Gary Newkirk, Tiger Woods Foundation
Q: Fair to say that was a little different than anything you've experienced out here?
TIGER WOODS: Yeah, you know, I was telling Steve O there when I play a practice round it's the same kind of atmosphere, but it's a competitive round and it don't change anything. I still have to hit the same shots and I've got to execute. I was five back to start the day, and I got to where I was two back, and I think I'm one back now.
Q: When was the last time you played a competitive round with so few people in the gallery?
TIGER WOODS: Well, it's usually after you don't finish on Sunday. We have to go back out at-- let's say the course is closed and the spectators had a dangerous atmosphere and were sent home, and we have to come out and finish up a few holes. That's the only time. Other than that, it's usually a lot more crowded than this.
Q: Can you think of a regular day like this, or can you even remember it's been so long?
TIGER WOODS: It's been a while.
Q: Do you find you draw energy off a crowd, and on a day like today there's something missing?
TIGER WOODS: The quick answer would be yes, but I found that I didn't feel that way, just because I was five back starting the day, trying to fight my way back into the tournament, and that's what I was focused on. Making a birdie at 1 and 3, whether there was applause or not, now I'm only three back, and let's just keep chipping away at it. That was my focus.
It might have been a little bit louder on 6 when I holed that shot rather than 20 people clapping.
Q: Walk us through that chip on 6.
TIGER WOODS: Middle of the fairway, just a perfect little shot. I had 100 yards to clear the bunker, and I was going to hit a low 60 in there and just get over the bunker, and it skipped up to the top, and just hit an awful shot, clipped it and hit it left. I drew a decent lie, not a great lie, and I was just trying to leave myself a putt, just throw it up there and somehow keep it on the top shelf. If I can leave it on the top shelf, I can make it, and it went in.
