What they said: Kenny Perry

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Transcript archive: Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial

JOHN BUSH: We have got Kenny Perry in the interview room here at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. After a 6-under par 64, Kenny no bogeys on the cards, just a great start to the tournament, if we can get some comments from you, please.

KENNY PERRY: Well, I couldn't ask for better conditions. We had no wind, very soft fairways, very soft greens. The golf course is immaculate and I love the changes and I was fortunate I drove the ball very well today and got aggressive on a couple of them and actually made some birdies by being a little bit aggressive and it paid off.

Very nice way to start. You are going to see a lot of red numbers out there. There is not much wind. This afternoon I think somebody is really going to go low. It was pretty dewy this morning. There was a lot of dew, heavy dew. Guys were hitting shooters and stuff. I think they'll have a little bit more ball control this afternoon. There will be some good rounds.

Q. A two-time time winner here, no hiding your comfort level here at Colonial?

KENNY PERRY: Yes, I always, when I come here, no matter how I'm playing, I feel like I can win. I did a first, I did a Bruce Lietzke. Two weeks ago after TPC, my club was in my club glove, I stuck them in the closet at the house, and I didn't touch them until I put the club glove on the plane on Monday; two weeks later. I didn't touch a club for two weeks.

I'm quite pleased to be able to show up here, work on it for three days and be able to shoot this kind of round. Normally to me I have to play a little bit and stay with it. It was awesome. That's why I just love coming here, it seems like no matter what I'm doing, if it's not there, it shows up.

JOHN BUSH: Questions?

Q. Was there a goal hangover after The Masters for you?

KENNY PERRY: Not really. We cried a little bit there the first couple of days and talked about it and enjoyed it. But I'm not hanging my head on that deal, that was fun. I had a blast. When I lost the PGA in '96, there was a serious hangover on that deal. I was young, I didn't understand or appreciate it at the time. That was fun. I may not ever get back there again and do any good. For that one time, one spot in my life, I will never forget it.

Q. I can't remember the last time when you won here the last time, you had gone through something with the eyes or something like that, I can't remember if you had not played leading up to that as well.

KENNY PERRY: Well, I shot 19-under in '05. 19-under in '03. I've had lasik done twice. Now I'm wearing a lasik contact lens. I have had some eye issues. I don't know whether it was before this event or not. My vision is okay with the contacts in.

Q. What I was leading to, basically the fact of not playing, that's rare for you, I take it?

KENNY PERRY: Yes. I usually hit balls in practice every day. It may not be a long session, but it will be something, I'm doing something, always keeping a club in my hand to kind of keep the feel. I'm such a feel player. I'm not mechanical at all. It's very important for me to always keep a golf club in my hand.

Q. Your comfort level on this course, how much does it fit really the style you play, right-to-left?

KENNY PERRY: This is a driver's golf course. I mean it's definitely course management golf course. But for me the driver has always been the best club in my bag, and I have always been able to take advantage of it here. A lot of these guys, on a lot of these holes like 7, I don't hit driver there anymore. In the past, 7 is a just a straight hole. Most guys would hit 2-iron off that tee and an 8 or 7-iron in. I would hit driver, and I would have 60 or 80 yards into the hole. I took advantage of some of the holes.

Like today on No. 3, they moved those bunkers back and raised the fairway. It was 300 to carry that last bunker. I hit a swooping hook around there. I had 138 yards to the hole. I hit a 9-iron in there about 10 feet and made it. Well, Vijay hit 3-wood, and he had to hit a 5-iron in into the green, I'm thinking. He hit it out right of the bunkers, and he probably had 200 yards, 180, I don't know what he had way back there. You can get aggressive.

If you can fit it through these bunkers like I did today, like 6 I fit it through bunkers, I had only 80 yards to the hole and made birdie. There is a lot of cross bunkering out there. Bunkering on both sides, that if you can fit it between them. 12, they moved the bunkering back. I was able to hook it and keep it in between them. I only had 130 yards there. I didn't birdie that hole. I had a lot of short irons, so it gives me a lot of opportunities.

JOHN BUSH: Let's go through the birdie on No. 10.

KENNY PERRY: I hit rescue and a 9-iron about 8 feet. Able to make it. 14, that's one hole they really changed that was one of my favorite holes on TOUR, that's going to be tough for me. I always hit a hook right around that corner, and now I hit the same shot and it went right in the front bunker. I was able to hit a 7-iron out of bunker about 15 feet and make it. It turned out okay today but it's not a lot of fun playing out of that bunker. 18, I hit a great drive and had 135 yards, hit a wedge up there and made about a 20-footer. 3, driver, 9-iron to about ten feet, able to knock it in. 6, driver, sand wedge, about four feet. 8, made a nice putt there. Hit a 7-iron on the front of the green it was probably 25 feet away, was able to make it. Q. You didn't birdie either one of the par 5's?

KENNY PERRY: I did not, no. I hit a good drive on one and I hooked a rescue to the left of the green shortsided myself, I had to chip it over the bunker and try to stop it, and it rolled long and I didn't make it. 11, now, 650 yards, that hole is just long now.

Q. Kenny, obviously you played with Vijay today, and he was playing well, how much do you feed off something like that when another guy in your group is really going well?

KENNY PERRY: I like it. He birdied 5 in a row, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11. I told him after he made the birdie on 9 -- on 18. I'm sorry, 16, 17, 18, 1, 2, I told him you just made a turkey. He looked at me and said, what's a turkey? I said that's three in a row. I didn't know that. He played great. It is always nice when the one guy is going good. It keeps the group paying attention more focused. I always like it when somebody is playing hot. Q. Kenny it seems like you are playing your best golf as you get older, maybe hitting the ball further than you every did before, can you explain why you are so much better now?

KENNY PERRY: Well, technology has helped me. Technology has hurt some of the players, but it actually helped me with the golf ball now. It doesn't spin a lot. I can launch it high with no spin. I worked on that with trackman this week. TaylorMade came out with a new 460 driver. I put it in play the first time today and I picked up 5 mile an hour swing speed going from the R9, to the R9 460. I was averaging 166 ball speed. When I went to the 460 I was having 172 so that's about 10 to 12 yards further. I hit the R9 really straight.

That's what I used at the Masters. But today I wanted to be a little stronger. I wanted to get it on out there and attack the golf course a little bit, so I was launching the driver on the trackman. It would launch at 13 degrees at 2,200 ball spin. If you can get that with 172 mile an hour ball speed, it's going to go 310 to 315. That's helped me. I've got a real upright swing. I'm always kind of really hitting down, trapping the golf ball a little bit. I have a lot of power. I've been fortunate. The driver goes and the ball goes so I'm able to hang with those kids.

Q. You talked a little bit about the course changes, I'm just wondering what are the biggest things out there, particular holes that have changed most?

KENNY PERRY: 14 is totally different. And 7, with the bunkering on the right at 7. 14 is really optically just looking at the hole, it doesn't look like the same hole anymore. But what I liked about it, they lowered all of the tee boxes. I love how they did the run-off behind the 14th green into the 15th tee box.

That tee box was really elevated, when you are standing on the tee box, you look over that fence, and you saw all of that traffic right there and everybody walking. Now the tee box is so much lower, you can't see any of that. It kind of deflects the sound. I love how they shaped it. We have a lot of chipping areas now. In past it was heavy rough. Now you've got options which I think is pretty cool.

They raised the green, the fairway on 3 and pushed the bunkering back it's 290, 295 to carry those things. Anyway, it's very subtle. I notice some of guys didn't know they changed some of the holes which I thought was pretty cool, when they said, what did they do here? Maybe I'm showing my age a little bit there, I don't know.

I think they did a great job, I really do. I think they should be proud of what they've done. I don't know are they are going to be proud of all of the red numbers shot today. They need to grow the rough up a little bit. They need to firm up the greens a little bit and it's going to be the toughest test we will take.

Q. Nobody has their name on there three times except Hogan, is that something special to you?

KENNY PERRY: Something I would like to do, no doubt. I think there is 10 guys with two wins in this tournament. I would love to break out of there and get 3. It's only one day, we got three more days to go. A lot of work ahead of me.

JOHN BUSH: Kenny, off to a great start, keep it going.

KENNY PERRY: Thanks.