THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 21, 2002

Stuart Appleby

Q. What happened there on 17?

STUART APPLEBY: I didn't hit a very good shot. Tried to hit a knockdown 8-iron; wind was probably blowing about eleven o'clock, probably a club into the breeze; it was a good club. I think it was the right club. That hole really makes you -- if you're not indecisive, you can really just throw things at you and there's a lot going on on that hole. It's an obvious awareness there's no grass to chip from. That was a really sore point for the day.

But this course is going to bite you somewhere. You can certainly screw up some holes somewhere else in the front nine really badly and come up with a decent finish and you don't worry about it. But it's still 18 holes and it didn't really matter where you have your mistakes. It's how you get them back to get birdie and to get last was a beg bonus.

Q. Is that indicative of how you're playing, making birdie on 18?

STUART APPLEBY: Well, I haven't really played good this career. I haven't really liked the way I've been striking the ball 100%, but I don't think my focus level has been high enough. I think that what Tiger was saying last week was he was really focused in on his game tightly and giving himself 100%. So if you give yourself 100%, you hope that your swing is technically close to that; and then off you go and you should score well. But if you're swinging well and you're not thinking well, you're not going to get any results flat out.

So I really went from the first hole started with a birdie and that was a focus for the day, just to not get distracted, stay in the shot, do what I've been doing, go from there. And obviously 17 doesn't pan out, but might be last time.

Q. Is that what you said to yourself this week?

STUART APPLEBY: Yeah, first hole, get it going. Don't give myself anything but 100% chance of pulling off the shot. Visualize the shot, hit the shot I want to visualize the shot, pick the shot I want to hit, commit to it and play it. You do that, then you can assess yourself after the shot and go, you know what, I don't think I did give myself 100% chance. I think technically it was a poor swing -- inaudible -- become more attuned to your mistakes. It's when you're very vague, you don't know what the hell you're doing wrong. So cutting down on sloppy shots is my goal this week.

Q. This long delay before you play again and then you probably are not going to finish the second round until Saturday. Do you have to put that in your mind and say, "All right it's going to be another 48 hours before we find out"?

STUART APPLEBY: This is normal. We get a lot of rain delays. It's not like a big thing on the Tour. We always know there's sometimes going to be Monday finishes or Saturday make-the-cuts. It's nothing really new and you don't worry about it. Like I said when I get on the course, as soon as I tee it up the first hole, probably focus in on what I'm doing and not worry about whether it takes six hours or a day and a half. It doesn't really matter.

Q. Glad you're able to get all 18 holes in today? Does that give you an advantage?

STUART APPLEBY: Oh, there's no advantage. I think if the breeze stays like this all day, there's going to be no advantage for the morning guys and the afternoon guys. Of course, the greens are receptive, so I guess guys are going to get away with shots that might hit a little long and might bounce long. Getting a round in early, I don't foresee, unless it got really cold tomorrow morning for those guys finishing.

Q. The fact that you were able to finish, these guys have to come out early tomorrow and they will be out there all day tomorrow?

STUART APPLEBY: I had that same scenario the other week at Honda tournament. I played like 33 holes in a day. There is a luck of the draw, definitely, that kicks in, but I don't foresee it being a huge problem. It's nice to at least get round one done, sleep tonight and get to round two.

Q. Did you go out there thinking you had a really good round in you?

STUART APPLEBY: You don't really do that. You certainly don't count your chicken story, especially, this course. I went out and thought if I just give myself 100% and really commit to a shot, then, yeah, I'll sign for whatever. So that was the goal. Very simple goal, but that's what wins tournament, that's what shoots low scores, it's not rocket science, it's just an overwhelming belief that that's what you do and you have your confidence from there.

Q. How important to your frame of mind for the rest of tournament was coming back and making the 3 on 18 and what did you hit there?

STUART APPLEBY: I hit a 5-iron.

Significance? Don't know. It was a beautiful shot in the second shot; couldn't hit it any better. Every good shot you hit is supposed to be something you really remember. Every bad shot you hit is supposed to be something you're supposed to learn so there's -- that will be used, if I ever need to hit that type of shot again on the last, that's just a perfect scenario where to hit a shot. Doesn't put any stead to the tournament, but certainly be nice to have that shot again on Sunday.

Everything is in balance. You make birdies, you make bogey, you're not really too concerned. I certainly think it's a beautiful hole, great hole even though it can burn you.

Q. You said you'd been distracted mentally, not being able to commit?

STUART APPLEBY: Golf is not an easy game, but you have to really understand what you want, whether it's a goal-setting thing -- or it's setting your goal and maybe it's setting goals and goals for that day. Like today, I'm going to concentrate well and focus on my shots. You don't hit good shots just randomly; they just don't happen. That might happen for the 27-handicapper because again it's only random. So at our level, you have to repeat it. It's not because you're swinging nice. There's more to it than that.

Q. That tee shot on 17, it looked like you knew without even looking it was in the water?

STUART APPLEBY: You can tell as soon as you hit it. You don't even have to look up and see or feel. It's pretty obvious. I think most people in the crowd knew that ball was in the drink.

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