U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 23, 2002

Bill Haas

CRAIG SMITH: You caught everyone's attention with that 28 on the front side. How about what you were going through and did you catch yourself by surprise?

BILL HAAS: A little bit. When you get through, I think, I made -- I was walking down nine and said, "I think this putt's for 28." And I told that to my caddy. And it was, and I swear I knew, I didn't know I was going to make it, but I just felt it was a 25-footer breaking left-to-right and not a putt, you would think you're going to make 8 out of 10 times. But I really felt confident over that putt. It looked like a bucket on the front nine, and on the back nine too.

I felt very good out there. I got -- the first two holes were ridiculous. I hit and blew it way right off the tee just like I've been doing. Right on a couple shots. And I had a good lie in the rough and kind of had to try to cut it around this tree. Obviously, I had a good lie if I could actually cut it. And it nicked one little leaf and landed just short of the green, rolled up there about 15 feet and I made it. And then the next hole, I drove in the bunker and then hit the lip coming out of there and then I hit a 6-iron over the green and chipped in from going up over this hill and down, and it hits the pin and goes in.

Even though I'm only one up through two holes with those two things happening, I still felt like something was going my way. And I just told myself, I better start hitting it good because that's not going to happen all day. And I did start hitting it more on line. Seemed like every 10-footer I made.

CRAIG SMITH: Did you feel this good on the range this morning?

BILL HAAS: Not really. I mean I told you I was hitting them right. I slide into the ball too much and I hit a lot of right shots on the range. And what I think about on the tee or any or shot is, just don't blow this way right and don't slide. And I think if you have one swing thought that seems to be working for you, it helps you and it did today.

Q. Could we go through at least the front nine and get the clubs that you hit for your birdies holes.

BILL HAAS: First hole, driver, 67 iron out of the rough. 15 feet. Made it.

Then two I chipped in. I explained that one.

Q. How far do you think the chip was?

BILL HAAS: 80 feet. I mean, it was up over this hill down and it was long. It nailed the pin and went in. I'm sure John was cussing.

Four, hit a 9-iron about 20 feet and made it.

Five, parred.

Six, I drove it left and had a 50-yard shot and just a chip sand wedge up the hill and about 8 feet and made it.

Seven, I hit an 8-iron about -- that was conceded it was about 8 feet it was a conceded birdie.

Eight, hit an 8-iron about 12 feet behind the hole. That was a huge putt. That might have kept it going. It might have turned right there. He made a 30, 35-footer for birdie. And I made it on top of him. That was pretty big.

And nine, I hit a 5-iron middle of the green, kind of there, 20 feet. Made it.

And 13, I hit an 8-iron on that par three about 15 feet behind the hole. And made it coming down the hill.

CRAIG SMITH: Did you ever play this well before?

BILL HAAS: I don't think so. Getting it in the hole I've never done any better making that. I mean 8 under through 14 holes doesn't happen much, for me anyways it hasn't. And I don't know. I definitely I missed I don't think I hit, I missed a bunch of fairways. But it seemed like I had a good lie in the rough and just if I had it in the rough, I had a decent lie and I could get it on the green. I only missed one green and I chipped in. Two greens, I believe the last hole there too. Three greens. Sorry.

Q. That conceded on 7, how far were you on that putt?

BILL HAAS: About 8 feet. He was going to make bogey. He drove it in the water.

CRAIG SMITH: Not that you need any advice or anything, but do you think dad might get out of Tahoe to see you.

BILL HAAS: Not unless he misses the cut. But he shot 4-over yesterday, I think. I don't know what par is out there. But he shot 76. And yeah, I think if they -- I don't know if they're on vacation, so they're kind of doing their own thing. It would be great if they did come up. I would love for them to. If he misses the cut, I bet he would fly up here but he hasn't said, so.

Q. Go through what happened on the 12th hole.

BILL HAAS: Right.

Q. What happened there?

BILL HAAS: I had a bad second shot and the first bunker there. And then I hit a pretty good shot out of there. Tough shot. Long bunker shot and just on the fringe. And I was off the green. I don't know what I was thinking, I was just putting, I was chipping, I felt like I was chipping for par for some reason. And then he made a 30-footer uphill to break in and everybody's cheering, and so I just picked up the ball thinking I lost the hole and I could have chipped in or putted in from where I was and had the hole. But I just drew a blank and I guess it doesn't happen ever. It was just stupid. So I can't explain it.

Q. You said the hole looked like a bucket on the front and on the back. Have you ever putted that well? I counted you with nine putts on the front nine. I mean, have you ever done that?

BILL HAAS: No.

Q. Had nine or less?

BILL HAAS: No. That was pretty good. I'm lucky the hole got in the way. So that was pretty good.

Q. Is it more special, I know it's only one more match that gets you into the semifinals, but to do it on a course like this. You know from all week how difficult this course can be.

BILL HAAS: Oh, sure. I think I shot around even par. I shot 68 out here during the qualifying but I think every match I've been even par or under and that's won. That does win out here. Even par can win. Even if I would have lost to John today, he was a couple under today, I think, or 3-under, I think. But even par will win a match out here easily. And to make that many birdies and have nine holes like that, I don't think I'll ever forget it.

CRAIG SMITH: This really isn't that hard a course, is it?

BILL HAAS: Yes, it is.

Q. Do you think you can duplicate that at all?

BILL HAAS: Probably not. No. I hope I can come close and make birdies like I did. Ricky Barnes is a great player. It's looking like I'm going to play him. He's five up through 11 or 12. And me and him are good friends and he hits the hell out of the ball and so do I. So we're going to be swinging hard at it. And I just, you know, to shoot even par, I tell you, I come out here just to make pars and today I was more aggressive because I was, I felt good. I made two lucky breaks on the first two holes and that's my -- you got to tell yourself when you're three up you want to get four up. Four up, get five up. Because when I was, when I lost number 12 there I was only three up and it was not over at all. And that was huge to birdie that next hole.

Q. Did you think you were going to make the putt from the fringe on three?

BILL HAAS: Yes. I did. I took a little walk and raised my club like a cocky guy would. And it did lip out. It just lipped out. I did, I thought I made it. And I kind of forgot about that one. That would have been 27. That would have been nice.

Q. How long was that one?

BILL HAAS: That was about 12 feet down the hill. Really fast.

Q. Did you get a sense that John was getting a little bit more and more frustrated or did you just not even pay attention to him at all?

BILL HAAS: I don't think -- when we walked together we didn't talk about golf. We have our own stories we tell and we're really good friends outside of this. And I think when we were walking together -- and he was mad because he was not making birdies and, but I think if I would have been making pars he would have been in a good mood because he was making a couple birdies. And not that he wasn't in a good mood, but I think he kind of -- when you're in match play you kind of try to stay away from each other because you are going against him. And it was definitely some rivalry there. Just because we, both of us want to beat each other just as bad. But I kind of wish he was on the other side of the bracket. Because I didn't want to, I didn't want a friend to lose.

Q. How special or important would it be for you to win this championship?

BILL HAAS: It would be incredible. I guess that means you get in the Masters and that's pretty, that's the highest tournament, that's the biggest tournament over here that you want to play in. And to play as an amateur would be great. My dad played as an amateur. My uncle Jerry played as an amateur in the Masters. That is actually higher than my goals I set. Walker Cup was my biggest goal and I want to do that. I think that's one of the biggest honors you can have as an amateur and that's been my whole drive this summer to try to make that next year. And I got a whole another year to make until that's decided. But that's kind of what I've been thinking about all summer, so.

CRAIG SMITH: Have you done anything superstitiously this week, you eat the same foods, same things to get your self into a lucky mood.

BILL HAAS: No. No. I try not to be that at all. I've been I've marked my balls the same all week. With a line down it. And that's the only thing. I've never done that, I usually change every day and that's the only thing I've done the same, so.

Q. How is it sleeping in a bed now you're not on that fold-out couch?

BILL HAAS: Yeah, I moved into a house so I'm not in the hotel room any more.

Q. Does it make any difference that your dad, the farthest he ever got in the Amateur was to the quarterfinals and now you're in the semifinals, you one upped him today?

BILL HAAS: Sure. Yeah. That was long time ago. He won't, I don't know if he even remembers that.

Q. You'll remind him, won't you?

BILL HAAS: Probably not. No. We don't, we're not really competitive. A lot of people say, are you trying to do what he's done and do better than he's done. And if I could just live up to what he's done that would be, obviously I would have a great career. I don't try to beat him at all.

CRAIG SMITH: That's a good ending point. Thank you, Bill.

BILL HAAS: All right.

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