THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 24, 2002

Stephen Ames

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Stephen for joining us. Great effort today. 5-under par, 67. Long wait. Why don't you just make a couple comments on your emotions; then we'll go into some questions.

STEPHEN AMES: When I chipped in? (Laughs).

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Which time?

STEPHEN AMES: Overall, I think it was a great week, like it is every week when we play on Tour out here. Especially here this week at THE PLAYERS Championship.

It was a fulfilling week for me. I played well today. The first couple of days it was a lot tougher than it was today. I think because of the wind, today was a little calmer. But again the golf course dried up like it should have, with all the wind that we have had, and got a lot tougher at the last closing holes -- as we came into the last closing holes. It was nice to see Craig win especially the way he did it. Finishing 3, 2, 4. (Laughs).

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Questions.

Q. What did you do for two hours? Did you go up to the family room for a little while?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, family room. I ate -- had a little bit of lunch there and then went into the range and hit some balls with my two year old.

Q. What was it -- were your emotions going all over the place as things were happening out there?

STEPHEN AMES: They were. They were going back-and- forth especially after he had, I think he bogeyed 14. We were tied there, then I am not sure what he did on 15. Bogeyed 15, too. And then all of a sudden it was like I have got a one-shot lead, he has got 3 of the toughest holes to play. Then I heard a big roar and I heard that he chipped in on 16 from (inaudible) the water, second shot he is off the railings and chips it in. Then I thought, well, okay, one shot; then two holes -- then he makes birdie on 17 - then 18 he chooses the wrong club, I thought it was. Everybody else would agree with me he chose the wrong club off the tee. It went through the fairway and made a good four, should I say (laughter) -- very good 4.

Q. What did you hit off the tee on 18?

STEPHEN AMES: 3-wood, same line -- got that tree sticking out there.

Q. What would you have hit had you been had in that situation?

STEPHEN AMES: 2-iron, 5-iron off the tee. That's all it needed 2-iron, two shots.

Q. Were you watching it on the big screen or did you try --

STEPHEN AMES: Only when I got to the putting green when I was there putting, I started watching it on the big screen, especially at the 18th hole is where I caught him. You saw him hit his third shot long then I saw the lie that he had. I thought well, I had that chip, a little further right. I thought mine might have been a little bit more difficult because his lie wasn't quite as up-slope as I was. He hit a great flop-shot there, wonderful shot, he made it. It was wonderful to see.

Q. Were you a bit emotional during that two hours?

STEPHEN AMES: No. Not at all. I was having fun with my boys.

Q. Now, people know who you are because of your graciousness --

STEPHEN AMES: Thank you.

Q. And also your play today and under tremendous pressure. Also that second place chip ain't bad.

STEPHEN AMES: No, it's not. Thank God for Mr. Finchem and staff doing the work that they do, playing for the kind of money that we're playing for. It is wonderful. I am happy with that. The beginning of the week, funny enough, we had my manager down here this week and we were right now in the process of applying for my other two- year visa again, which expires in April the 28th, which is in about a month. And I said to him, "You know what, I think I have got two more events next week. Why don't I just make my money this week so I don't have to worry about it if I don't get my visa." Funny enough, it works out that way, so in a sense if I don't play the 15th - I am sure Tim is going to give me the leeway if I don't get the visa, which I don't think will be a problem. I am not in control off that so I have got to look at the bad side of things before anything else happens. Turned out that way funny enough, yeah.

Q. Are you locked into having to get a two-year visa every couple of years?

STEPHEN AMES: Every two years, I am.

Q. So this is after the seven-year thing, this is your third?

STEPHEN AMES: No, this is -- since I have started the Tour, I have had my first two years, it was every week. I had to get one my second year. My third year, it was two years and now I am applying for my other two years again right now.

Q. Are you hoping that the guy that grants the visa is a golf fan?

STEPHEN AMES: At this stage, I haven't had any problems with them. I have done all that they have asked me to do and they have asked me for a couple of extra stuff and I have given it to them and so far they see me as a golden boy so I am not going to have any problems.

Q. Do you know Craig at all?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, I do. I played with him a couple times. I think I played with him this year San Diego, yeah, first two rounds.

Q. What do you know about him?

STEPHEN AMES: He's a big lad. He's very calm. He's like a gentle giant, and he has got a great golf game, putts very well, chips well too. (Laughter). He's a great guy.

Q. Can you explain why there's so many great golfers out there, why a guy as he goes so many years and not win and all of a sudden breaks through?

STEPHEN AMES: I think that's the game. I think it's the game itself. Why did it take Tom Kite so many years to win a major? 19 wins he had and won one major. He should have won three or four majors. It's the game itself. You have the opportunities when it falls in your lap, and other times you got to grind it out and grind it out and it all depends.

Q. Does it become mental though?

STEPHEN AMES: Without a doubt. That's why Tiger is the player that he is. All mental, definitely.

Q. 67 on a Sunday on a very difficult golf course, you have had some trouble on some Sundays before, what does this do? This is own kind of breakthrough for you?

STEPHEN AMES: Definitely, without a doubt. This is -- especially this golf course. Not a big fan of it. Because it is so tough, you know, and you have got to golf your golf ball around there. I have always thought inside that I had the ability ball-striking-wise, short-game-wise there was a little iffy there, especially the putting part because I have -- I never grew up on fast greens like the guys did in college and stuff. These are the fastest things I have ever putted on. I was talking to (inaudible) this afternoon, they are like 13 and a half on the stimpmeter. I don't think I have ever putted on anything that fast. It was a got good battle for me. I enjoyed it, and it was a good breakthrough for me as well.

Q. When he made that chip-in at 18, television went right to your face. Could you describe that look?

STEPHEN AMES: Can I describe that look (laughs). I don't know what was going through my mind there. I was shocked. I was shocked because I thought: "Didn't he just chip in on 16 too?" It was a great chip. I was in awe of him. It was wonderful to see that he had done that. It was a nice way to finish the tournament.

Q. You mentioned something on one of the interviews that your inexperience on this golf course, you would have played some of the holes differently.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah. Definitely. The par 3, 13th, instead of trying to ride the hill, right-to-left there I think I would have taken the flag on more -- or cut it back into the flag, off the flag, rather than trying to go into the flag. Then my miss would have been left which would have been at the flag rather than right at the flag. The case turned out, it was -- it stayed straight. I was on top of the slope which was almost impossible to 2-putt from there. There I would have definitely would have gone more at the flag and not had that 3-putt. I think that was one of them; a couple of other holes, but definitely inexperience of playing the golf course, yeah.

Q. Can you talk about 18 and what you were thinking about at the time because 7-under would have been -- you would have thought at that time: Pretty good situation?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, definitely. All week I have had a slight fault in the swing - before I'd take it away and I have pressure point where I push the club ahead or the handle ahead at address and that when I do that I tend to hit it right. And all week I have been trying to stop it just go from there. It has been difficult focusing-wise just to start the swing for me, and under pressure it came out there. You go back to your old natural habits; I did there. I hit the shot that I have been hitting all week which was high right unfortunately, but pressure-wise under the fact that trying to hit the shot feeling the pressure what I had to do, I didn't feel any of it. I was just doing my own thing getting on with my own game; saw the shot that I wanted to play and it didn't come off. That's the way it turned out.

Q. When you posted your score and you are out killing time you see most everybody was at some point backing down--

STEPHEN AMES: Everybody was falling down, yeah.

Q. Did you feel at some point: I am going to win this thing?

STEPHEN AMES: I thought 6 was a good number, yeah. I thought I would have a very good chance of winning especially after Craig bogeyed 15, I am thinking 5, now he has got 16, 17, 18 to play, 16 was into the wind, you had two good shots to get up just to make eagle, follows birdie, and you know, I figured all right he got -- maybe he will get to 6. Then he still has 17 and 18 to play, I thought for sure I had a good chance, and then he did the miracle stuff which was wonderful chipping in on 16 and then making -- birdieing 17 and paring 18, yeah, he played those three holes the way you should play or a true champion plays. As Tiger says: Anyone finishing 3, 2, 4, they could win any event; especially those two holes.

Q. (Inaudible) I don't know how many groups away from the lead --

STEPHEN AMES: Two hours worth of groups. Not at all. I am thinking: Play own my own game, play the golf course, just go out and play. The first nine holes seeing how much the greens have changed, they have gotten firmer; gotten much faster, as time went on; got back -- we got back onto the back nine, I started seeing how much the greens got even faster on that side compared to the front side. I was thinking, wow, I am two hours ahead of these guys. These greens are even going to be faster and firmer when those guys come through. I figured all I had to do was make one more birdie getting in there, I thought I had a good chance which would have been 7-under, would have actually -- would have been 8-under; would have been my number if I didn't bogey 18. But didn't turn out that way. But that was all right.

Q. The Minister is a big golf fan. Do you think it will help with the citizenship?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know. It's in the process right now applying for it.

Q. Canadian citizenship?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, that was -- my other parties of my family are all Canadian.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Birdies and bogeys.

STEPHEN AMES: Birdied two. 3-wood off the tee, 2-iron went left. That was one of my bad swings there. Made a great chip to about a foot. Made that.

Parred 3.

5, I hit driver, 4-iron ten feet.

9, played easy driver, 7-iron sand wedge two feet.

10 driver, 7-iron on top of the flag, coming down that slope there -- that's where I started seeing the changes in the greens. I just watched Dudley hit his chip that most barely crawling down the hill and went three feet past. I had about 30 feet there, I think, I made that.

11 I hit driver, 3-iron short in the trap, that was the play there for me anyhow. Because I couldn't stop anything on the green. And made a good bunker shot to about ten feet. Made birdie there. I hit driver, sand wedge had about 70 yards to the flag on 12. I hit it three feet. Made that. Three or four feet I think it was.

3-putted 13. Like I said, I hit it in the wrong side of the slope.

14 was a good par.

15 I hit driver, 9-iron short left which was the place to be and about twelve feet, made a good birdie there. Then bogeyed 18. Another bad poor swing of the week -- of the day right there, was that one right there.

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