U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 9, 1999

Gil Morgan

GIL MORGAN: I don't really have much choice, but yes, I guess all right. Overall, the day was better. There wasn't as much wind early. I think that was an advantage. I was a little soft out there early, so picked up a little mud from time to time on a few of the balls. The greens were pretty soft early on, and as the wind came up, they dried out a little bit. Maybe it got a little bit faster coming down the way. So last three, four holes probably played a little more difficult than it would have had a little earlier, obviously, because of the wind All and all, I think I played a pretty consistent day. Made a couple misses that I shouldn't have. Early, I made a bogey at the 9th hole, which was a bad play from the fairway, for me I miss-hit the shot. Then I maybe made kind of a boo-boo at the 16th hole, which I shouldn't have. Then I made a bad drive at another hole. So made three bogeys and four birdies, I guess. I had a few opportunities that I didn't -- couldn't cash in. But all and all, I think it was a pretty good day.

GIL MORGAN: I parred all the first six holes. Really wasn't -- I don't think I was in much jeopardy there. I just -- seemed like I started out a little tentative putting the ball each day. Couldn't quite get the speed for a little while, then did a little better as it went forward. But I birdied the 7th hole. 3-wood, and, let's see, gap-wedge about, maybe six feet or seven feet. Made that one. Then the 9th hole tried to drive it down the right side. I drove it in the right rough. Played a 5-iron down the fairway, then tried to hit another gap-wedge in there, and I hit a little bit heavy, and it came back up off the front of the green. And then I 3-putted from off the fringe. 11, I hit driver, 4-wood about 15 feet, 2-putted that for a 4. 13, I missed the fairway left with a driver, and I tried to hit a 4-wood and kind of popped it up and then pitched it about 10 or 12 feet by the hole. Missed that one coming back, bogey. Par 3, hit a 9-iron about probably four feet; made that. Then par 5 I hit driver, 3-iron about 35 feet past the hole; 2-putted that one. Then 16, I hit 3-wood, 8-iron. I was kind of in between clubs, so I decided I was going to take the long club hit it easy. I kind of looped it well past the hole then putted it off the green to the front, then putted it up there and made a bogey there. Then had two pretty good opportunities 17, 18 -- let them get away. Headed in there pretty close both times, 15 feet, then about 12 feet. Missed both of them. That was the end of it.

GIL MORGAN: Today you mean from --

GIL MORGAN: We played in the afternoon yesterday. It was pretty blustery overall. Yesterday, it was a little bit -- maybe a little more difficult with club selection a lot of times. But today, early on, there wasn't much wind, like I said earlier, and it played pretty calm, obviously, starting out, so you could control the ball a little bit. Some of the pins were a little bit, maybe a little bit more difficult at times on some of the holes, they were more up on the crest a lot more. So it was hard to make yourself hit those putts up to the hole starting out. I didn't do a very good job putting early. But I thought obviously the scores should be a little lower today, I think, overall.

GIL MORGAN: Basically it was about a little over 160 yards, and I couldn't -- we were talking about 8-iron or 9-iron. We ended up hitting 9-iron. That is just way too far to hit a 9-iron most of the times. So didn't really know exactly what to hit there. So we went through this discussion for a minute, seems like, but probably wasn't that long. But just trying to decide that you can hit a 9-iron that far, which was kind of a tough decision on my part, especially with the way the front of the greens rolls off there. If you don't carry it up, it is going to come off the green. At the same time, you didn't want it to get it way back there. Hit hard 9-iron. Worked out pretty well.

GIL MORGAN: This is the first time. I can't believe somebody could remember that far back.

GIL MORGAN: Obviously even if I could win here and get back to Pebble Beach probably won't be the same obviously. My game is probably not nearly as good as it was at that point in time. It would be fun to go back, but at the same time, I wouldn't give myself a real good chance of playing to that caliber of play at this point of my career.

GIL MORGAN: I think -- yeah, I think length is a significant factor at this golf course. I think at most Open courses, there is a premium on accuracy no matter whether it is off the tee or into the green or whatever. But here we have got a little -- they have given us a little bit of room in the fairways I think, which is good, I like the layout of the golf course. So I think that plays to my strength being able to drive the ball on down the fairway. But at the same time the rough is deep enough and keeps getting a little bit deeper everyday, so -- being in the fairway is also a premium because a couple of times I out-drove my playing partners, but at the same time they were able to hit the ball up there on the green where sometimes I couldn't get it out of the rough enough. So there is still quite a premium on putting the ball in play at the same time. But there is a few holes here that length, I think, has been pretty much a big benefit to me at certain times.

GIL MORGAN: Well, I think that is a tough question. There is not very many pin locations that are good to use here. I think it is such -- to me it seems like such a nice golf course tee-to-green. It gives you some area to play. There is not any houses to look at that we haven't seen. That we don't get to see that very often anymore. The aesthetics here are pretty nice. The greens are really -- they are not very good as far as being able to have a number of pin locations there. The pin locations are very minimal because of all the slopes and the humps and bumps. So I think if he would have had a really good set of greens here that were a little flatter, you would have a really great golf course here.

GIL MORGAN: I have thought about suicide two or three times already this year. In fact, he scars are almost healed from my first attempt; didn't quite make it. (laughter). Oh, I don't know. Obviously you like to win at this point in time. I have had about -- I think about four tournaments here that I could have won if I would have just -- couple of things had gone my way a couple times; made a couple putts here or; not made a bad shot there. Last month or two I have had at least three tournaments which I was within a shot or two of the lead at the conclusion, so it is just one of those situations hadn't worked out this year, but we still have some more tournaments and my game, this week, I am beginning to feel more comfortable with my game, more confident in my game at this point in time I should say. Just kinds of depends -- putting has been the big aspect more than anything, I think. So haven't putted very well, and even these two days I have hit the ball close to the hole numerous times and haven't been able to make it. If that would have happened, you know, heat up my putter a little bit, might be -- -- might be something that would spark my confidence a little bit, maybe get me rolling.

GIL MORGAN: I think my daughters are going to go play tennis at 3 o'clock. I am going to watch them play a little bit. They are going to practice a little bit; watch them play a little bit. Then I don't even think I am going to hit balls today. I think I will just pass on practicing for the rest of the day. Yesterday was such a long day and we got through so late; then I had to get up early this morning, so I thought, well, maybe I will just kick back here a little bit and not do much today.

GIL MORGAN: I don't know, they have tried. They keep saying, well, this is not much fun. I would have to agree with them at times.

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