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TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2008

Jay Williamson

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT

CHRIS REIMER: We want to welcome Jay into the interview room. Thank you for joining us. If you can just start by talking about how this tournament propelled you to the PGA TOUR this year, and looking back on last year's finish, kind of remembering what you went through to get here.
JAY WILLIAMSON: Well, I got here Sunday night and checked into the same hotel and tried to do everything the same. Since last year -- well, first of all, it's great to come back here obviously, just feel the vibes.
A lot of kind of mixed emotions to be honest with you. I was asked a lot coming in if I was looking forward to coming back, and my answer was yes; but, I certainly would have looked more forward to it if I would have won.
Obviously the farther I get away from it, the more disappointing it is. But, I've played pretty good since. I haven't really had any great finishes, but I've put myself in position a bunch. I think I've made -- since the tournament last year at Hartford which was one year ago, I know these are not Tiger numbers, but I made 11 cuts at the end of last year and ten this year.
So I've made 21 cuts in a year since last year, which is pretty good, but my stroke average on Sunday has not been good, and that's something that I'm trying to work on. I haven't putted very well. Lost some momentum, so I'm trying to get it back this week.
CHRIS REIMER: You hit on kind of being disappointed in not winning last year but you also played lights-out and had some dramatic shots. Just going off the momentum of the playoff yesterday at the Open, talk about how you pull positives from a playoff loss, as opposed to kind of dwelling on what could have been?
JAY WILLIAMSON: It's difficult. I'm sure Rocco, even though he put on a very brave, happy face yesterday, I'm sure today, it really stings him. You know, that's a lot more dramatic than the Travelers Championship, when you lose your Open like that, especially -- to be honest with you, it was very similar to what Hunter and I went through last year. A little different kind of tournament certainly but certainly same idea.
You know, the frustrating thing for me is I really want to be a good player, and I'm trying everything I can. I'm trying to juggle being a dad to three young kids, trying to be a golfer, and it's just difficult. It's a very complicated puzzle.
Certainly to win last year would have made the puzzle a little bit less complicated. So I kind myself in kind of the same situation, even though now I've made 150 cuts, I'm a veteran member; they can never take that away from me.
But when I look back at last year, I didn't get any FedExCup points. I wasn't able to play in the FedExCup. This year, I wasn't able to play in THE PLAYERS Championship, nor am I in Tiger's event in two weeks. Those are the things I think the TOUR needs to clean up a little bit to be honest with you. Yes, I am kind of exempt, but I'm kind of not. It just makes it difficult to get any momentum going.
A lot of people ask: "Where were you on the list?" Well, I wasn't on the Money List because I was a non-member.
I kind of feel in a way. Last week (year), it was a great week (year), but it's disappeared so much now, and I've got to do -- I've got to get it back. I've got to relive the magic. I've got to get it back somehow.

Q. Why do you think you still have kind of a negative, frustrated attitude? I would think someone who like you said had been grinding it out on the Nationwide Tour like you had been, finishing second at the Travelers here would be on a high.
JAY WILLIAMSON: And it's a good question, and I was to start the year. And I shot 80 the last round at Hilton Head; I shot 75 at Pebble Beach; I shot 75 in Hawaii. It's like I've had this chance, finishing second last year here, it got me back in the game; and I had this chance, and I just feel like I'm wasting it. You know, I've had six or seven opportunities this year, you know, to win to be honest with you.
You know, New Orleans, I was in third or fourth place going into the last day; Atlanta. But just I haven't been able to sustain four days, you know, together.
I'm just frustrated. I'm frustrated that I didn't get in at THE PLAYERS. I sat on the tee at Colonial, first alternate, didn't get in; Memorial, didn't get in; didn't qualify for the Open, which I would have loved to have played in.
So I'm just at that stage right now where I'm frustrated. I need a good week. I need something good to happen. But to answer your -- the gist of your question is, I should relax and have fun it, but I'm not getting younger. I want things to happen. If I'm going to be on the road away from my kids, I want to be able to make something of it.

Q. It sounds like you either need to make a big step up or reassess; you just don't want to be on the verge of being on TOUR and everything; do you agree with that?
JAY WILLIAMSON: Yeah, I'm tired of being the guy that is close. I mean, I've been close for my whole career as a golfer. And granted, you know, I mean, I played hockey and baseball in college here.
So I just lose my perspective sometimes. I have to keep this whole thing in a perspective, I guess maybe be satisfied with what I've done, but after what I did last year here the at Travelers, I just feel like I can be better. You know, I guess I'm frustrated that I haven't been able to sustain it this year.
Last year was such, it was just such a great event for me personally, and you know, selfishly I guess, it's almost kind of like Rocco said yesterday, you just want more. He went toe-to-toe with Tiger, and now he wants to do it again, and I want the same opportunity again to try to be better.

Q. The fact that basically you had a very makeable putt on the last green, does that add to the frustration?
JAY WILLIAMSON: Absolutely, yeah.

Q. Is that in your mind?
JAY WILLIAMSON: Ironically -- yes, to answer your question. And ironically, yesterday, I played in the Monday Pro-Am, and I swear I hit my 7-iron, same club in the exact same spot and I had almost the exact same putt and I didn't make it again.
It's not that that putt haunts me. It's just that I remember it vividly. It doesn't haunt me because again I finished second and it was a great week. But if I make that putt, even last year, I said my life got much better because of my second-place finish. But I mean, you know, none of this would have happened. It would be a totally different deal if I would have won.
And that's how difficult it is out here to achieve. You know, to be someone that can be out here for a long time, like Brad Faxon, a guy that's able to get -- just kind of separate himself a little bit and have a win, you know. I just think I would be looked at a lot differently if I could have at least made that last putt.
Yeah, I lost in a playoff, but at this point, you know, that just got me back in the game. I'm tired of just being in the same. I want to be a guy that can win out here. So, it's frustrating.

Q. It could be a little bit of a stretch, but your alma mater had an undefeated baseball season and lost in the penultimate game; did you follow that at all?
JAY WILLIAMSON: A little bit, not as much as I would have liked. Obviously tough to follow a Division III baseball; living in St. Louis, playing the TOUR, I was able to follow it a little bit. But not as much as I would have liked, but I think it's a phenomenal achievement.
I saw Bill Decker this morning and he gave me a Trinity baseball hat. I'm envious, because when I was there, our baseball program wasn't that good. I think we played like 18 games and they were like 48-1 this year, and I asked Bill if the kids were still going to school. Incredible achievement. That's how much life changes. We played hockey at Trinity and we didn't even have a rink on campus. Things change. I'm just trying to get better.

Q. You're 41?
JAY WILLIAMSON: 41.

Q. Did you watch the Open, did you think if Rocco can do that at 45, you still have a lot of positives and things you can build off of, are you starting to look that way?
JAY WILLIAMSON: I do. I'm healthy. I'm in pretty good shape. Hockey actually prepared me well. I feel like I'm fairly athletic. But I tell you what, it doesn't get any easier out here. These young kids are good, and you know, I think my status has inhibited me a little bit from really feeling comfortable this year, fully exempt.
Those are things that I need to -- I need to focus on the positive and realize that I'll never be in a situation like I was in last year here where I really had no status. If I would have finished third, I would have gone back to the Nationwide Tour.
But the fact that I actually finished second allowed me to make the 150 cuts to be able to be back in the game.

Q. Is that what this whole thing is right now, is it mental with you?
JAY WILLIAMSON: I don't know. I don't know. I need to putt better. Because I think I strike the ball well enough. You know, when you see what Tiger did last week, you don't really remember anything but his chips and his putts. Obviously he hits the ball a mile, but it seems like sometimes he's not quite sure, you know, about keeping it in the fairway.
But I'm telling you, some of the putts he made were phenomenal. I mean, even the 4-footer in regulation on 18, you know, I mean, he knocks it right in the back. He's able to do things, his putter really sustains momentum for him.

Q. When something dramatic happens like Monday, are the pros as captivated as the fans are and we are?
JAY WILLIAMSON: Oh, absolutely, especially when it's a major. I think the fact that it was a major championship, obviously, you know, David versus Goliath yesterday; the way you could describe it. At a venue like Torrey Pines, which it might be argued that some guys don't like the re-design by Rees Jones, but everyone likes to go to San Diego. I think there were a lot of elements to yesterday that made it exciting and fascinating.

Q. I hear the frustration in your voice; there was such good vibes for you here, and a few weeks later, us being disconnected, we read the story about what happened in Canada. Can you shed any light on what happened?
JAY WILLIAMSON: You know, that was -- I mean, it was just a situation that was very out of character for me and for him. And it was unfortunate. The good thing is that it's over. Things weren't working out. He said some things to me that I don't think were appropriate. That was it.
But I am an ex-hockey player, so every once in awhile that comes out in me, for good or for bad. (Laughing).
CHRIS REIMER: Good luck this week.
JAY WILLIAMSON: I look forward to hopefully talking to you guys later this week. Appreciate all the coverage last year and for coming in today.

End of FastScripts

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