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FRYS.COM OPEN

October 16, 2010

Rocco Mediate

SAN MARTIN, CALIFORNIA

MARK STEVENS: Like to welcome Rocco Mediate. 17 under, another eagle on a par 5 this time.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Make it easy.
MARK STEVENS: Had one on a par 3, a par 4 and a par 5. If you kind of talk about that hole and then your round in general and then we will take some questions.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Jokingly, on the front nine today (indiscernible). We haven't made a shot in, like, a day and a half. This was early yesterday morning, just joking around. What's going on here?
And then that's why that look when that went in, I was like, You got to be kidding me. It was really funny. It was cool.
I played good today. I played the same. Couple shots -- two or three shots went, took some bounces on the greens. I couldn't believe how far past the hole they were, off a pretty good solid iron shot. Greens are getting firm enough. That's just the way it goes.
I hung in there with that. Had a good -- pretty good back nine.

Q. Were you expecting the ball to (indiscernible) --
ROCCO MEDIATE: I tell you what, that's not far -- when I hit the shot on 16, I'm like, "Oh, my God, here we go again" because it almost crept over that hill.
You know, it definitely helps your confidence when it goes that way. Especially that one on 15, yeah, you know, Matthew is like, It just went a little right of the hole. The hole marker was a little right of the hole. It was good. It was really cool.
I can't believe these two days. It is ridiculous.

Q. Two things. One, you laid up on 17.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Absolutely.

Q. We just don't want to screw up your round.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Oh, no, no, no. There is really no -- if I get one really good and try it in the middle, it is going up on that hill. You can't hit it soft enough to keep it on there. I felt there is no way -- I'm not going to have a putt inside 10 feet for birdie, which I did.
There is no reason -- Maybe one behind, if someone is one behind, you got to go. You got to give it a shot. But still, you will still have a birdie putt. If you put your ball on your fairway, there is no way -- Matthew and I thought about it. I'm like if I hit it perfect, it is going to up -- we saw Tim Herron back there. I thought, I don't want to be anywhere near where he is because you can't play. 30 feet at the best.

Q. And the other thing -- this is the eternal question -- you have been leading for three days.
ROCCO MEDIATE: That's my first time ever, I think.

Q. How hard is that? And can you keep it going for four days? Just the history of golf, guys come at you.
ROCCO MEDIATE: They are going to be coming again tomorrow, I can assure you that. If I keep doing what I'm doing, I will have a good chance to get this done.
If I put my ball in the fairway, I will really have a good chance to get this done. That's what I have to do.
Bo and Alex -- and even Ryuji birdied the last three today. But Bo and Alex hit it 74 miles. They will have a lot shorter club than I am, and I don't care about that. But -- that's just how it is.
So there is no reason why I can't keep doing it. No one can stop me but me.

Q. What did you use?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Just a pitching wedge? 100 -- just kind of bumped it back, 116ish.

Q. (Indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: In the same week? Heck no! No, I said I made two 2s at Kapalua in 2000, 2001 on the par 4s but not like this.

Q. 14 at Kapalua?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah. The thing that kind of got me -- not that I was gone but just was kind of flat, I wasn't getting anything that I wanted to do. The birdie on 14 is ridiculous. That's a full-bore hybrid 2, 232 yards or whatever. That was monstrous for me.

Q. (Indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, that was cool.

Q. You mentioned yesterday that you decided to be in this position you just want to compete. You wanted to see how you could stand up. How was today?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Stood up nicely. Like I said, my (indiscernible) lousy today. But it was weird because I only hit a couple -- maybe one or two shots offline, period.
But the -- the shot on three hit the green but it hit 16 short of the hole and the 6-iron went to the back of the green, coming out of the stratosphere straight up in the air.
7, I flew it 4 feet left of the hole. Never even thought about the green. Coming out of the stratosphere again. It was really wild what was going on, but there was nothing you could do.
If I hit a foot here, a foot there, the greens are a little harder and softer in spots.
11, a lot of it was -- I flew it a foot over the fourth bunker. Weird. But --

Q. (Indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: Right.

Q. What would it mean tomorrow?
ROCCO MEDIATE: I think it would be cool. It would be -- you know, I know I can still do it. I know have the ability and the tools to do it. And tomorrow I get to find out if they're going to work. I know they're going to work, but, you know, who knows.
I could go out and shoot 70 and lose the golf game. I could go out and shoot 68 and lose the golf game. You never know what's going to happen. I just want to have to keep doing what I am doing.
I was very under control today. I think I missed the fairway today. Yeah, I drove it through the 8th fairway, which doesn't ever happen. 299, I can't hit that far. I did that today.
But that's the only one that I missed. So if I can do that tomorrow, then I'll have -- like I said, they'll be shooting. No one is just going to shoot -- it won't be easy. It is never easy.

Q. (Indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, it would be cool. It is just a matter of -- it would be the first time that I ever led -- well, I ever won anything wire to wire. I don't think I have. So that will be cool.
But, yeah, I slept seven or eight hours last night. I was exhausted. I have been doing it long enough. I will be a little nervy like I was this morning.
I had beauty off the first tee today and on my way. Birdied my first hole, that was good. Do that tomorrow.

Q. How's your back?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Back's fine. I have no worries.

Q. (Indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, I just meant because it was cool this morning. I just said, You know what? I rather do sweats. It was hot there for a while.

Q. Can you talk about this First Tee thing you did a couple of days ago. They brought one of the kids in here today and they liked what you mentioned. Was that fun?
ROCCO MEDIATE: I had an absolute blast. Rickie Fowler, myself -- excuse me. Who else did I go with? Kevin Chappell and -- no, yeah, Jamie. Geez, I can't even remember.
Jamie, Rickie, and I went. And it was cool. There was about 400 kids and the most behaved -- you can't -- 400 kids, there is -- it was unbelievable. I think we were there for an hour, hour and 15 minutes. It was great.
I got to get some pictures. It was hilarious.

Q. Did they know who you were?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Probably some of them did. Probably all of them. There were some youngsters. But they all -- that First Tee, it is a heck of a deal over there. They tried to (indiscernible). I hope they don't.
It is a good place to go. It is really neat. It was really cool. I really -- at the end of Wednesday, it just -- it just lit me up.

Q. In the middle of the golf tournament, does that relax you. Some guys say, I have to worry about the golf tournament.
ROCCO MEDIATE: I only worry about the golf today. I am not going to worry about it tonight. You wonder: What am I going to do tomorrow? You wonder. It doesn't last that long.
You go out and shoot 65, the game is over. There is nothing you can do. So I don't think about that.
But that Wednesday, it was kind of relaxing. It was cool. It made you feel good because the kids were awesome.

Q. (Indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: I'm a little odd, I guess. (Indiscernible).

Q. They got a few Giants fans around here.
ROCCO MEDIATE: The game starts at what? 4:30 or something? I don't blame you. I would go home and watch it, too. (Laughter)

Q. Did you actually pull your putter out on 15 after you --
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, yeah. You have to do that. I don't ever fix ball marks with my shoe. You know what I mean? I don't strap it down. Fix the ball mark.

Q. There was a stat on T.V. before you got to 9, you had (indiscernible).
ROCCO MEDIATE: Beautiful. 21 more tomorrow.

Q. But that's obviously one of the reasons you are in first place.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, absolutely, I made them. I made two bogeys. I have never done that before. I am sure I have never done that.
What I have missed, it has been okay. I haven't missed the ball that far offline. So I'm always around the area. You know what I mean? I'm always around where I can get the ball up and down.
Made a crappy pitch on 11. It was kind of a funky ride. That was just a bad play.
Now, when I miss, that's right there. On 6, 7 and 8, beautiful-looking shots (indiscernible). But I was right there. Kind of simple pitch. I should be able to hit it. So far that's (indiscernible).

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