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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


July 1, 1995


Tom Weiskopf





LES UNGER: Tom, I guess you would have liked to have continued?

TOM WEISKOPF: I think I would have liked to have finished today just from the standpoint the night is a lot easier -- morning is a lot easier; you kind of sleep in; you get prepared; the round is over and done with. You don't have to worry about what is ahead of you and you know, it is just easier to finish. No doubt about it.

LES UNGER: If I am correct, you were bogey-free today. Would you give us just the details on those 4 birdies and any saves.

TOM WEISKOPF: Let us see. I birdied number 4. I hit a 4-iron for a second shot a foot from the hole. I birdied number 7. I hit an 8-iron about 6 feet. I birdied number 10. I hit an 8-iron about 4 feet, and I birdied the other par 3 which is 13. I hit a 6-iron, about 12 feet. Didn't miss any greens until the hole that I am playing right now. I hit 14 straight greens and just played very, very well.

LES UNGER: So on 15 you are --

TOM WEISKOPF: I lied 3. I have got to putt the lie to the flag stick for par.

Q. You were really hitting your irons right at the start. Did you think that was the key to the round?

TOM WEISKOPF: Definitely. I drove the ball in the fairway, that is the other key, playing this golf course. But you know, I had a lot of birdie opportunities today through the first 13 holes, really a lot of good chances. I missed a very short putt at 9 for a birdie from about 4 feet, and I missed a very short putt at 11. I would say I missed another 4-footer there.

Q. How did the course play after the rain?

TOM WEISKOPF: Well, the greens were a little smoother. The spike marks tended to go away and of course, greens get softer so the ball stops quicker when it hits the surface, but then the rough becomes tougher if you drive in the rough. So it is kind of a trade off.

Q. Three or four birdies on par threes that, you know, with the soft greens, is it easier to go right forward; is that how --

TOM WEISKOPF: I would hope to think that it was good shots. I think those holes, you are hitting short clubs, and I hit the ball pretty high. The ball is not going to -- even with firm greens, the ball is not going to go too far when I hit it. It comes down pretty soft most of the time anyway. Actually two of them, if they wouldn't have had soft greens, I might have had a couple of inches left. I mean, they were right on line. They just hit and stopped.

Q. Two quick questions. Could you have putted out?

TOM WEISKOPF: Yeah.

Q. Chose not to?

TOM WEISKOPF: Couldn't see. That was really the dilemma. I had the option of even playing the hole, you know, and it wasn't too bad when we get down the fairway down that hollow down there. It was pretty dark?

Q. And the other question, at 1, you backed off that putt, was that just because you heard the thunder bolt?

TOM WEISKOPF: Yes. Yeah, because usually when you hear a thunder bolt, you might hear another one; then you hear a siren, so that was a lot of anxiety there waiting, waiting, waiting to make a two and a half footer.

Q. Tom, only Raymond and Jack are within among the guys within 6 strokes of you right now who have finished. Is there any tiny advantage for them that they don't have to come back early tomorrow morning?

TOM WEISKOPF: Oh, I don't know. I am not -- I can't change it. Why should I worry about it. You can't control anything other than what we are dealt with. Last year I had to come out twice. Last year at Pinehurst I came out -- I played the second-round on Saturday or Friday -- I don't know. Maybe it was Saturday. I could play one hole; had to get up at 6 o'clock in the morning. Then they re-paired -- that is right - then we didn't finish that day and I had to come back out on Sunday and finish four and a half holes. Then you know -- I mean, that is just part of the game too. No one can control that. It is a matter of safety.

Q. Tom, could you tell us again how much this particular championship means to you? Is this what you gear your whole season around?

TOM WEISKOPF: Yeah, it is the one significant tournament on the senior PGA Tour that I would very much like to win. I have said that from day one the first year I came out.

Q. Tom, after you finish tomorrow, any thought what you are going to do, going to go back to the hotel or stick around here?

TOM WEISKOPF: Well, I will probably go back to the hotel, I would think. It is not that far where I am staying, and you know, I don't know what I will do, just kind of sit around and maybe make some phone calls, watch television, I don't know, read the paper, read a book, I don't know. That is tomorrow.

Q. Tom, talk about the mental process a little bit for being in the lead and then having to sit all that time to get back out there again maybe a little different than some of the guys who are playing catchup?

TOM WEISKOPF: Well, the difficulty for all of us or anyone is that you gear yourself up emotionally and mentally to play golf and then you start off and, you know, you start playing; then you have an interruption so now, you wait. So now, you just have to -- you can't control the thing, so you don't worry about it. You just kind of -- well, we are going to go out there; you start talking about things other than golf and then you gear yourself -- you got to get yourself geared up again. You have to just refocus. It is the same for anybody; whether you are leading or challenging or anything else. It is just getting ready to play. That is all it is. And I don't know how the other guys do it. I just kind of wait and when it is time to go we go. Kind of like getting a shot, once it leaves the club, you know, it is either a good shot or a bad shot. You know, let us keep going.

Q. Seems like you are going to play Isao the last 18 holes?

TOM WEISKOPF: I haven't finished yet.

Q. But he mentioned that he is the same age and he played many times before with you. Do you have any thought with playing with Aoki?

TOM WEISKOPF: I played a practice round with him. I played with him many times in the Senior PGA Tour. He is one of the best players out here. He has a complete game. He is fun to play with. He is a very, very accomplished player.

LES UNGER: Does he talk more English with you guys out on the course than he does in here?

TOM WEISKOPF: Well, he doesn't say a heck of a lot. He tries. I think he understands much better than he can speak it, but -- and it is a shame because you kind of like to get inside of his head and just talk to him, because he is a very pleasant person, but that is the hardship when you have language barriers, you know.

Q. I don't know if you were asked this, but how does this compare to the way you were hitting the ball at Cherry Hills?

TOM WEISKOPF: Oh, God, you know, it was awful good the first day. I was awful good today. Yesterday was -- I still think Cherry Hills -- I still was playing better than I am playing now. I really believe that. I have said that is one of the finest rounds of golf you know, tournament in four rounds of execution that I have had in my life, you know, but I don't know, -- I don't worry about things like that to tell you the truth.

LES UNGER: Any other questions?

TOM WEISKOPF: Okay, thanks.

End of FastScripts....

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