NEC WORLD SERIES OF GOLF

August 25, 1996

Billy Mayfair

BILLY MAYFAIR: It went as exactly how I planned it, except for not winning. I wanted to hit as many greens as I could. I wanted to make as many pars as I could. If I threw a few birdies in there, great. Tried to stay away from the bogeys. I pretty much did that. Even when I knew I was tied with Phil, I stuck with my game plan which was to hit the center of the greens and try and make some putts coming down the stretch, maybe win, but I wasn't going to start firing at the pins today. And I didn't and I am real happy. Fired maybe a little on 18 there, but besides winning, I played the rounds almost like I wanted. One birdie, one bogey. I knew if I did that just -- maybe Phil, or someone would come back to me and he did. So my first birdie was on Number 2 today. I hit a 3-iron in there from about 215 yards, just to the right edge of the green. I chipped up with a sandwedge off the edge, foot from the hole, made that for birdie. Then my only bogey of the day was on 17. I was kind of in between clubs on the fairway. Had about 170 uphill. Hit 6-iron and I tried to just power -- I wanted to hit something hard. I didn't want to try to hit a soft 5 in there. I wanted to hit a hard 6 and, unfortunately, left it a little bit out to the right. Did not really have that hard of a chip. I guess I tried too hard; ran it three feet by. Phil made his birdie there, and, you know, when I missed that putt and I immediately - first thought through my mind, that hurts me at President's Cup at that time. That is the first time I thought about President's Cup all week; in fact, all year. Disappointing bogey then on 18. I hit an 8-iron about 20 feet above the hole and the ball was going in I thought. I just can't make birdie on that last hole on Sunday, I guess. Overall, I am not very disappointed. Like I said, it has been a long, tough year for me. To come back here, Firestone, and play this good, 3-under par, I mean, last year that would have won, you know, I am real happy about it. I am looking forward to the next couple of weeks of playing and I am happy for Phil for winning. He played really good at the start. Kind of came back to us at the middle and then finished strong, which a true champion does.

BILLY MAYFAIR: I think the rain that we had on Friday hurt that a lot. I think if we hadn't had any rain all week, the greens would have really gotten firm and fast, and I don't think - maybe no one would have broken par. But, you know, with the rain we had it soften the greens up. They stayed soft and the greens were a good speed. You are putting downhill, you had to watch it, and if you were putting uphill, you could still give them a firm rap. I thought they were good. The only other greens I could think are any more difficult -- I haven't played Castle Pines. They say those are fast. Haven't played there in three years. And U.S. Open or The Masters, I mean, the greens are just like that, except they are a little bit firmer.

BILLY MAYFAIR: No, not really. We talked about football, and about this and our schedules rest of the year. It wasn't anything serious. He is a diehard Chargers' fan, and I am a diehard Buffalo Bills' fan. We were kind of going at one another there. But we never really talked about the situation at all out there. We didn't talk very much at all in the backside, I could tell you that much.

BILLY MAYFAIR: It was a straight putt. I mean, I kept looking at it. I am saying there is just nothing to this putt. It is a straight putt. I just moved my head just a little bit and pushed it out to the right. It was a little bit downhill. I didn't have much speed on it; missed the hole on the right. Seems like when I have missed putts, they have been to the right. I think my head is ahead of me just a little bit - just one of those things.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Oh, no. I don't think I have any putt bagged until it goes in the hole, but I looked at it from both sides. I just kept saying to myself there is nothing in this putt; it is a straight putt; let us just hit it straight. We all know, who plays golf, sometimes the hardest putts in the world are the straight ones.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Greens were -- the pins were tough. I mean, the pins were very, very difficult today. Seemed like if you hit the center of the green, which I did a lot today, you were always putting downhill and sidehill. You never had a straight uphill putt. Phil left a lot of putts today below the hole which was good. He had a lot of uphill putts. I thought he would make more than he did, but I think the biggest reason why you didn't see low scores today just because the pin placements were very difficult even though the greens were very soft.

BILLY MAYFAIR: I had a birdie chance on 1 from about 20 feet. About ten feet on 5, the par 3. On 6, I had a birdie chance. 7 had birdie chance. 8 had about ten feet and putt was straight in the middle of the hole turned at the last second. I had 15 feet on 9 for birdie. 11 I had maybe eight feet above the hole and I missed it. 12 I was about 20 feet. 14 I was about 35 feet from the hole. 15, I was maybe eight, ten feet from the hole. 16, I was about 15, 16 feet. And then on 18 I was about 15 feet above the hole. So overall it was a pretty good ball-striking day. You know, like you said, not too many people made putts and I guess I fell in that category today.

BILLY MAYFAIR: I still have memories from last year. After losing, you know, making 6 here last year and losing the golf tournament, I had guys come up to me all year and say you know, 16 at Firestone that pin is in that front right, you hit it left. Hit it left of the hole; have your 20-footer; try and make it and get out of there. Even when Phil stuck it, I still was going to stay with my game plan, and I was just going to rely on my putter to make some putts here coming down the stretch. Unfortunately, it didn't happen. He hit at great shot, flew it beyond the hole; spun it all the way back. I had good yardage too; had 87 yards, but don't spin the ball as much as Phil does sometimes. Who does?

BILLY MAYFAIR: Great shot. I said let us go make birdie, not much I can say, you know. He took a risk. I mean, if it landed short, it could have ended up in the water, a million things can happen. He hit a great golf shot.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Not really. We talked about -- Dan and I talked before got the day started. We were going to, especially coming down the stretch, talk things out, try not to make any mistakes, everything like that, and if it was between a 6-iron and 5-iron, and if it would have been a 6, it was a hard 6; if it was a 5, it was a soft 5. We were just coming down the 71st hole of the tournament. We wanted to hit a hard -- hit it hard and not soft. And you know, I didn't hit the 6-iron very good. It still got to the middle of the green. If I hit it good, it probably would have been. It didn't work out that way. No, there was no argument between my caddy and I.

BILLY MAYFAIR: I guess first of all, it is just the honor of being here. I have always enjoyed coming to Firestone. This is my third year here; always excited to come here. It is a small field. And then the golf course, I don't know, I didn't play all that well when we were on the north course that first year. Last two years I have played real well in the south, and I don't know, I guess because I am a good driver of the ball. Last two years I have been lucky. It has been dry. If this golf course gets wet like it was on Saturday morning for us, I would have a hard time because the holes would be so long. But two years I have been here, it has been dry and drive the ball pretty well and maybe that is a pretty good advantage for me.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah, I mean he has got a great short game. I mean, when you have that good of a chipping and putting short game, you can hit your driver a little wayward and still save yourself. I don't think he really drove it all that bad. He didn't hit it very good on the backside at all off the tee, but off the front, he drove it pretty good. Patches here and there, but, you know, he made up for it with his putter and chipper. And he hit a great bunker shot on 15, -- 14, he made, you know, he hits it right on 16 off the tee. Picks -- gets a good lie; gets it down there; hit that wedge shot to make birdie. I think the best drive he hit all day was on 18 on the backside when he drove it in the middle of the fairway, so, you know, he was -- he didn't hit it straight on that backside, but he got away with it, that is for sure.

BILLY MAYFAIR: It is hard. And all I can say maybe it is just experience being out here for this many years. I really came in today with a game plan to be there on every shot, to stay with my routine; hit the center of the greens and go from there, and you know, if I got in the lead, it would be one thing. If I was trying to catch up on that I was still going to stay with my game plan and I did. Unfortunately, it didn't work out at the end for me.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Absolutely. I mean, I think I am a perfect example of that last year, having a 3-shot lead with 4 holes to play, I think maybe mentally I got a little rusty, I don't know. But it is a long week. It is a hard golf course to walk, a long golf course, and those last four, five holes are definitely a grind on you. So I would have to say mental factor has a lot to do with it. And being tired.

BILLY MAYFAIR: That is right.

BILLY MAYFAIR: Yeah, they are three hours behind, right?

BILLY MAYFAIR: Thank you.