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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 7, 2004

Craig Parry

DORAL, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: Well, I don't know, Craig, if there are words that I can use to describe what happened out there today. Congratulations on winning the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral in spectacular fashion. Maybe just talk about the shot that will go down for a long time as one of the great shots in golf.

CRAIG PARRY: Well, thank you. I still haven't seen the ball go in the hole yet. They replayed it about four times and I missed every one of them. My brother said to me when we're going down 178, he said, "I feel a Shaun Micheel from the PGA coming on." I just though I would be happy to knock it on the green and have an opportunity for birdie. Sure enough, knocked it on line and it went in the hole.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Your distance

CRAIG PARRY: No idea.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Computer had it at 176, I think.

CRAIG PARRY: I think that was right, yeah. I hit a 6 iron.

Q. Do you feel like the Australians finally got one back?

CRAIG PARRY: No, not at all.

The gallery, absolutely fantastic out there today. They were supporting me the whole way. I didn't look at a leaderboard until 17 green. I knew it was getting closer as we were going around because the people stopped saying, "I hope you win this." I knew it was getting a little bit closer as we were playing around the golf course.

The fans were just fantastic. I played really well all week, tee to green and putted well in the first couple of rounds as well.

Q. What was your thought process with the shot?

CRAIG PARRY: Hit it close.

I knew, because we had only just played it ten minutes earlier, I knew Scott hitting it on the side of the green wasn't an automatic 2 putt because I knew how difficult it was when I putted down the hill and knocked it four feet past. I just tried to hit it a little bit closer than I did the previous time. I was only a meter or two right of the hole. Just tried to hit it on a good line, and you know, I pulled it perfect into the hole.

Q. Were you trying to hit your normal fade?

CRAIG PARRY: No, I wasn't trying to fade it. I was trying to hit it straight. Probably went with a little bit of draw if anything.

Q. Verplank was saying that you had a beer with him at Sahalee

CRAIG PARRY: I knew he was going to bring that up. (Laughter.)

Q. Was that the way you were feeling; that was going to be the last hoorah for you and you were going to stay over there and play?

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, exactly. I go through stages. My wife and kids have been at home in Australia. My daughter is six year; when I won, she was in year four. And the two boys, they are in school, as well, and school sport, and I was missing out on so much. I really had to cut back on my schedule. I wasn't going to play 25 weeks over here because it would be too long away from my wife and the kids.

I was crying on Scott's shoulder, saying I wasn't going to play too many more events and I was going to be to Japan. I would be happy to go to Japan and play the European Tour. We have two events in Australia on the European Tour, so I only had to play another nine events. I got on Sahalee, tight and tree lined, and I played really well that week.

Q. Could you ever have imagined Thursday when your brother woke you up that you would be sitting here today?

CRAIG PARRY: Oh, there's no chance in the world I was going to be sitting here. I was very fortunate to be able to play, really. If he doesn't go and have a shower and wake me up, all of a sudden we are going back to Orlando and have a week off.

Q. Can you talk about the way the tournament started and the way it ended? Do you think it was meant to be for you this week?

CRAIG PARRY: I suppose it must have been. As I say, you know, we could have been going home just as easy. The first morning, when I hit off on the 10th hole I hit 3 wood off the tee it was straight downbreeze and hit a really good tee shot. I had about 230 yards to go to the green and normally I would go that yardage at the green. Just wasn't feeling all that confident because I had only hit about ten balls and decided to lay it up just short of the green and chip it onto the green and make my par.

Normally, normal conditions, if I had warmed up, I would have gone at the green and I might have made bogey, and who knows what would have happened. I was playing conservative the whole way around because I had not warmed up. I was just trying to hit to the middle of the greens and my iron shots were good.

Q. Yesterday you used the term, "fluke," that you wanted to prove that the first one, the only one in the U.S. was not a fluke. Does this

CRAIG PARRY: I think this now is not a fluke.

Q. Did you feel that you needed that kind of validation?

CRAIG PARRY: Yes, yeah. I won't say anyone could win once, but to win twice, it means that you're able to play on the Tour, I think.

Q. How many 2s do you have on par 4s in competition, and has anybody ever done anything remotely close to this to take one away from you?

CRAIG PARRY: I've had a few 2s on par 4s. I had one to make the cut at THE INTERNATIONAL a few years ago. I was going to miss the cut. I think I holed about a 7 iron on the sixth hole going up the hill.

For guys to actually hole their second shots against me, I can't think of any.

Q. Any kind of a shot similar to this, a chip in or something like that that maybe got you?

CRAIG PARRY: Probably later on I'll think of it, but at the moment, I'm just happy that it was me doing it and not someone else (Laughter.)

Q. What was going through your mind when you saw the shot that Verplank hits out of the rough and hits just a fantastic shot himself?

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, it was a great shot. From the position where he was off the tee, he hit an unbelievable shot into the green because under that pressure he had probably 220 yards. It's a long ways to go, especially when you're going over water and you know what's at stake.

For him to hit a great shot there, I said to my brother: "I don't want to watch him. I don't want to see what he does." I knew when it started to roll around on the green that it was going to be pretty good.

Q. What was your feeling when you got into the playoff? Talking to your brother, he said that maybe because of the fact that you didn't make any putts on the back side that you were somewhat lucky to be in the playoff because you didn't really play that well on the back side; how did you feel?

CRAIG PARRY: Well, the back nine I struggled. I made a good birdie on 10. And missed one on 11, missed one on 12 and I missed my par on 13. I was fortunate to get in the playoff. I mean, apparently Johnny Miller said I was swinging like a 15 handicapper. (Laughter.)

Q. I know the win two years ago gave you a lot of opportunities that you might not have otherwise have had, but was it still difficult for to you change your mindset about what you were going to do with your golfing life?

CRAIG PARRY: Well, my decision was, I'm going to play the minimum number on the Tour over here because my wife and kids are in Australia. They are going to grow up. They have family, cousins, it's a close knit family, our family and any weekend is 15, 20 people around at our place. That's what we want to have.

You know, when I go away and play, I go away for three or four weeks and I go home and try to spend the school holidays at home. My daughter, her birthday is on August 22 and I have not seen her birthday, I want to say about five years. So she reminds me of that.

Q. Have you been in the Ford GT yet?

CRAIG PARRY: No, I reckon it will be the right size. (Laughter.)

Q. A lot of people were saying how special it was; the players really wanted to try and win that this week.

CRAIG PARRY: Well, I'm not actually a car man. I'm a boat man. I guess I'd better turn into a car man.

Q. What's your professional playoff record now?

CRAIG PARRY: I lost the Australian Masters playoff to Robert at end of last year. I made bogey on the last hole. Hit 7 iron into the green.

My playoff record would be two losses in the Australian Masters, loss in the Australian Open. And I've won two playoffs in Europe, one against Mark James at the German Open and the other one against Ian Woosnam and then this one and then the Canadian TPC I won my first.

Q. So that's 4 2?

CRAIG PARRY: 4 2. Lost three, two Australian Masters one Australian Open.

Q. And when you hit that 6 iron, did you know immediately that it was going to be very good, and when did you realize how good it was going to be?

CRAIG PARRY: I mean, when I hit it I knew it was going to be within four or five feet just because we had a really good yardage. When it landed and seeing it on the green and seeing it trickle and then the crowd went absolutely nuts. Obviously, it was in the hole. It all went pretty quick.

Q. Talk about the 18th hole, all week long, especially Thursday and Friday, a lot of frustration, a lot of double bogeys and bogeys, a lot of guys really knocked themselves out of tournament it seemed like.

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, it's a tough hole. You've just got to hit a real give drive. If you don't hit a good drive, you're going to make double bogey because you won't reach the green with your second shot or if you go in the water on your tee shot. Then the second shot you really have to take the water out of play and fly to the right half of the green, really.

It's just a hole that you just have to step up there and just play it well.

Q. Did you like the hole initially in the week? What were your thoughts about playing it?

CRAIG PARRY: I was not happy to see the tee all the way back in the practice round. It's just a hole that has to be moved up and down depending on the weather. Today; probably going to move it back next year because I hit 6 iron into the green.

Q. Did you have any strong feelings about it?

CRAIG PARRY: Not really. It's just a tough hole. You hit a good tee shot, you've got an opportunity of hitting it on the green.

It's just one of those holes, not every hole has to be easy.

Q. You mentioned on 18 you have to take the water out of play. Having said that, do you feel your shot in the playoff was a very aggressive shot, and if so, do you feel you need to be aggressive because you were in the playoff?

CRAIG PARRY: I knew I needed to be aggressive because I wasn't holing any putts. So I felt I had to go towards the hole a bit more than I probably would have normally. If it was just in the tournament, I would have aimed 15 foot right of the hole over Scott's ball and had an opportunity to hole my putt from there. So it was really the playoff that made me go at the hole.

Q. If you had not won at Sahalee or played well, do you think that would have been your last appearance in the U.S., and why was that the week where you drew the line, and said "if I don't do well this week, no more"?

CRAIG PARRY: It was just that time. I had played enough events in America. I had an exemption. I've still got an exemption in Japan. I won the Japan Open in '97 and that's a ten year exemption which means you can play as many events or as little as you like. My exemption in Japan runs out at the end of 2007. I've still got a few years to go.

And it's very easy to commute to Japan for us. It's a one hour time change, nine hours in the flight. You don't have to worry about missing your tee time. (Laughter.)

It's very draining when you are coming backwards and forwards to Australia, and I've been doing it for seven years now. If you jumped on a plane right now you'd be in the air for 14 days; that's how long between Sydney and L.A. that I've been in the air the last couple of years each year. So it's a long time in the air. And then you have all of the jet lag with the time zone and which will knock you around.

Q. That's the equivalent of 14 days per year?

CRAIG PARRY: Yes.

Q. But you still would have eligibility past Sahalee?

CRAIG PARRY: No. That was it.

Q. And if you had not won

CRAIG PARRY: I was happy to go play Japan and Europe, yeah. I had given it a good shot over here. I wasn't disappointed with my career. I mean, I had a lot of good friends and played well over a period of time. Got to play in a lot of great events.

So I was quite happy with what I had done, and then all of a sudden I go out and win.

Q. Do you think going back to that same tournament, do you think that was one of the reasons you did play so well? It wasn't a narrow victory; it was pretty convincing.

CRAIG PARRY: I had just taken a lot of pressure off and said, look, this is my last one. It was a very tight golf course, similar to this. Even though this is wide open, you have to actually drive the ball well here. That's what my game is all about, driving. And that's why I play well in Europe when I played over there. I won four times in three years over in Europe.

It's like in Australia, you have to have to drive the ball well because we have hard and fast fairways. If you drive the ball poorly, you're going to be in the trees.

Q. Does winning today change your schedule in any way?

CRAIG PARRY: 15 events. (Laughter.)

Q. Might you be tempted to stay home longer than you would otherwise?

CRAIG PARRY: No. 15 events will be mine.

Q. Just a set schedule and stick to it?

CRAIG PARRY: I might get in Augusta now. I was 80 in the world before this week, so my World Ranking might jump a little bit. Means I might have to stay over here for a couple more weeks.

Q. What's your plan schedule wise?

CRAIG PARRY: Next week, Bay Hill, then TPC and then if I get in Augusta, I'll have a week off and then play Augusta.

Q. You said that the yardage on the second shot in the playoff on 18 was a perfect yardage; was that the club you normally would hit from that yardage?

CRAIG PARRY: I was a little bit pumped up, so I knew it was going to go a little bit further, but it was a good number for me. If I try to hit it any further, I probably would have hit a poor shot. But I knew I could get it over that ridge on the left hand side there and get it close.

Q. Did you club yourself more this week than normal?

CRAIG PARRY: Yes. I had my nephew on the bag in Australia when my brother's wife was having a baby, and I could just get back to just playing golf, picking the clubs. I don't feel comfortable; I'll lay it up. Like on 13 today, I hit 2 iron off the tee and just hit it just off the front edge of the green and made bogey.

Normally, I would try and get it on the green and hit it close. I knew I could hit it just on the fringe, chip it up, make par, get out there of and get to the next hole. That's through just only having my nephew on the bag who is 17 years of age and plays a 2 handicap.

Q. How often does your brother caddie for you? Is that a permanent thing or once in awhile? Is it any more special that he was there for this? And secondly what's the age range of your three kids?

CRAIG PARRY: Three years in four days' difference, I'm older than he. Glenn has been caddying for me for about three or four years full time. In the past he would always come out and caddie occasionally and any time he'd come out, I played really well. I assume maybe I'm relaxed a lit bit more when he's out on the bag, with the stories we tell to each other and what have you, just to pass the time.

Q. What did you say when he talked about Micheel, did you laugh?

CRAIG PARRY: I did, I just laughed. I said, how about we just hit it close and give me an opportunity to make a putt.

Q. Not to speak out of school, but I asked Glenn and he said he talked you out of a 5 iron?

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, I was going to hit a 5 iron and he goes, no, 6 iron is perfect.

Q. He took all the credit.

CRAIG PARRY: He'll probably take credit for it, yeah. (Laughter.)

Q. What about your swing? Johnny did say it's not the prettiest swing?

CRAIG PARRY: It's a bit like Jim Furyk's isn't it? He's got a U.S. Open, doesn't he? (Laughter.)

It's a matter of getting the job done, I think. There's too many players that get up there and swing it really good and miss the cut. What would you rather do? Get up there and know where it's going or swing it really pretty?

I mean, I think that's the lesson to be learned for a lot of young kids coming through. Don't just work on swing. Work on actually getting the ball around the golf course.

Q. Have people been critical to the point where they try to change your swing?

CRAIG PARRY: Only when they are drunk. (Laughter.) I've worked on it at times, but at least I know where it's going. It's better to have a fade than hook one this way or that.

Q. Has the brother been on the bag before when you've won?

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, quite a few times. Off the top of my head: Coolum, PGA, Indonesian Open I think he was on the bag, Australian Masters he was on the bag. Probably about six or seven.

Q. Sahalee?

CRAIG PARRY: Yeah, Sahalee, yeah.

Q. Do you consider giving him the car or is that a little too much brotherly love?

CRAIG PARRY: He's too tall for that. He's six foot. (Laughter.) He's six foot. He won't fit in the car.

Q. You decided that already?

CRAIG PARRY: I'm sure the kids will decide everything.

Q. What do you suppose Joe Lewis is thinking right about now?

CRAIG PARRY: I've got no idea.

Q. Does your brother travel with you all the time?

CRAIG PARRY: Yes.

Q. Does that make it easier, having somebody with you to do those flights?

CRAIG PARRY: Well, he actually lives at a place balled Busselton, which is three hours south of Perth which is equivalent Perth is on the West Coast of Australia, which is equivalent to, say, here and L.A. so he travels three hours to get to Perth and five hours across and he catches me in Sydney, and he and I go from Sydney. But he's down at the back of the plane and I'm up in front. (Laughter.)

Q. You said when you hit the shot that it felt good. As good as you hit it, was it still a little bit of a shock when it goes in?

CRAIG PARRY: As I said, yeah, I haven't seen it go in. It's amazing. I'll probably won't be able in put words into what actually happened today. When Robert Gamez holed his second shot at Bay Hill, I was in the front and I was finishing out my scorecard when he did it to Greg Norman. That was an eerie feeling and it was the same thing out there today. It was fantastic. I'll always remember it, yeah.

Q. Do you have any special relationship with Scott? He was the one you were talking to; is that just coincidental, any kind of guilt about he was the one who maybe helped you stay around or something like that?

CRAIG PARRY: No, Scott actually knew what I was talking about because he's got kids, as well. When you're spending time away from the family, it gets tough. He was actually going out he was at P.F. Chang's with Sid Wilson from the PGA TOUR and I was with my brother. We were just having a beer in P.F. Chang's's. He said, "What are you going to do?"

I said, "Well, I'm probably going to go to Japan or Europe next year."

Q. Does he get a cut of your winnings in the U.S.?

CRAIG PARRY: (Laughs.)

Q. With the time change, was your family able to watch? Have you talked to them?

CRAIG PARRY: I haven't spoken to them. I'm sure they would have watched it on FOX. FOX takes it live on Monday morning, so they would have seen it.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Take us through your card, starting with the birdie on the first.

CRAIG PARRY: Driver, 3 wood, to about 25 feet, two putts.

4, I hit 3 iron to about three feet.

5, I hit driver, pitching wedge. That went to about six feet.

8, I hit driver down the left hand side and threaded a 3 wood between the palm trees and went in the left hand side between the two bunkers and uphill in the rough, thick rough. Hit a lob wedge out to about 15 foot and holed it.

10, I was very lucky. I hit 3 wood off the tee, hit a 3 iron into the thick rough on the upslope and had a good number for my lob wedge and hit it out to about 12 feet.

13, I hit 2 iron off the tee, chipped up with a sand iron to about 12 feet past the hole. I thought I was actually on the green. That's why it went a long ways past.

17, I hit driver and then a 9 iron out of the thick rough. The ball was sitting down and I actually hit a really good shot.

The clubs, I've only had them in the bag for two weeks with my irons. They really worked out really well and my driver is exactly the same, two weeks. I've been able to control it, and I've got a new 3 wood this week. So Callaway is doing a pretty good job.

Q. Do you consider yourself superstitious or do you believe in fate?

CRAIG PARRY: I'm probably a little bit superstitious but I wouldn't say that to too many people. My coin, I use on the green 10 cent Australian coin and I have the tails up, never heads up.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Congratulations.

End of FastScripts.

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