WGC ACCENTURE MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 20, 2002

Tiger Woods

Q. You said that anything can happen in this format. Why don't talk a little bit about what happened.

TIGER WOODS: I didn't really play as well as I needed to today and didn't make any putts. I hit good putts and they bounced up the hills and stuff. I didn't put any heat on him until the end, and it was a big putt there on 16. I had a chance, but he closed the door.

Q. A lot of holes for you without a birdie. Is it because of the putting?

TIGER WOODS: I hit good putts. I had a nice little lip-out there on 2. Some of the putts I hit really well; they just didn't break. A lot of the times, they were spent in the air bouncing. I got more mileage over the greens than I do when I travel all over the country.

Q. Did Peter's game affect you at all?

TIGER WOODS: I played with him a couple of months ago in New Zealand and he played well. He had a chance to win the tournament. He's just real consistent, which I expected, and he played his normal game.

Q. How close are you --?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I told Stevie coming down 16, we have to figure out a way to take it to 18. I had a chance, but Peter hit a beautiful putt left-to-right, very first putt and it went right in the middle of the hole.

Q. On 16, did you feel like you had a little bit of momentum?

TIGER WOODS: I felt like I had a chance now. At least I hit a good putt. He was in position to win the match if I missed; so I had to make my putt and I drove it right in the middle.

Going to 17, that was a three-shot hole; so I was just hoping to get the ball inside of him for the third shot, which I was able to do and I put it in close for a chance for a good birdie, but never had the chance to putt it.

Q. Said you didn't want to put pressure on yourself in this kind of format, but is it frustrating that you're not able to get over the hump in an event like this?

TIGER WOODS: It's frustrating, the fact that if you play -- I didn't play great today, but I didn't play bad, either. I hit a lot of good shots, I hit a lot of beautiful putts that did not go in the hole and not able to advance. That's just the nature of the format and the nature of the format is anything can happen and that's the way of it.

Q. Is there anything particularly wrong early in the round?

TIGER WOODS: No, there's nothing really wrong. I was just real solid, real consistent. I hit the ball in the fairways on the greens. I hit a lot of good shots today. Again, as I said, I hit a lot of beautiful putts that just didn't go in. Just wobbling all over the place.

Q. There are reports saying you are going to play Doral next week?

TIGER WOODS: Right now, that's not on my mind.

Q. Match-play is a great event, but you're knocked out in the first round --?

TIGER WOODS: Well, it's not exactly the greatest of feelings. One of those things where, in this case, things can happen in match-play, and it does.

The second hole, I mean, that putt was dead in the middle of the hole and went a little left at the end. The putt wasn't supposed to break left. The putt I hit on 11 was another beautiful putt. That was supposed to break left and it goes about a ball right up the hill. It's just -- you know, Peter had the same thing happen to him, the putt on 12, he hit a good putt and you could see it bounced straight left. He lipped it out. It can happen out there.

Q. In that respect, does this take some of the --?

TIGER WOODS: I don't understand a lot -- the greens, to get them ready for a big event like this. A lot of events, that's what they do to get ready for a Tour event, they try to get them real fast and real smooth. Unfortunately, they didn't do that. It's a tough surface to putt on, poa. We all know that. When they are a little spongy like this because of the rain we got a few days ago, it's going to be tough.

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