BUICK CLASSIC

June 24, 1999

Stephen Ames

STEPHEN AMES: Oh, my thoughts. Not too many actually which was good. I was coming into here, I have had the week off at the U.S. Open and then the week prior to that was in Memphis, where I had my coach out. We worked on a couple of things to get things ready for the year basically because I have just started. Basically what we have been doing for the last two weeks I kept doing and ball-striking was very good and putter was very nice today too.

STEPHEN AMES: Yes.

STEPHEN AMES: Well, I don't know. This is my first time here. I don't know what the usual conditions are. I thought the last nine holes that I played, the wind switched. I think middle of every group it switched the opposite way. I thought that made it really tough this afternoon. The latter part of the morning, should I say? But the greens are firmish, not really hard, and the putting surfaces are very good.

STEPHEN AMES: Great golf course. I enjoyed it very much. I like very much old style kind of golf course, the architecture and don't prefer much for the TPC. Some of them are good, some of them are not that great. But this one I definitely enjoy very much.

STEPHEN AMES: The urgency is more just to play golf because I have had six months off. My last competitive round prior to Kemper was the Australian Open, which is at the end of the year. So I was quite eager to get out and start playing golf, just to play golf because I can't play much golf in Canada.

STEPHEN AMES: The good thing about it, that I think I have reached the stage where I know where my faults are coming from in my golf swing and the hardest thing of course was basically to get the mind back into it. I think that was tough the first two weeks that I have played; this week was a little easier. It has become a little easier. I think as time goes on it will become a little more easier.

STEPHEN AMES: I have had the opportunity of playing Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. It helps. I think like I said, it was lack of play in my case. I think I have hit the range once this week, which was this morning or yesterday -- yeah, this morning. And it was just the playing aspect of it, is what I was lacking and having the opportunity to play both Pro-Ams Monday and Wednesday and then of course Tuesday was a practice round, I took the opportunity. So I was quite happy to do that.

STEPHEN AMES: No. I can't. No, I can't think of that. Can't remember.

STEPHEN AMES: The fact that you can play a different variety of shots. You can stand up on like 11 where the pin was back there in the right, if I had hit the fairway, my thought of a shot there would have been a low-running up-shot rather than a high-flying one. Where at the TPCs you basically have to fly your golf ball to a target, which is basically what a TPC is. I see it as a target-oriented form of golf. Playing old style you have the option of playing different shots into the pin, which I enjoy very much. And the same off the tee, because if you are on the wrong side of the fairway, you have to play completely different shots also for your second shot.

STEPHEN AMES: Waiting for my visa. That is basically all it is.

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know, I have to ask my lawyer that one. (laughs)

STEPHEN AMES: Yes, I have. I have left it twice.

STEPHEN AMES: No.

STEPHEN AMES: Not this year, no. Only reason I am leaving is because I am going home. I live in Canada. Home, I want to go. Basically I don't want to spend another week in a hotel. We do enough of that as it is.

STEPHEN AMES: A shock -- no, I have been playing this way for when I had the opportunity of playing the first couple of weeks that I played, I had the odd shot here and there that cost me a couple of shots. I didn't make as many putts the first couple of weeks. This week I have made some putts. I putted very well, but then again, I had it inside of ten feet eight or ten times today and I missed a couple of 2-, 3-footers, so, I had the opportunity of going even lower, but I am not going to squabble over. I am quite happy with the way I played and scored. Only difference is that I made putts today and hopefully the putts are going to continue going.

STEPHEN AMES: I was practicing indoors, hitting balls inside, trying to keep myself fit, those kind of things more than anything else. But playing indoors and playing out here in the sunlight and on grass is a completely different atmosphere.

STEPHEN AMES: It was the first time I have had heart palpitations. I have forgotten what that felt like. Standing up there: Wow, I am nervous up here, what do I do? Actually it was just getting over the first four holes because I started off bogey, bogey, double-bogey. It was like, wait a minute. What am I doing here? I completely forgot how to play golf, the mental aspect of it. Then I realized after that: Let's play golf, let's play for pars basically. I played well there. Made the cut, I finished 33rd, I think it was. So was happy with my performance. Just didn't make as many putts as I wanted to but I was quite happy to be playing basically.

STEPHEN AMES: No, I couldn't get into the States.

STEPHEN AMES: I played the European Tour for six years. I gave up that exemption end of 1997, I gave up -- '98, actually I gave up that exemption to play in the States. I didn't have the opportunity to play anywhere else basically.

STEPHEN AMES: I think I was leading the L.A. Open last year where I finished third at the end. I think I was, wasn't I? 67 first round, I think.

STEPHEN AMES: Because of the -- yeah, I can see why. Basically because it is premium and on iron-play. And putting, of course, and then of course a lot of patience involved and getting your golf ball around. There are certain pins that you can go at. Certain pins you dare not to go long at. I think it is a big premium on, like I said, iron-play which is basically what an Open is. And putting, of course, very big.

STEPHEN AMES: I hope so. I hope the greens get firmer and we have to play different shots and par looks like a good score, that is how I look at it. I'd prefer that.

STEPHEN AMES: I am happy with my performance today. Being in the lead I still got the afternoon to go. But at this stage three days to go, a lot of golf to go, I'd like to keep the same thoughts that I had today, same feelings in my golf swing if I can retain that, I will be happy with that.

STEPHEN AMES: In performing the way I did?

STEPHEN AMES: The greens were very nice. I think we had the opportunity, like every morning group when you go out in the morning you are going to have perfect greens and they are perfect out there at this time of the day. This afternoon they don't look too bad for this afternoon, but, no, basically that was it.

STEPHEN AMES: You are asking the wrong person. You should be asking my wife. (laughs). It was tough, but I think the good thing about it is that we have two children now and I had the opportunity of staying home with my two-and-a-half-year-old now. Kemper Open was my first week back and my second was born then. I was not happy not being there, but at the same time I had to get started somehow or the other. Family aspect of it, I thought it was fantastic. I enjoyed it very much. I had good quality time there. Being on the road as much as we are, and sometimes you are able to travel with your family, it is quite difficult. She is out here this week with the two boys, and I am happy that things turned out that way, frustrating-wise, yeah, it was frustrating very.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, it was.

STEPHEN AMES: Ryan Michael.

STEPHEN AMES: Tough. It is a good golf course.

STEPHEN AMES: I think the greens, as severe as they are, they can tuck the pins in certain spots and they are going to get firmer. I am sure as the week goes on; maybe not too firm, but trying getting the ball close to the hole would be very difficult so you are going to leave yourself a lot of 15-, 20-foot putts, don't make too many of those. Not everybody does.

STEPHEN AMES: Play my own game, basically. You try to play your strategy, how you are going to play the hole. Depending on where certain pins are, I think what is important is knowing where the pin is before hand and then deciding which side of the fairway you want to be at, going in at the pin, so you have an easier second shot. There are certain pins -- today there were a lot of pins that were tucked behind traps and a lot of the par 3s were very tough trying to get the ball close to the hole. I think as the week goes on, some of them are not going to be as tough and some pins you are going to be able to go at. Then again as the week goes on, I am sure the greens are going to get a little firmer so it is still going to be tough to get it close to the hole.

STEPHEN AMES: I live in Calgary.

STEPHEN AMES: Golf courses didn't open until the end of April.

STEPHEN AMES: Nelson was the week we found out that we got the okay to get the visa back and then it took another week and a half just to get it into my passport. That was -- so it was -- and then when we finally got it, which was on the Friday before Kemper, then I realized I was playing.

STEPHEN AMES: No, I wanted to get started. I got permission, put it that way. (laughs) She had a lot of help. She has got both her sisters and her mom and dad are there, so she had her help.

STEPHEN AMES: The story is long. It is a long story. We don't have that time. We will leave it that the State Department was looking after it at the time and my lawyers who was actually from here, New York.

STEPHEN AMES: U.S..

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, I did.

STEPHEN AMES: Coming back into the -- getting back into it, the short game -- my short game has been a little weak; the biggest one being my bunker play. It is one that I have spent a lot of time in the last three weeks that I have had the opportunity of being out here. It is something I have still got to work on. But I had the opportunity getting up-and-down because I was just right there in front of the green. I made a good par. I was happy with the result at the end.

STEPHEN AMES: 2, 3-wood off the tee and then hit a 9-iron about six feet. 3, I hit driver, 8-iron pin-high right to about twelve feet.

STEPHEN AMES: 8, hit driver off the tee; then 6-iron about eight feet again. Downhill putt; made that. 9, it was green-side trap on the left, hit it about -- bunker shot was about five, six feet, made that.

STEPHEN AMES: I misjudged - I blame my caddie on that one - he forgot to tell me which way the wind was and I played it the way I normally would which is down the right side -- you have a better opening, but the wind was off left and it pushed my ball into the trees. It was my fault in a sense too; also his, I thought. 12, 13 I birdied. 13, hit 3-wood off the tee, up the middle and then 8-iron about six feet. 14, 9-iron about I think it was seven or eight feet above the hole.

STEPHEN AMES: Hit 5-iron, three feet. 17, 18 I got it up-and-down, both traps.

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