U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 19, 1994

Loren Roberts

LES UNGER: This is the first three-way playoff since 1963 when Julius Boros, Jacky Cupit and Arnold Palmer were involved at the Country Club and Loren guessed that Boros won and he was right. Maybe you want to predict -- no, I won't ask you that. We need your shots, then we will talk about the round.

Q. Have you been in a playoff before?

LOREN ROBERTS: No. I have not.

LES UNGER: Okay. Questions.

Q. Can you tell us what was going through your mind when you faced that putt on 18? Did you have a sense of what it meant and what did you do with that putt?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, you know, it was a terrible putt. I hit a bad putt and I didn't -- the ball didn't roll good forward because I hit it so bad and I was a little disappointed, but at that time I looked at the scoreboard, I knew that Ernie hadn't birdied 17, so I thought, well, maybe I still have a chance. I mean, I can kick myself that I could have won the Open with that four and a half foot putt. It was probably one of the easiest putts I had all week, but I am not going to do that because I got a chance tomorrow and I got to be positive and stay up for tomorrow.

Q. When did you feel you were in the championship chipping at 8, birdie at 9; did you --

LOREN ROBERTS: When I birdied at the 9th hole, I thought I am in there.

Q. If you had a preference, do you wish you were out there now playing or do you like 18 tomorrow?

LOREN ROBERTS: I like 18 tomorrow. This is about the only tournament left that we do this in, and I think it should stay that way.

Q. Why?

LOREN ROBERTS: Just because -- I mean, it is the national Open. I think -- I just think it is a true test.

Q. You said you didn't get a good roll on the putt. Is there a reason? Did you look up --

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I just -- I am not going to lie to you. I had trouble getting the putter back. But I have had had that same situation before, been able to make them, so if you don't put a good stroke on it, you are not going to roll the ball good. The greens are so quick, if you don't get the ball started good it is not going to go in.

Q. You said you wanted to find out how you stand up under pressure, especially on the back 9, especially for the last putt, how did you feel you did?

LOREN ROBERTS: I felt good. You know, after driving perfect to 10 and making bogey there, I came right back and birdied 11 and that really made me feel positive about my round. I feel positive about my round. It is a funny thing what I would consider hitting the ball good. I haven't hit the ball all that good this week but I have made a lot of putts. I have just hung in there, tried to keep the ball going forward, keep it in play and give myself a chance. If I miss a green, just give myself a putt for par. It has worked so far. Quite honestly, after 76, the first round I wouldn't have given a shot at being where I am today and I am not going to look back and say what if, because I could have very easily been down the hole.

Q. How much do you know about Ernie and Colin having played with them at all, do you know anything about their game?

LOREN ROBERTS: I played with Ernie Els last round at the Masters this year, and he has a great game. I mean, he has length, and he hits the ball high and stuff; he is a good putter. That was pretty good 2-putt from the front edge for 5 on 18 just now. He has got a lot of game and he is only 24 years old. I am 28 years old and I wish I had that kind of game at that age.

Q. The first three days the scores kept going progressively farther under par. Today was it just the pressure the final round or did it also have something to do with the golf course?

LOREN ROBERTS: The golf course changed a little bit. The golf course was more like it was Monday and Tuesday. When we got there today, the greens -- I don't think they put any water on them, and they really dried out, and they got quicker, and they just dried out. It was just tougher to get the ball closer to the hole and I think that is the way it should be.

Q. Where were you at age 24?

LOREN ROBERTS: I was at Assistant Pro, I believe, working at Moral Bay Golf Course (sic) giving lessons, renting carts, selling green fees, and making pimento sandwiches and hot dogs.

LES UNGER: We have Ernie over here and Montgomery is coming, shall we extend this more or are you happy now or what? Give me a sense? Keep going?

Q. Yes. Could you please tell us at 38 what enabled you to make the break through you have made this year, and can you also elaborate on the description of you as the hardest working player on the tour?

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I think they put that in the tour book there because they didn't know what else to write. I work hard at it but I am certainly not an in Tom Kite's league or Vijay Singh's league. The fact that I used to live in California, I mean, I played 12 months out of the year, didn't go home and take two months like most guys do out here. But I put a lot of practice time in, but not like those guys.

Q. (question inaudible)?

LOREN ROBERTS: Just combination of a lot of things. I try to gain a little bit of physical condition; off-season I try to carry that through and I haven't been working out as much as I did the first part of the year. But that also I think working on physically maybe helped me a little bit more mentally feeling a little bit more prepared. I got a new driver and I changed my golf swing a little bit.

Q. Did you have a sense seeing everybody backup that this was the Open; nobody wanted to take --

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I think somebody said, you know, yesterday that Opens aren't usually won, they are usually back in them. It is just another classic Open. I mean, I feel as bad as anyone because I backed it up today myself coming in, but at least I got a chance again tomorrow.

Q. The fact that you have won, will you go in tomorrow with a lot more confidence had this been say last year when you hadn't won?

LOREN ROBERTS: Definitely. To finally win the tournament at Bay Hill (phonetic) this year kind of really gave me a shot of confidence and I think it helped me on the golf course when I was in contention today. It just made me finally feel like I belong a professional golfer at this level.

Q. Do you have any reaction to the rulings that were made on your shots?

LOREN ROBERTS: I am not aware of anything like that.

LES UNGER: Is there one more question that is about Loren? We look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Thanks.

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