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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

September 3, 2004

Ryan Palmer

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

TODD BUDNICK: We will thank Ryan Palmer for joining us after his 6-under 65 in the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Ryan, as you said, it's actually your second best round of this season, your rookie season. Let's talk about it.

RYAN PALMER: It was a good day, obviously. It was a great day. Last few weeks have been good for me, as well. I've just been struggling putting and just tried to come here this week and have a good time and have fun today. I got off to a good start by making an eagle on 2. I think I bogeyed 6, and then I think the hole-out from the bunker on 7 kind of sparked my round. Then I birdied the next two.

It was a fun day. I struggled coming in. Fortunately my short game was in good shape and I made a couple of good putts coming down the stretch.

TODD BUDNICK: You joked when you first came in this was a first for you. You did finish sixth on the Nationwide Tour last year. Give us an assessment of your rookie season out here.

RYAN PALMER: It's been everything I expected. It's unbelievable, a dream come true.

It's been hard times, you put a lot of pressure on yourself to go out; and the magic number is 125, and I try not think about it, but it's there, as a rookie. It's been fun this year. It's been a struggle at times, but then again, I've had a lot of good things coming out of this year. It's getting better and I'm looking forward to that one good week.

Q. (Inaudible.)

RYAN PALMER: Yeah, it was a little tricky, fortunately didn't go al the way down the hill on the back side. James and I talked about it and I decided to go with my gap wedge, 53-degree wedge, and tried to chip it at the slope and let the terrain take it all the way down. Got a little quick going down that slope. Came close and didn't have probably four or five feet but I had been making a lot of putts. I had a lot of confidence and I knew I was going to make it.

Q. What's held you back?

RYAN PALMER: I think, looking at my stats and the way I played last year, my putting. I putted well. I'm making the putts I'm supposed to be. My putting from inside eight to ten feet has been solid. I'm hitting a lot of good shots, but not getting a lot out of it. I'm making birdies but not making the birdies I could be making. I get a lot of 10-, 15-footers I'm not making. It's frustrating. Last week I led one category, which was bogeys, but I made a lot of birdies. That's been the kind of year it's been. Just making a few extra putts each round and today I made those putts.

Q. You're still a rookie, along with Zach Johnson from the Nationwide Tour, with the success that he's had, have you looked to him for support or has he been a confidant or shared stories about success?

RYAN PALMER: We really don't talk about that. Zach and I are good friends. We just talk about, everything. I don't really go to him asking him what is it like, what are you doing different. Yesterday I saw him on the range doing some drills and I was asking him about that, but we just kind of talk about a lot and we have a great time together. He's a great person and I'm honored, very appreciative of having a good friend like that.

But it gets down to it, I might have to give him a call. (Laughing).

Q. How is this different, large differences between this and that tour, but talk about being on that tour and the struggles of trying to get up here.

RYAN PALMER: It's hard out there. I played it for three years, and fortunately I won a lot out there and that's helped me get to where I am. I've always said you can win anywhere, I think you can win up here. It gave me a lot of confidence going to the Nationwide Tour and that helped me win last year, second event of the year, but it's different. Obviously you don't have the hoopla of the PGA TOUR, I guess could you say. It's a struggle getting up here. And fortunately I got here earlier than expected, I guess you could say. I knew it was going to be hard and things worked in my favor and it's been a great ride so far.

Q. So it's not confidence, just your putting has not been what it needs to be?

RYAN PALMER: No, I think my confidence is high -- I've won every year and each year I seem to get better at each level too. Last year I finished sixth on the Money List. I think those guys out there can win out here any day; it's just getting here, that's the hard part.

The confidence is there I know tee-to-green, and a lot more crowd obviously but it's still golf. Still fairways, still greens, just a matter of putting the ball in the hole and unfortunately, I haven't done it as often as I did last year.

Q. What was your mindset after that happened, was it tough to contain yourself -- inaudible?

RYAN PALMER: Just tried to stay within myself. In the past month or so, I'd get a good start like that and I'd struggle, I'd make the bogeys coming in. That's what's been so frustrating is I'll get 3- or 4-under par early and I'll end up shooting even or 1-under. I knew I was hitting the ball good.

And the eagle putt I made on 2 was huge for my confidence today because I made a long one for par on 15. It's just a matter of making that one putt. Made some good, solid par putts. I knew if I could hit it within 15 feet, I had a good chance of making it because I had made a few earlier. It was nice to finally hold onto one.

Q. Could you by any chance be a distant relative of Arnold? How often do you get that question?

RYAN PALMER: Usually -- we count them every week, James and I. We'll walk off the tee and go, "oh, there's another one." It happens every day pretty much.

I was getting a haircut yesterday and I told her my name is Ryan Palmer and she thought I was him. I said, "Ma'am, he's about 75 years old."

Q. Have you met him?

RYAN PALMER: I did. I met him at Bay Hill this year. I made a point to go to him. My wife and I are were in there eating lunch and I made it a point to go up there and shake his hand. I guess he knew my name from reading results and told me I had been playing great and just keep it up. It was pretty neat, pretty neat experience.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's just go through your card. You started the day with an eagle on 2.

RYAN PALMER: I hit a great drive up the right side. I think I had 185 to carry and about 212 to the hole, and hit a great 6-iron that rolled just off the back edge about a 15-footer and just from off the green and made it. I putted it from off the green there and made it.

The bogey on 6, I hit it in the left rough. They have got some pretty good rough out here. I just had to chip out with a wedge and chipped up to 20 feet and 2-putted for bogey. Left there with not too much damage.

Hit another great drive on the par 5 and hit 3-iron in the left bunker just short. I was trying to hit it ten feet and happened to make it.

8, hit a 5-iron to about three feet.

9, I hit a driver in the right rough. Had a pretty good lie and hit a 9-iron from the first cut to about five feet.

18, hit another great drive; I think Billy told me it went 339. Hit 6-iron from the back left edge and chipped up to about five feet.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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