WM Phoenix Open interview: Bill Haas

MORE INTERVIEWS: Waste Management Phoenix Open transcripts

Q.  You finished at 13, and with Phil's double at the last hole, still a lot of golf to play.  Talk about your day.

BILL HAAS:  Yeah, I'm very pleased with my two days.  Obviously Phil playing very well.  Obviously we would need him to do that on 18, and we need him to do more stuff like that for us to catch him.  I don't think it's that big of a speed bump for him.  He'll make a lot of birdies.
But we all know the way the course is playing, if there's no wind on the weekend, you've just got to keep making birdies.

Q.  Any highlight to your round?

BILL HAAS:  Just getting off to a nice start, birdied 10 and 11 right out of the gate, so that kind of frees you up a little bit, kind of making a bunch of pars there on the front nine and then making a birdie on 7 is one of the harder holes on the course, and that makes you feel pretty good there on the back nine.

Q.  Were you aware of what Phil was doing out there?

BILL HAAS:  A little bit.  I think I was on 6 green, and I looked up and saw that he had made eagle to go to like 17‑under.  Does that sound right?

Q.  Yeah, he eagled 15.

BILL HAAS:  And I remember thinking, yeah, just do what you can do, and hats off to a guy that's shooting that low for two days.

Yeah, I mean, you'll be aware of it tomorrow.  I think we'll be playing together, so hopefully I can keep up with him.

Q.  You'll be playing with Keegan, too, in threesomes tomorrow.

BILL HAAS:  Yeah, I think we played here actually together‑‑ we played together after that, as well, so that three some has been together before.  They're good guys and very good players, so it's always fun to be up there near the top.

Q.  Are you generally a scoreboard watcher?

BILL HAAS:  I mean, I think you‑‑ I mean, I think a little bit.  That just happened to be one hole where the scoreboard was right there.  I just remember thinking that maybe he wasn't going as low today, and then I looked up and saw that he was 6‑under for the day.  Just made me basically focus on me actually more than anything and just say, well, you can't do anything about him.  That's how you have to do it.  One shot at a time, I guess.

Q.  Does it loosen you up a little bit?

BILL HAAS:  A little bit, but I also know that second is better than third, and I'm just trying to hit as many good shots as I can.

Q.  Do you remember coming to this tournament with your dad when maybe 16 wasn't such a big deal?

BILL HAAS:  I don't.  First time I think‑‑ maybe I was here when I was young but I don't remember it.  But even my first year was eight years ago, and it wasn't like it is now.  I mean, it's become much more rowdy I would say the last few years.  It's fun.

Q.  What do they get on you about?

BILL HAAS:  You know, nothing really.  I've hit two decent shots there, so I'm yet to be booed.  But if anything it just makes you focus and try to hit a good shot.  But you can't help but be a little extra nervous on that hole.

Q.  Have they yelled anything interesting at you?

BILL HAAS:  Nothing that I've heard.  Haven't been creative on me yet.

Q.  Are you going to give anything out tomorrow?

BILL HAAS:  No, I don't think I'm going to play up to all that.  Certain guys do that, but I'm here trying to play a golf tournament, and I'll be focused on trying to hit a good shot there, and if I don't I'll be focused on the next shot.  So no.

Q.  Have you played an event round with Phil before?

BILL HAAS:  I have.

Q.  In a final pairing?

BILL HAAS:  I think so.  It's only Saturday.

Q.  But final pairing.

BILL HAAS:  Final pairing, yeah.  It's just another day.  It's moving day.  Hopefully I can move up the leaderboard and he doesn't go too crazy.