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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 31, 2011

Mark Calcavecchia

TOLEDO, OHIO

MARK CALCAVECCHIA: The way I felt today, it was kind of a miracle, so I'm happy with that. Just didn't feel too good today. I hung in there and got lucky, made a 100-footer on the 12th hole and a little of the same-type thing. Got a little shaky with my putter, although I didn't miss any real short ones, I dead yanked that par putt on 14 and didn't hit good putt on the last hole.
You know, same story, kind of. Little shaky with the putter and didn't hit enough fairways today, so I've got to somehow sort that out. All in all, obviously, very happy with the week.

Q. Was it the birdie at 16, the incredible shot from the rough?
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: 17, yeah, that was pretty amazing. I was just trying to figure out how to get it past the tree and get down around the greens somewhere and hopefully save par. I changed my shot at the last second. I had two shots. I was going to chip a 6-iron. There is a little gap in the tree and try to hit a little cut. But I just felt like I would have actually hit it too high. So instead I grabbed an 8-iron and played it way back and hooded it and hit a roll hook 8-iron.
That was just a miracle shot. That was even amazing for me as many good trouble shots as I can hit, that was one of my all-time best ever. And then I had to make the putt, of course, so that was nice. That was fun.

Q. Were you feeling poorly because of the heat or something you ate?
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Little of both, little of both. I don't know. I just -- you know, this kind of heat's tough on me. I sweat a lot, Joey sweats a lot, but I think I got a little bit dehydrated. Maybe one too many beer, nothing out of the ordinary, but it might have been something I ate too.
Yeah, I mean, I feel fine, but not quite like I should. You know what I mean? Not like I did the last three days. So I don't know if I just ran out of gas. That might have been part of it. You know, we've been through a lot in the last month. It's been pretty crazy.

Q. Were you within two of the lead at that point?
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: I was, yeah. I think they were both 14 at the time. Really the two bogies, I thought my drive was pretty good on 13. I didn't think it was that far right. As a matter of fact, I thought it was going to be a little short of the bunker and maybe on the edge of the fairway. So I was surprised that one ended up where it did. And I just chunked it a hair and rolled back down the hill. That's almost an impossible up-and-down.
Really I thought I hit a good drive on the next hole too and it just drifted. The wind didn't hold it up like I thought it would. Just a yard into the rough, but I had a perfect lie and thought I just absolutely flagged the 6-iron, and it looked like it was there in the air. It wasn't floating. I thought it was going to be great. I hit the bank and rolled back down into the edge of the hazard. I actually hit a real good chip, and that was the horrible six or seven-foot that I straight yanked.

Q. This looks like it will be Olin's first win on the Champions Tour. Do you think it's just a matter of time for you?
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Yeah, yeah, eventually I'll get one. You know, next week's scores I finished second there last year. I like the greens and I am playing well, so I'll just keep trying. It will happen one of these days.
But if Olin goes on to win, which it looks like he's going to, I'm very happy for him. He lives eight doors down from me. We see a lot of each other. He's out at the Medalist, as I am. And as you know, he's one of the great guys right along with that guy you just talked to, Joey Sindelar. So, yeah, I'd be super happy for him.

Q. Olin's a guy who plugged along for many years. Sort of got a couple of wins kind of late in his career. Got to hand it to a guy who hangs in there, huh?
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: He did. He sure did. He was always a good player, but nothing special. Then he got out on Tour and finally he won Hartford, I think was his first win or Colonial, I can't remember which one it was. He's won three tournaments, right? What was the other one? Boston, right. You know, he hits it straight.
A couple years ago he led the Tour in proximity to the hole or something, didn't he? Which is pretty good because he's not what you call long by any stretch. I mean he can drive it straight and hit some amazing irons.
I saw the highlights. He made a lot of nice putts and obviously you can't shoot those scores without making a lot of putts. It was just his week.

Q. He made a long one on 18?
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Olin did?

Q. Yeah.
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: What did O'Meara finish? Did he make a bogey and tie me?

Q. He's at 12.
MARK CALCAVECCHIA: Yeah, at 12. He edged me by 1.

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