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CHILDREN'S MIRACLE NETWORK CLASSIC

November 15, 2009

Stephen Ames

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA

DOUG MILNE: All right. We'd like to welcome the 2007 and now 2009 Children's Miracle Network Classic champion Stephen Ames. Stephen, congratulations. We heard a couple of people mention after you got the victory after the playoff, that you just kind of hung around in the shadows back there, and you kind of made your move coming down the stretch, and you struck when the iron was hot. Just a few comments on how you felt you played and how you got yourself into position for the playoffs and ultimately the victory.
STEPHEN AMES: Yeah. I guess it -- everything kind of turned around for me on the -- after the fifth hole on my second round where I started putting a little bit better.
I changed my routine a little bit just to quicken up the pace in my routine itself, and all of a sudden the putter just got hot, and it's been hot for the last three days, which is great for me. See, five and five, 10, 10, 18, yeah. Actually I was almost 18-under par for those last three rounds.
After four holes, my first four holes on the Palm, which was the second round, I was actually 3-over par for the day, and then finished up shooting 70. So that kind of turned things around, and last night during dinner with my coach, it was -- I figured when I sat down, I just called a number, I think 64 would do it to win. And I ended up getting into the playoff. And you know, I guess faith in some sense things that you wish for do happen in life, and last night I wished for 64 and I got that 64 which is great. I played well.
The second shot on the 18 was a little different than 2007, but the length of the putt was about the same, four feet, which is good, one for par and one for birdie. But I enjoyed the way I struck the golf ball today, putted very well.
It's unfortunate for George. He played very well this fall season losing twice in two playoffs. It's just a matter of time before he breaks through. He's a good player.
DOUG MILNE: I run the risk of getting the obvious answer, but what does this do for you as you head into the off season?
STEPHEN AMES: Good things. To some extent I start off at Kapalua, which is a rough place to start off obviously for everybody. I enjoy it because I spend Christmas there every year, but jumping forward and looking at the way I hit the golf ball and the way I was thinking, which is great. All these things are pluses.
Like I said in 2007, I'll probably say it again, this is like icing on the cake. The year was average. This just kind of adds up a little better, more to where I should be and better to some extent. But overall it was a good tournament for me.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. We'll take some questions.

Q. Yesterday I think you used the word mediocre to describe the year, not the kind of finish you want for a player of your caliber. Does this change that whole equation.
STEPHEN AMES: To some extent. It adds -- gives you more positive thinking, things to think of. I would still say it's mediocre with a win in it.
The good thing about it is I've actually already changed my grooves to next year's grooves. I'm winning with these grooves in the bag. That also tells me, great. This is a great plus, especially coming out of this Bermuda rough here, where it really flies out of. Kentucky blue, the rough's very rough. I'm not sure how it's going to react yet, but the Bermuda rough you're definitely going to get more fliers and everything. We got a couple, and the way the ball was reacting on the greens and everything, it was perfect. I think it was perfect for me adding a win to it with these grooves is even better.

Q. Stephen, can you just kind of describe your feeling first when Justin missed that putt, rimmed out and when George's putt rimmed out?
STEPHEN AMES: Yeah. Unfortunately for them he didn't -- well, it's a big green. He hit the green, just left it 50 feet unfortunately. He didn't hit his first putt very well, left it short and he left the next one short again.
George made a great par obviously on the last hole to get into the playoff, and unfortunate the way his putt there on the 15th hole kind of was. Very unfortunate. Like I said, George had a great fall season, losing twice in playoffs. That tells George if he looks at the past tournaments that he is playing good golf. It's just a matter of time before he breaks through. He's just gotta be patient. That's what this game's about.

Q. So you were having dinner last night with Sean?
STEPHEN AMES: Yes.

Q. Where were you? What were you doing and what was your state of mind at that point? You kind of made a jump yesterday to get you at least within spitting distance, but --
STEPHEN AMES: Yeah. George kind of let everybody back in, finishing bogey, double bogey. When I looked at the leaderboard at the end of the day, I was happy the way I played, and then when I looked at the leaderboard, I went, oh, what happened here. I looked up at the score, he finished bogey, double bogey to only leave me three shots behind.
I started off well, obviously. I was 4-under after seven, and playing well. I had my number in mind that I wanted to have, to shoot, and I shot it, which is good. So I was happy with that.

Q. Where did you have dinner?
STEPHEN AMES: Actually it was Kate Foley's house. Sean's house. I had Ryan with me this year, so we opted not to stay with her. My aunt was there. Ashley Parker was there with his wife as well, Cristie. So it was six of us for dinner -- eight of us for dinner, which is great. A lot of fun.

Q. What did you have?
STEPHEN AMES: We had sliders for dinner, sliders and lots of beer.

Q. Very Canadian.
STEPHEN AMES: Yeah. That's it.

Q. How old are you now? 45?
STEPHEN AMES: 45.

Q. Do you still feel like a young 45? That's like Vijay territory there. You don't seem that old. He seems like he's been out here forever. You seem to have low mileage.
STEPHEN AMES: Thanks. I guess -- I don't think I'm as intense as he is, you know. I enjoy life. I enjoy the quality of my life. I enjoy the fact of watching my kids grow up. I think that's what's important about life.
And I've put my time in where I need to practice and get myself ready for each event each year, and I do enjoy the quality of life that I live in Calgary with my family, and to me family comes first. Golf is secondary. It always has been.

Q. Any extra incentive to win this knowing your big cash bonanza around Thanksgiving no longer exists?
STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, really. No. There wasn't any incentive. My cash flow focus was kind of gone with the Skins game gone. Yeah, I know. That's unfortunate. I guess this is my cash flow right here. It just came in. A bigger one, which is good. Thanks.
DOUG MILNE: Stephen, finally, you birdied half the holes out there today. If you wouldn't mind --
STEPHEN AMES: Did I really?
DOUG MILNE: Yeah. Nine birdies.
STEPHEN AMES: I had nine birdies?
DOUG MILNE: Just running through those birdies.
STEPHEN AMES: Sure. Second hole, driver, wedge to about four feet. I hit the fourth hole in two, about 20 feet, two-putted. The sixth hole, 5-iron to about five feet, maybe less, made that. The seventh, driver, sand wedge to eight feet.
We'll forget 8, and we'll go to 12. 12, I hit wedge again to about 12 feet. 13, I was just short of the green on the left-hand side, made a great pitch to about 12 feet, made that.
14, driver, 4-iron, sand wedge to about two feet, made that. 16, driver, 9-iron, eight feet. And 18, driver, 7-iron to about four feet.

Q. (No microphone).
STEPHEN AMES: My 10 year-old actually was telling me you need to hole this. I went, oh, thanks, I realize I need to hole it.

Q. (No microphone).
STEPHEN AMES: No, he was walking up the fairway with me. Oh, yeah. It was a very casual round. Casual round of golf. It's Mickey Mouse, come on.
No, we were walking up the fairway together. He actually walked the whole Back 9 with me, and the honorary members, honorary walkers, observers, is that what they're called, he was walking with them, and we were chatting and going on, and he was very much aware of what the situation was, and he said, dad, you need to hole this. I went, okay, I'll try my best. Four feet wasn't a bad shot.
DOUG MILNE: How are you spending the off season?
STEPHEN AMES: Month off. I have actually 30 days before we're off to Maui. We leave the 18th to go to Maui. We spend Christmas there every year, so laying on the beach drinking a few beers, sounds pretty good.

Q. (No microphone).
STEPHEN AMES: We were always going to be there till the 9th, which is the Saturday of the event. The kids go home the Saturday. So they might have to change their plans, yeah. I have to talk to my wife. I haven't even talked to her yet to say.
But they're there till the Saturday of the event, and I was going to go Sunday to Honolulu, but now I get to play both of the events. I always tell Gary Player golf always gets in the way when I come over here, and it does.

Q. It's not a bad thing. It's a guaranteed check.
STEPHEN AMES: It's a guaranteed check. It's a fun week. But golf gets in the way. I don't want to play golf. I want to sit on the beach and relax.

Q. You won here in '07. Can you just compare the two tournaments? Which one feels better?
STEPHEN AMES: I think this one. The way I hit it, one, and two, because I had Ryan with me. That was a lot of fun.

Q. Does he get a lifetime exemption from school to watch you play golf?
STEPHEN AMES: He's only actually missing two days of school. Last week he missed two days. That's okay. He has a contract. He knows what he needs to do grade wise.
DOUG MILNE: Okay. Stephen, congratulations. Best of luck. Have a good off season. Happy holidays.
STEPHEN AMES: Happy holidays to everybody. Thanks.

End of FastScripts

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