U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 24, 2000

Jerry Courville

JERRY COURVILLE: Few years.

JERRY COURVILLE: Yeah, I was 1-down after 9, then I made birdie on 10 to get back to even. Then I won 12 with a par and we just halved everything coming in.

JERRY COURVILLE: I played so-so. I think I shot 1-under the back. I said to my caddie, at the turn, I said, "I'll probably have to shoot a couple under to have a chance." I did shoot 1-under, which isn't bad out there after playing 36 holes.

JERRY COURVILLE: Not as much as everybody thinks. You know, I've played the Mid-Amateur here a couple years ago, and I've played a little Stoddard Cup Team here six weeks ago. But really that's about it.

JERRY COURVILLE: Well, I just go out there and try to play as good as I can. And if it's good enough, it's good enough. If it's not, it's not. At my age, I can't worry about those things.

JERRY COURVILLE: Well, it was a long day, and, you know, by making that putt, too, I don't have to go through the 36-hole qualifier next year to get back to the tournament. So it's one less day I have to take off from work.

JERRY COURVILLE: Actually, I played with him up at the Northeast, I know he's a real good player. I know I'm gonna have to play real good to have any chance tomorrow. So I'm just gonna go out and see what happens.

JERRY COURVILLE: If I had lost, I'd be at work tomorrow.

JERRY COURVILLE: Well, basically, I work in the place that we make all the prototype machines, and I work in the office just doing a little bit of everything.

JERRY COURVILLE: You know, some people are just, you know, more comfortable carrying it themselves and don't want outside distractions. You know, if that's what works for them, you know, that's what works. So I didn't think it, you know, played a major part in anything to be honest with you.

JERRY COURVILLE: He played pretty well, so I don't think it really affected him. If it's something you're used to doing, it's really not a big deal.

JERRY COURVILLE: A long time ago. I honestly don't remember.

JERRY COURVILLE: Not yet, no. I was gonna come out and try to play as good as I can and just see what happens.

JERRY COURVILLE: Quite pleased that I'm playing tomorrow. Number one, I don't have to go to work. And like I said, it's just great that I don't have to go to qualifying next year, too. I'm still alive and I still have a chance.

JERRY COURVILLE: No. (Laughter.) I still have vacation time left.

JERRY COURVILLE: Well, you know, they're very accommodating with me. I do get -- you know, since I've been there for 18 years or so, I do get a lot of vacation time. And, you know, unfortunately my family takes the brunt of that because I use it all to play golf. I try to bring them to as many things as I can to, you know, sort of give them a little vacation and things, too. But, you know, the work has been very understanding of it, and you know, they've been good.

JERRY COURVILLE: Yeah, I do. Luckily I have a very understanding wife.

JERRY COURVILLE: Honestly, I thought it would come out a little bit hotter than it did. When I looked at it, I didn't think it was a real hard shot, to be honest with you. And it just didn't come out -- it came out a lot softer than I thought it would. You know, in my mind I wanted to leave it a little below the hole. I just didn't want to leave it quite that far below the hole.

JERRY COURVILLE: I finally got one on line and it looked like it had pretty good speed. Yeah, it looked good about two feet from the hole.

JERRY COURVILLE: I'm guessing eight feet. Bob, is that about right?

JERRY COURVILLE: (Laughing.)

JERRY COURVILLE: Well, the Mid Open helped. I played well there. You know, whenever you play well, it gives you a positive feeling anyway. And that was my goal at the Mid Open, was to just go out there and play as well as I could to try to get a good feeling coming into this tournament here.

JERRY COURVILLE: I don't think so.

JERRY COURVILLE: Well, actually in my second year at school they discovered I had a megacolon and I spent five or six months in the hospital. When I went in, I weighed about 200. When I came out, I weighed about 130. So it took me two or three years to regain all my strength. By then, you know, the desire just wasn't there.

JERRY COURVILLE: You know, back then, you know, I probably would have because, you know, I grew up in a golfing family. And, you know, it's everyone's dream when you're young to go out and play the Tour, try to make some money doing it. If I hadn't gotten sick, I might have given it a try.

JERRY COURVILLE: Made it to the quarters one year and Curtis Strange beat him.

JERRY COURVILLE: Yeah, it's okay now.

JERRY COURVILLE: No, I didn't.

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