MCI CLASSIC

April 17, 1997

Rick Fehr

RICK FEHR: How about that.

RICK FEHR: It was an interesting day. Just kept making birdies most of the day. And, you know, I wasn't hitting the ball great, but I was hitting enough good shots and putted really well. And first time I think on TOUR I have ever birdied all the par 3s and the par 5s. So, it was kind of an interesting day. Obviously, I didn't finish on a real positive note. But, I kind of beat the system all day long and kind of tripped up coming in. But it is only Thursday and I am happy with the day.

RICK FEHR: Yeah, first hole I didn't hit a very good tee shot and was in the left rough and hit a 7-iron up and over a tree and on the edge of the green about twelve feet from the hole. Made the putt for birdie. , so it was a good start. Second hole I hit a nice drive 1-iron, just on the fringe and 2-putted for birdie.

RICK FEHR: It was probably 45 feet from the hole. 4th hole par 3, hit 5-iron about twelve feet, made the putt. Fifth hole, par 5, I was up near the green and hit a flop-shot up about two feet from the hole for another birdie. And, then the 7th hole hit a 5-iron about probably ten feet from the hole and I made that. That was the front 9. And then on the back 9, I hit it in the trees to the right on 13th hole -- or wait, I am sorry, wrong hole. 13th hole I hit my second shot in. It's the green with the railroad ties and all that. I hit a shot that was just left of the hole and it was coming up a little bit short and it hit into the wall of the railroad ties and kicked it way back almost in the fairway, but in the tough part of the bunker. With a long bunker shot; made bogey. I missed probably about 8-footer, 8 or 10 foot. Then 14th hole, I hit 8-iron about ten feet, eight or ten feet from the hole, made it. 15th hole a sand wedge to about 12 or 15 feet, knocked it in. 17th hole, 3-iron, 10 or twelve feet, made it. Then 18, I hit four bad shots, I made 6. Anyway, finished up with two good ones, a good pitch and great -- but... So, anyway, that was it.

RICK FEHR: It was blowing -- I mean, there was definitely a breeze. I don't know if you would call it a wind when we started. It was a factor. I mean, it was making a full club difference from the start of the day. But, it really don't -- you don't really feel the full brunt of it until you make the turn on 16, hit your second shot on 16, then I realized how hard it has been blowing. Obviously, it is picking up and it is only going to, I think, be getting stronger as the day goes on, and we are going to have to deal with it tomorrow. But most of the golf course is fairly sheltered, but it is a factor.

RICK FEHR: Yeah, with, the first, I will elaborate on 18, get it over with. I hit a bad tee shot. It was over near the cart path. I elected to take a drop, because I was sort of behind the tree and taking a drop would clear me of that. Well, I dropped it. It ended up on a pile of the tree droppings and leaves and made for a difficult second shot, just trying to get the club on the ball. And, actually did that. But, I hit a little left to the green down in the low spot; had a very difficult shot from down below. But, it is a shot that I am very confident with. And I think I do as well as anyone out here, that is, flopping it up there. And went, you know, -- got too much under it the first time and it didn't carry to the green, rolled back down. Rolled back into a bad lie this time. So now I am stuck with -- from that position, you really can't bump it up the hill. I tried flopping it again. It did the same thing. Third time I flopped it up about a foot-and-a-half from the hole, and so -- that adds up to 6. And then to answer your second question, I don't know. I think the conditions are getting tougher. I also think that each 9 -- I think the last few holes of each 9 are the more difficult holes. So, I think you are kind of finishing up, guys may get out to a fast start and then you don't see guys make a lot of birdies coming in the last few holes. It is not uncommon. Most Thursday mornings, guys will get out there to a quick start - greens are perfect and untrampled.

RICK FEHR: I like being home more than I like being gone.

RICK FEHR: Oh, yeah, over time. A lot of it has to do with primarily family and kids are growing up and all that. And I don't like being away. I don't spend more than a week away from them at a time. So that is going to limit my schedule. They travel occasionally, but I will do a lot of one-week trips.

RICK FEHR: No, I am not into anything yet. I am still looking around. When I find something, you may not see me. So that is kind of where I am at. In the meantime, though, I am just as competitive when I play. Just I have cut back.

RICK FEHR: Probably cause me to take more weeks off, if anything. I do this to make a living. And I look at it if I play well, it allows me to have more time at home rather than the opposite. I am not going to add weeks. If anything, I will cut them out. Ideally, I would love to be able to, you know, make enough in 15 weeks and play the minimum. This year I am going to play 20 and beyond that, I don't think I will ever play more than 20. Could be less.

RICK FEHR: I think so. Typically, I drive the ball straight, which is obviously a factor on this golf course. And when I am playing well, I feel that I am a very good iron player, middle to short-iron player. That is what this golf course is all about. Also, I tend to putt pretty well and right now the greens are in perfect condition for putting and if you are rolling it good, you are going to make a lot of putts. And, Loren Roberts -- you just look through the years, guys make a lot of putts here.

RICK FEHR: Neither one, particularly. It is just Thursday. I know you guys have to put a story in the paper tomorrow, but I mean, there is a lot of golf left and, gee whiz, we are fourth of the way down. So the way I am, I am not going to get too excited or too disappointed on Thursday. So, it is better than I expected, to be quite honest, teeing off the way I have been playing and I am very happy with 5-under and to be tied 4 or near the lead at the end of the day, it is a great start.

RICK FEHR: Oh, yeah. If you look at today just alone,, yeah, I think that the scores in the morning are going to be significantly better -- that is assuming the wind is going to keep blowing and getting stronger. There is no question, what it does tomorrow sound like it is going to blow all day. So, I would tend to think that means guys that played early today are getting the best of it. But, we will wait and see; add up the scores at the end of the day. But, it is going to be tough this afternoon.

RICK FEHR: Really no adjustment. You just have to really be thinking well and playing smart and recognizing that, you know, you are going to guess wrong on the wind now and then and you are going to have -- because of that, you are going to have to maybe not be as aggressive when you have a tough pin placement or whatever. It is just -- we have all done it. It is just a matter of who is able to hit the shots. Chipping and putting becomes even bigger because guys are missing more greens, so, we have all played in it before. It is just whoever is playing well that week.

RICK FEHR: Yeah, I they are not easy that is, for sure. It is just -- it is not something I will remember forever. It is not that big of deal. Just looking at my score card, it is 4, 2s, I don't remember seeing that before. Yeah, these are -- the way they were playing today, too, there was some wind, what was it 2, 5-irons, 8-iron and 3-iron, so it is a good set of par 3s. That was a positive side of the day.