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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2006

Warren Bladon

HOYLAKE, ENGLAND

WARREN BLADON: Last year I played two events, that was it. I didn't get in the rankings. This year I played one. And the regional qualifier was the second event, the qualifier was the third event and this is my fourth event of the year.

Q. I've gotten in more rounds than you have.

WARREN BLADON: I've been playing steady, nothing brilliant or outstanding. I never thought qualifying for The Open, there's so few spots. The regional qualifier is easy so get through, 20 out of 120, so you've got a good chance there.

But in the final qualifying, there's only three spots. I just went with no great expectations. I played steady. I was just keeping it steady, and it was comfortable in the end, three shots clear of the next spot.

I was a little surprised, as well, because they are decent players. You always think your score is never low enough and it was.

Q. (Inaudible.)

WARREN BLADON: There's two of us finished under par. It was quite nice to be there and get in.

Q. Your girlfriend paid your entry?

WARREN BLADON: She did, indeed, yes. I didn't have the money at the time when it came through. 110 pounds, I don't have a great job. It doesn't pay me that much money. At the time I didn't have the money to pay and she offered to put it on her credit card so I accepted. She said on one condition, that you practice a little bit, so at least you give yourself a good chance of getting through the first stage. 110 pounds for a round of golf is a lot of money. She's coming up Friday. She's at work at the moment, so she can't come up, which is a shame.

Q. Where do you work?

WARREN BLADON: I do picture framing for a friend of mine at Castle Galleries, and once a week or twice a week I do a bit of plumbing for a friend that's caddying for me today. So I normally work for him one day a week, and now he's working for me five days. But I'm not paying him.

Q. Plumbing I thought was quite lucrative.

WARREN BLADON: He's paying me.

Q. He's paying you?

WARREN BLADON: He's paying my expenses to be on the bag.

Q. What's his name?

WARREN BLADON: Ian Stranks, S t r a n k s.

Q. For those of us who don't know your story as well, what happened to you from the Amateur onward?

WARREN BLADON: From the Amateur onward, I traveled the world playing golf and I found it difficult to get a sponsor. I was in my 30s then, and it's hard to get a lot of money off people to go and play golf when I sort of came from nowhere, been around a long time. I played to a good standard at county level and done well in a few tournaments but was never one of the stars, so to speak.

Q. You ran a pub at the time?

WARREN BLADON: I ran a pub for a friend, yeah. To get a full sponsorship in your 30s is difficult when there's all these young players coming up behind you. So it was partly financial and I struggled to pay my expenses and then did jobs in between. I was working and then traveling to tournaments the morning of playing or the day before and stuff, so I wasn't giving myself a good opportunity and that was putting extra pressure on my marriage and that went downhill so I got divorced.

And then I sort of lost interest in the game and didn't play for three years, perhaps. Just nothing. And then tried to play, come back and play some of those mini Tours, like the Europe Pro Tour and stuff like that, and that no disrespect to those Tours, but they're dreadful.

Q. What were the years you played no golf?

WARREN BLADON: I had two breaks. When I was in my 20s, I didn't play for five years, from 21 to 26, and then came back and won the Amateur when I was 30. I played from 30 to 34 ish and then played like one or two tournaments a year, and that was it. I'm not playing now.

Q. Do you like golf?

WARREN BLADON: I do, I love it. It's my passion, my dream. I play social golf. I don't like not play, but I'm still a professional golfer in the loosest term. There's three golfers from Kenilworth that moved. There's a better test of golf. Gary Cooper is one of the guys, and Elliott James is up here, they're all coming up. And Darren (inaudible) is the guy I work for picture framing.

Q. What kind of handicaps do they have?

WARREN BLADON: 2, 6 and 5. We have a we play a little game, and that's all we do, twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Q. This feels slightly surreal, then, coming to this arena?

WARREN BLADON: I've been here before. I played two Opens before and The Masters and enjoyed every minute of it and I'm going to enjoy this one. My expectations really are if I was to come off the course thinking I've not hit a real stupid shot and thought about everything, just didn't waste anything out there.

Q. The least amount of money you might win this week might be quite a bit of money to you?

WARREN BLADON: I got 875 last week. To win on the European Tour, you've got to finish like third.

Q. Did you know there was money?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah, I did know. I know they paid first, second and third in the qualifying.

Q. What is your forte as a plumber?

WARREN BLADON: I used to do a bit of tiling. I did the groundwork for him, and then he goes in and does the pipe work.

Q. How did you learn to frame pictures?

WARREN BLADON: Years ago, as one of my part time jobs when I was trying to play golf, I had a friend that had art galleries, a chain of art galleries, and I did that for him. And he rang me just before Christmas and said they were busy, could I help temporarily, and I went in and helped, and I'm still there.

Q. When you won the Amateur, at what point did you turn pro?

WARREN BLADON: About the June after The Masters. I played The Memorial as my second pro event.

Q. In '96 you finished a stroke behind Tiger?

WARREN BLADON: No, I shot two 73s then and he shot like 75 74, 66 or something, so I missed by two shots.

Q. What do you remember of that?

WARREN BLADON: Wonderful. I was nervous on the first tee. That was my first one.

Q. Who were you paired with?

WARREN BLADON: Brian Barnes, which was quite nice.

Q. (Inaudible.)

WARREN BLADON: I think it just shows that I can play. People have written me off, and I'm now 40. I don't think it's an age issue. So many times before, I've missed all the youngest records, there's no reason you can't win The Open in your 40s. If I got on the European Tour, I think after a bit of time I could perform on that and stay on it. It just takes money.

Q. How many times have you tried?

WARREN BLADON: I think four. Missed the first stage once, got to the second stage a few times, missed by a couple of shots to get to the final. I played the U.S. Tour qualifying last year. It's just after The Big Break.

Q. First stage?

WARREN BLADON: Yes.

Q. Where was that?

WARREN BLADON: I don't know. I shot 75, 74, 72, 69. I needed about another four rounds. I played at Jennings Mill in Georgia, in Atlanta.

Q. You've played a lot more than normal this year?

WARREN BLADON: I've got nothing to play in.

Q. So you're really appealing for a sponsor?

WARREN BLADON: It would be nice. I've not nothing to play in. I'd like to play the Tour school, but it's getting funding for that. I might play one more Europe event. But the next course is down the road from me, Stonebridge, 6002 yards. And it costs you 275 to enter it.

Q. How much funding would you really need, do you think, if you had to you've only dealt with this. If somebody came to you and said I'll write you a check to get you through the first year, what would you need?

WARREN BLADON: I have to go through Tour school, and what's that, 1500 pounds? If you get through the stages, you need five rounds of that. If you play the Challenge Tour, you probably need 15 to 20 for the year.

Q. You finally get the free stuff this week?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah, I'll play Bridgestone, which I got through I saw them when I was over in the States and they've been really good to me. There's only like four Bridgestone players here this week. FootJoy likes giving you shoes.

Q. The girlfriend had to pay the entry for this. How much of a struggle is life?

WARREN BLADON: It's normal life for most people, paying the bills. It's day to day life. She works hard, comes in, gets paid. Week and a half later you're thinking you've only got so much money to last. She works for car dealerships.

Q. Your daughter?

WARREN BLADON: My daughter lives with my ex wife. I see her once a fortnight.

Q. How old is she?

WARREN BLADON: Six.

Q. You mentioned getting divorced, when was that?

WARREN BLADON: My daughter was one, so five years ago.

Q. Eventful life?

WARREN BLADON: It's been up and down. It's had I've had loads of highs and loads of lows. It's not been very steady.

Q. This could be the best of them all?

WARREN BLADON: Again, it's another opportunity. Getting through the qualifying, I know it's going to be a bit easier now. A lot of the top players, they've got the other qualifying for them. Finishing in the top three is still very difficult.

Q. Out of 96 players?

WARREN BLADON: I finished top 20 and then top three. It's still difficult, but you haven't got like they used to have, all the U.S. journeymen and European journeymen playing in the qualifying.

Q. What was the lowest of the lows?

WARREN BLADON: I won't tell you that, it's dreadful.

Like I say, it's an opportunity, it proves I can still play. It proves anyone can get in it.

Q. What would you expect the nerves to be like this week?

WARREN BLADON: It will be easier because you can hit a driver. I'm just going to grip it and rip it down the first.

Q. Your attitude has to be different, more carefree?

WARREN BLADON: Like I said, I just want to do as well as I can. I want to come off the course knowing that I haven't been overcome by it and just control myself and hit the right shot at the right time. And if I do that then I'll be happy.

Q. Could we have your height and your weight?

WARREN BLADON: 6 foot 3 and about 18 and a half stone. I've lost five pounds last week.

Q. Is that all the practicing?

WARREN BLADON: What's that, 240 pounds? Is that about right? Put it this way, it's more of a linebacker weight or something than a golfer.

Q. Did you get a practice round this week?

WARREN BLADON: I'm going out in a minute with Jim Payne at 1:00. I've known him for years. He got through the qualifying. He plays The Open qualifier and a few other local things.

Tomorrow we're going off early with Kenneth Ferrie, John Bickerton and someone else.

Q. Do any of the younger players, especially the European players, know you won the Amateur?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah, a lot of them. I just saw David Howell in the locker room, said congratulations. And I played on the England team with Luke Donald, I saw him on the practice range, he said well done. I've known them from years ago.

Q. There are a lot of people around that are pleased with what you've done. Does that make you feel good?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah. I was around and disappeared and I've sort of come back. I'm sure there are a few people that are pleased; they'd like to see me do reasonably well.

Q. (Inaudible.)

WARREN BLADON: Even yesterday there were quite a few people that said best of luck this week.

Q. This is a rude question, but given my accent it will fit right in. Given that you couldn't pay the bill for the entry fee, I'm curious what you make as a picture framer.

WARREN BLADON: 6.50 an hour. That's about $10.

Q. I take it you applied for The Big Break, did you?

WARREN BLADON: You had to audition. It was at Norwich or something. They said they were auditioning for The Big Break. I hadn't really heard about it.

Q. What was up for grabs?

WARREN BLADON: They said there were European Tour exemptions for the next year. The guy that won got three. He missed the cut in all of them, but shot under par in all of his second rounds. All of his second rounds he shot under par.

Q. Dubai or something?

WARREN BLADON: I think he played Portugal or Switzerland and somewhere else.

Q. How did they place you?

WARREN BLADON: There was like a team in the morning and the winning team was immune from elimination. And the losing team, you have to knock someone out of your team. I was about the seventh player to go.

Q. Out of

WARREN BLADON: 12.

Q. Did you get any positives out of that experience?

WARREN BLADON: It was great fun, yeah. I got my Bridgestone clubs out of it.

Q. Is that your first Bridgestone experience?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah, I used to play with the old Precept years ago.

Q. Do many manufacturers come up to you and say

WARREN BLADON: They used to. Over the years, because I have rung a lot of them up and say I'd like some balls or something. And you get no, no, no. Not here, not now, but in the past, like they say you can buy them. And Bridgestone said, yeah, we'll give you as many as you want.

Q. Where did you win your Amateur?

WARREN BLADON: Turnberry.

Q. Did you see Ernie at Troon play it?

WARREN BLADON: I was on a slope, and the green was behind me, and my ball was in the gourse, and I hit it backwards over my head.

Q. Most memorable thing about Augusta?

WARREN BLADON: Just the whole experience. Probably walking off after nine holes playing with Jack Nicklaus.

Q. When did you do that?

WARREN BLADON: Practice round. I was tired.

Q. Did Jack keep going?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah.

Q. You left?

WARREN BLADON: Yeah.

Q. Did you write him or call him?

WARREN BLADON: No, I was on the putting green, and he was putting with, what's his name because Tiger won Amateur that year it was the runner up, Steve Scott. They were putting together. I met him. I met Steve and he said hello, and he said, you've got to play. I said, I've been up here all day and practicing. And he said, me and Jack are going out. And Jack came over and said, nice of you to join us. So I played.

Honestly, I was putting it sideways. Walking down nine, I said it has to go in. It was brilliant playing with him. He said where the pins were going to be. It was wonderful, just what you expect. I was really quite tired and I went up to him and said, Mr. Nicklaus, thanks for the experience, but I'm going in after this hole. I've been here all day, I'm a bit tired. He was fine with it, as he would be. I saw him later on at the Memorial. It was fine.

Q. Is there a reason why you didn't stay like Steve Scott, you mentioned he actually stayed in golf as a professional. Is there a reason why you didn't take that route at all?

WARREN BLADON: I've looked down that route trying to be a club professional, but I think it's later in the day. I'd have to get through the PGA training, which is three years. I'd be 43 by the time I did it. And again, that doesn't pay much money. You don't get to play much golf, either.

Q. Where do you live?

WARREN BLADON: Coventry.

Q. Paid the 110 quid back to your girlfriend?

WARREN BLADON: Not yet. I haven't got the check yet.

Q. What do you think of this course for you?

WARREN BLADON: It's nice, it's really good. Off the tee it's quite demanding, because the bunkers are in great spots. The rough is not as thick as I thought it would be. The greens have a bit of growth on them now, but they will cut them down and make them faster. They're big and slopey. If there's no wind, the good players are going to shoot quite low, I think; they just have to stay out of the sun.

Q. When your girlfriend said I'll pay your entry fee if you'll go out and practice a bit more, can you give us an idea of how much more you practiced after she gave you her ultimatum?

WARREN BLADON: I did go to the golf club after work. I finish at 3:00. We work 7:00 to 3:00. I went down an hour or so after work, did some chipping or putting and played a few holes.

End of FastScripts.

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