a good test of golf, good breezy course, tight, firm, more -- I think one of the most victorious tournaments or courses for Australians on the Tour. I think Australians won a lot of tournaments there over the years for its familiarity to Australian conditions.

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