FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 7, 2003

Rod Pampling

JOHN BUSH: We would like to welcome Rod Pampling into the interview room. Rod, thanks for coming by and spending a few minutes with us. Second round you are obviously in great shape right now and seem to be comfortable out there despite sort of an up and down round today.

ROD PAMPLING: Yes, it was obviously a very up and down round. Realistically I hit four bad shots all off the tee. And that just made it really difficult to make par. Obviously we made bogey on all 4 of them. But the rest of the day I was pretty happy with the way I played. We will just correct those bad tee shots and I will be fine.

JOHN BUSH: Let's go through your round, you started on No. 10 right off the bat you had a birdie.

ROD PAMPLING: Yes, birdie on 10, 2-iron down the center. 3-wood second shot long and right. But I had a chip back into the bridge about six foot, made that.

12 hit driver and then 3-wood just over the back, chipped that to about 4 foot, made that.

And 13 with a 2-iron left. It wasn't quite in the trap. It was not in a good position we chipped it up to 20 foot, missed that.

15 we hit 6-iron left of the trap. Hit that to about 30 foot, missed it.

16 I hit a 3-wood and gap wedge to about 10 foot and made that.

Eagle on 1, I hit a driver 7-iron to about 15, 20 foot, made that.

JOHN BUSH: 5.

ROD PAMPLING: 5 I hit driver into just the left rough had a really bad lie and hit it just short, chipped it down to six foot and missed it and 7 hit it left into the -- it wasn't in the trap, but I was sort of in the trap any way. But hit that into the green shot trap and hit that to about 15 foot and missed that. That was it with pars. 3 in a row. Well --

JOHN BUSH: Let's go to questions.

Q. Did you have to take a penalty there on 8?

ROD PAMPLING: Yes, yes, it landed up and then rolled back down across the hazard. Yes, it was a drop unfortunately.

Q. Wasn't there talk about trying to play it?

ROD PAMPLING: No, it was too deep, the only spot on the bank that did not have grass and a deep hole in the water; that's the way it goes.

Q. What did you hit for your second shot?

ROD PAMPLING: A 4-iron.

Q. Did you not catch it?

ROD PAMPLING: I thought it was fine. I am sort of always visualizing on the green to see it landing in. And I was very surprised to see it land where it did, so I thought I caught it fine but it was just one of those deals where it had gone into the first cut and obviously just didn't come out properly.

Q. Did the course play tougher today or did you not play as well as yesterday or both?

ROD PAMPLING: Besides the four bad tee shots I played solid golf. You know you take 5 under and without those 4 holes so I think it played tougher, the speed of the greens were a little bit different. I found them really slow today for some reason. Whether or not because I was early yesterday. It was difficult to get them to the hole.

Q. Bob Tway was just in here, he said the hotter the better to him, what's your preference on the weather. I don't know what part of Australia you are from or how hot it gets there?

ROD PAMPLING: Similar climate to here. Hot is good, but you don't want it to be too hot. We got to be comfortable, haven't we?

Q. Is this about right?

ROD PAMPLING: Yes, this is fine. This is no trouble. I don't mind this kind of heat. In a few months I think this would not be a nice area to be.

Q. A few weeks?

ROD PAMPLING: Yes.

Q. Are you happy with your position today, or are you disappointed?

ROD PAMPLING: A little bit disappointed. Obviously eagling one to gets it to 11 with 8 to play. And I hit 2 bad tee shots on one hole which was realistically a birdie hole, the other one is a good solid hole but to not get it to twelve or 13, it is definitely disappointing. But that's just what happens. Got to be happy with 9. It's still a pretty good position.

Q. When you are describing your shots you say "we." Is that because you talk about as a team like you and your caddy or is that just an express?

ROD PAMPLING: Yes, "we," it's a team. It's a team effort, unfortunately, but I'm the one hitting some of those bad ones so I bring him in so it's not as bad.

Q. Distribute the blame?

ROD PAMPLING: Yes.

Q. If it's a bad shot is it us or we?

ROD PAMPLING: It's always we.

Q. If you had to guess, the weather is supposed to stay the same as the last two days, what will it take to win?

ROD PAMPLING: Yesterday, I think I said mid-teens, 15, 16. Someone could get hot. Obviously we have seen it this part of the year. Someone seems to be getting hot all the time. Who knows it could get to 20. I still think it's mid-teens.

JOHN BUSH: Anymore questions? Rod, thanks for coming by and good luck this weekend.

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