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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT


June 4, 1999


Lee Janzen


DUBLIN, OHIO

LEE PATTERSON: All right, sir. I know it wasn't a wonderful finish, but maybe just a couple thoughts about today and then we'll open it up for questions.

LEE JANZEN: I felt like I played well, hit a lot of good shots. I think the reason why the scoring's good is because it's a beautiful golf course that's in great condition, you've got a class field that's pushing each player -- each player in this field is pushing another player to try and do better. I would not expect that the scoring would be this good before the week started, considering it was going to be dry and fast, but the weather is really nice.

LEE PATTERSON: Any questions?

Q. Lee, I'm just on deadline in London. Can you tell me what happened on 18?

LEE JANZEN: Driver in the fairway, from the middle of the fairway, 6-iron. Watching it come down, I thought it was going to land on the green but it hit the slope of the bunker, the grass and then kicked left, and went all the way to the other side to the lip. I basically had nothing. I tried to hit it and get it out of the bunker in the air and hopefully kick on the green and take slow and roll back somewhere on the pin, but I only moved it about 6 feet. Then I didn't hit the next bunker shot hard enough and left myself too long a putt.

Q. Lee, do you see anything different in Tiger than a year ago? Is there some improvement in some areas that's jumping out at you?

LEE JANZEN: What I've noticed this week, I think he's always been -- he attacks the golf course. I always see an attack-style in his walk. I see a more relaxed walk now. I think he's enjoying himself more. I don't think it's taken away from his focus of what he wants to become, but I think he has a relaxed confidence about him, that he's just really enjoying himself right now, which could be trouble for the rest of us. But I think that's one of the reasons why he's playing really well, maybe because he's really playing well is why he's giving off that ^^ air.

Q. Do you think that was triggered by the win in Germany; did you see it?

LEE JANZEN: I have seen it coming on. I've seen him at home when he's practicing. He's really intense. I also have seen him when he's really enjoying himself. He's amazing. Some of the things he does out here are pretty good. But I've seen him do some things that are just amazing.

Q. Like?

LEE JANZEN: Hit 3-woods from 270 in the wind and fly it right to the pin and stop it like this.

Q. Do you think this more relaxed attitude is just experience? He just played more and he's more accustomed to being out here now?

LEE JANZEN: I think he's certainly more comfortable with everybody out here. Everybody's getting to know him. I know it was probably three years on the TOUR for me before I really got to know most of the guys on Tour. His first year on Tour, he was -- he had a parade with him every where he went. He couldn't even spend five minutes in the locker room without getting hounded by somebody. We didn't have a chance to get to know him as a group.

Q. Vijay talked about that he really felt some momentum with Payne starting out so well and they were sort of back and forth, back and forth. You kind of came up later on. Did you feel that, too, and did you sort of catch your stride with them later on? Or did you have that same experience or no?

LEE JANZEN: It was an outstanding start by Payne, birdied 7 out of the first 8 holes. Quite a start. He had a relatively short putt on No. 9 for 29 with a bogey. That would have been quite awesome. But they both came out very well. I played pretty well in the beginning, just didn't make the birdies, 3-putted the first hole, 10-footed on the second hole. Made birdies on 3 and 5 and looked at another putt on 7 from about 8 feet. So I was just a couple inches from being right with them. But my putts were -- I was aiming, rolling pretty good. I'm happy with the way I did just about everything today. Just a couple minor mistakes, I probably could have saved a few more shots. Hit my wedge about 2 feet to the right on 14, I think I would have had a tap-in for a birdie there instead of making bogey.

Q. Lee, you were talking about how Tiger seems more relaxed. If he gets better, like you say he might, can he be intimidating? I know all you guys are so good and everything, but can a guy like that be intimidating by some of the things he does?

LEE JANZEN: Vijay, he hit some drives the last two days that were 40, 50 yards ahead. When a guy hits it straight and outdrives you about 50 yards, he can put pressure on you. The most intimidating thing is he's hitting the irons the right distance. Length doesn't mean anything if it's not accurate. If he starts hitting it dead to the hole, then we're in trouble.

Q. You said yesterday that, you know, you're not going to shoot 7 or 8-under par every day. But today you said you're a little surprised at how low it is after two days. Where do you think it's going to go over the weekend, scoring?

LEE JANZEN: Who knows. I thought the course would play harder today, if anything, it's playing easier.

Q. How many times do you have a shot like you did at 18 there out of that bunker? You know, that kind of -- almost impossible shot. How many times would you have a shot like that over a course of let's say a year?

LEE JANZEN: I'm trying to think of the last time I had a shot like that. I had one like that last year here on the 4th hole. The bunkers are deep enough and the grass hills -- if you land the ball just off the edge of the green and hit those grass hills, they ricochet across the bunkers. Better off missing it more wild and having it land straight in the bunker. From what I understand, ten years ago that bunker -- or 15 years ago that bunker used to be more severe. It was almost like that every time you go in that bunker you never had a shot. They reworked it. I try to rework it myself, but... (Laughter.)

Q. Lee, what happened on your first shot in the bunker? How far did you advance the ball?

LEE JANZEN: About 6 feet.

Q. Then the second shot?

LEE JANZEN: I left it short, probably 15 feet from the hole. 12 or 15 feet from the hole.

Q. I'm missing a shot there someplace.

LEE JANZEN: One on the fairway, two in the bunker, three in the bunker, four on the green, two putts. Six. The eagle was great.

LEE PATTERSON: What about the eagle?

LEE JANZEN: Hit a driver, then from 225 front of the green. I hit my rescue club and flew it on the green about eight steps and ran towards the back right of the green and took the slope and made a U-turn towards the hole and stopped about 3 inches away, going right in. 3, 5, 6, I don't know, it was about like that.

Q. Lee, is that rescue club something you think you can use at Pinehurst, or is that rough going to be so deep there?

LEE JANZEN: It's great out of the rough actually. You can't get more than a 7-iron, you can hit a rescue club and it comes out. I know last week at the Kemper on 7 I had 200 yards. If I was going to hit an iron, I couldn't do better than 7-iron.

Q. How deep is that rough?

LEE JANZEN: It was pretty thick. Thick rough, it comes out really good. I might use a different one next week, or in two weeks. One with less loft on it, a little hotter one I can use off the tee and drive it, get it low and running.

Q. What's the degree on it now?

LEE JANZEN: 18 degree. They have a 15 degree, I have a couple in my locker I'm going to work with.

LEE PATTERSON: Anything else? Bob, do you need the birdies?

Q. Please.

LEE PATTERSON: 3 and 5?

LEE JANZEN: 3-wood, 9-iron, 3 feet. 5, driver, 7-iron layup, sand wedge a foot. Where else did I birdie?

LEE PATTERSON: 13 and 15.

LEE JANZEN: Got the eagle. 13, driver 7-iron, 4 feet. And then 15, I hit driver 4-iron and 2-putted from the front edge. Second putt was about 2 inches.

LEE PATTERSON: Thank you.

LEE JANZEN: Got the bogeys? Care about them? One was a 3-putt. Other one, 14, I hit it this far off the edge of the green, but it was straight downhill, hit it by the hole about 8 feet and missed it coming back.

LEE PATTERSON: Thank you. We appreciate it.

LEE JANZEN: Thanks.

End of FastScripts….

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