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How do you feel going into 2009?
I'm looking forward to getting started. Before last
year I had a pretty crazy off-season and then had
my second baby in January. The clubs were in
the closet and I didn't really do much. I had a real
traditional off-season that everyone used to have
30 years ago, but now everyone practices
harder in the off-season.
Did the time off hurt you?
It affected me at the start. I had a
horrible West Coast and really
had to bear down — I played a lot
and practiced a lot. I got to Florida
and played great, had a top-10
at Tampa, played pretty decent
at Bay Hill and then won Doral
and came in second at Houston.
I played great at Colonial and Memorial, played well at the U.S. Open, and then the game just got away from me a little bit in the summer.
Unfortunately, summer is when
three of the majors are played.
Exactly. I was pretty happy with the U.S.
Open, but I [got the worst of the weather] at
Birkdale, which is kind of a credible excuse
until you realize that [Padraig] Harrington
was in the group behind me the first two
rounds. I was in it at the U.S. Open — on the
9th tee I was one back or tied for the lead or
something. I bogeyed the 9th, a downwind
par 5. I plugged it in the bunker. And then I
bogeyed the 10th, plugged it in the bunker
there, too. But at least I got to play with
Rocco [Mediate], so it was a great day. It
was great fun.
What did you think of Tiger's win?
It showed that there's so much more to
it than pretty ballstriking. It shows how
much heart has to do with winning big
tournaments. A lot of us haven't quite
worked that out yet.
What tournament are you
most looking forward
to this year?
Well, I've never really
been in contention
at the Masters. On
Saturday in '07, that
really horrendous,
cold, windy day,
I was two back,
and I spun two
wedges into the
water on 15. The
Masters is always
pandemonium, and
there are all sorts
of rumors about
what's going on with
the golf course. I look
forward to the next
Masters from the
moment I leave the
course on Sunday. It's
such a cool place.
