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FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP


June 25, 1999


Vicente Fernandez


DEARBORN, MICHIGAN

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Vicente, 2-under 72 and at 138, 6-under you're right in contention here. Just some thoughts. We look on your record, and you haven't had a round above par since the final day of the nationwide championship in early May. You won at Vegas. Just some thoughts about your turnaround.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: So far so good. And I'm striking the ball even better than when I won in Las Vegas. It happened to be that the last two days, I make, two, three mental errors every day, which cost me four or five bogeys. Other than that, I mean, I played very well. And the difference with the last two weeks, which I also strike the ball, is that so far these two days, I putted much better. I think it's because the greens are a little bit faster than the last two weeks, and it's in my favor.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Anything from the last month to when you started the season -- do you just play better in the summertime?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: You know, after the last round of the tournament -- Tournament Championship last year, I didn't feel well until -- the last week of February in April, started feeling much better. I have an injury in my neck which didn't allow me to swing with any freedom. I was a little bit tight. And, since first week of April, I started striking -- swinging much better. I felt more loose and I think that's why I played better. My physical situation put me where I could swing much better and a little bit harder.

Q. How much tougher was this course today than yesterday? Two shots, in your case.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Maybe. Maybe overall, two shots, because yesterday, with the wind blowing the opposite direction, you could reach every par 5. Today, I could reach maybe one, No. 13. Other than that, couldn't reach it. Even yesterday, even 17, couldn't reach it. I didn't go because of my lie, but I could reach it. I think that's the big difference.

Q. Do you like this course better when it's playing firm and fast or a little bit softer?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: You know, it's tougher when it's playing firm and fast. Because when it's firm, it becomes a little bit more narrow because the run -- the ball, it's rolling. And also, the greens are even smaller because of that, again. I think it's tougher when it's playing hard and dry -- with hard greens, too.

Q. So what made the course tougher today? Was it the wind then, not necessarily the conditions?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: The wind. No, the conditions. It was-- I think as good as yesterday. The only difference was the wind direction, which makes it unreachable on those par 5s.

Q. You've played all over the world. What would a major here in the United States mean to you, besides obviously a whole lot of money?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, always to win a major is very nice. I mean, I won a major in Europe which is considered major, the British PGA. But other than that, I didn't win any major, apart from South America. It's going to be very nice to win it -- to win a major always; what it gives you automatically to qualify you for some other tournament, special tournaments is to be a major winner.

Q. Is that something you've shot for through your career? Did you gear for the majors?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: For me, any tournament was a welcome. Also, it's even better if you can win a major.

Q. Did you play -- I know you played several TOURs, but was it mostly the European TOUR?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes. I played 27 years on the European TOUR. I played two years on the U.S. TOUR. And the rest in South America.

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Can you just go through your round.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: I bogeyed the 4th. I bogeyed 4th. I 3-putted just from the fringe, pin-high. Then I birdied 5. Hit a driver and 9-iron about three feet. Birdied 7. Driver, 3-iron, L-wedge about six feet. Bogeyed 8. I missed green on the left. Could not get up-and-down. Birdied 11, 3-wood, pitching wedge about 12 feet. Then birdied 13. 13, I was very lucky. I think it was -- so far, the only bad drive I hit. I hooked it, and it looks like the ball goes -- nobody saw the ball. I hit a tree on the left and nobody saw the ball. But my caddie, he could hear it hit the tree, but could not see where it was. We're lucky we found the ball, under the trees very badly. But, I hit a great shot from there to reach the fairway. And then I hit a 9-iron about four feet and made a birdie. That was very lucky. And then I miss a three-footer on 15 for birdie. Then I never have a chance, 17 or 18.

Q. Which way do you see the scores going the next two days do you think they will be as low as they were yesterday, or will they level off a little bit?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Depending on the weather conditions. I hear that we're going to have rain on Sunday. So if the course stay like this, I think the score is going to be good again, because the course is in very good condition. I think I played three years -- this is my fourth year. And the best ever. I mean, the fairways, they have a lot of grass. Green sides, they have a lot of grass, even though they are not slow, but they have a lot of grass, which is very good.

Q. Are you playing as well as you've played on the TOUR in your three years?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: On this TOUR?

Q. Yeah, in the last three years.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Or have you had better stretches. I played very well. I struck the ball very well the first year, because I went through difficult time to go through -- to play tournaments. I have to go through Monday-qualifying and I played very well, those Monday-qualifying, which is ball-striking, I think I'm as good as '96 and maybe even a little bit better.

Q. How long are you going were you going to stick with that Monday-qualifying?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: I commit myself to try as long as it takes.

End of FastScripts....

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