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SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY KITCHENAID

May 21, 2015

Massy Kuramoto

FRENCH LICK, INDIANA

BOB DENNEY: We would like to welcome Massy Kuramoto to the interview room here at the 76th Senior PGA Championship Presented By KitchenAid. He shot a 1-under par 71 today in the first round. On a day that's chilling here. He's the first round leader today. He's joined by his wife Margie. She will help with us. First of all, welcome back to the scene seen. This is your fifth trip here.

MASSY KURAMOTO: Thank you very much.

BOB DENNEY: Tell us a little bit about your impressions of the course today and before we go into your round.

MASSY KURAMOTO: The course is? What do I say? It's tough. First thing that I do is look at how do I hit it and how do I hit it and how do I get it to stop on the green and how to 2-putt. But yesterday, with a little rain -- no, day before yesterday? Yeah, day before yesterday the greens were slower. So if I'm going to hit straight and hit the fairway, I can play 2-over or 3-over. I tried to play 1-over front nine, 1-over back nine. So.

BOB DENNEY: You succeeded. (Laughter.)

MASSY KURAMOTO: Yeah. Yeah. (Laughter.)

BOB DENNEY: What kind of experience have you had before with a Pete Dye designed golf course? Any at all?

MASSY KURAMOTO: A few. I played a few Japanese courses, all Pete Dye courses. A lot of up-and-down, tight greens. Typical Pete Dye golf course.

BOB DENNEY: When you saw the conditions today, you were probably feeling that it's going to be a tough scoring day for everybody.

MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter) Yes, of course. I didn't feel like I would play under par at all day. I was expecting 2-over as a good score, so it was quite surprising that I did so well.

BOB DENNEY: We'll open it up to questions.

Q. How much are you playing at this point in your career?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter) I'm lifetime exempt on the Regular Tour in Japan, so I was playing on the regular tour. But last year I was elected as the Chairman of the PGA of Japan, so I haven't been practicing at all. Though the Senior Tour in Japan is under the control of the PGA of Japan, so I played in all senior events with the sponsor requests. I did very well last year. Last year how many tournaments? 11 senior tournaments. And I won the Japan open and I won another tournament and became the leading money winner. That's why I was able to play in this tournament.

Q. You're a long way from Sunday, but what would it mean to win here? To win this event?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter) I feel like if I can keep this 1-under, I might be able to win.

Q. You said you were surprised by today. How surprised would you be to stay where you are, if you're target score is 1-over, how surprised would you be to stay in contention and stay in the lead?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter.) I don't have the confidence at all, so I don't think that I'm going to be able to keep the lead.

BOB DENNEY: In 1982 Massy Kuramoto tied for fourth in the Open Championship and among those he tied with were Nick Faldo and Tom Purtzer and Des Smyth.

MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter.) I like British like weather. Cooler days and almost cold days. Windy. Sometimes wet. And I did well in England, too, but I prefer -- I do well in this kind of condition where everybody else, it's hard for everybody else. So I think I might have an advantage. Three years ago when I won on the European Senior Tour, it was horrible, horrible throughout the week. It was pouring rain, high winds, carts were knocked over, but I won in that kind of environment, so I do well.

Q. If you thought 2-over was one of the best rounds you could put out there, what did you do better than you expected today to shoot even better?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter.) My shots into the green were really good. So even if I missed the greens, I missed it on the right side, where it was easier to get it close to just 1-putt and finish under par.

BOB DENNEY: I was going to just, if I could, have you had any interplay and talking with Mr. Kohki Idoki and how he was successful two years ago? And does that spark some interest for you as well to come over and do as well.

MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter.) Kohki winning here was really stimulating for everybody. And if I had been playing as not being the chairman, then I might have been able to really get myself in the mode and try to win this tournament. But I really haven't been practicing at all, so I'm quite happy after today, I'm really not sure that I can stay this way, although I will try. But it was quite a sensation in Japan, too, so.

Q. What would give you some confidence?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter) It's not that I lack it at all. I have a bit of confidence because I've been hitting it quite well. But not -- maybe not enough to win is how I feel right now. I haven't played three rounds in a row in a while, so my hand hurts. I'm like an amateur player.

Q. How long since you've played three rounds in a row?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter.) November. Last year. Second week of November. That was the first senior event in Japan that was held in Okinawa, but it was a two-day event and I just went in right before the round, so it will be since November. So that's pretty good.

Q. How busy do they keep you with your job?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter.) I've been very, very busy. Home is in Hiroshima and office is in Tokyo. And I've only been able to go home one day a month. I've been in Tokyo with meetings, trying to add more tournaments. A couple of weeks ago, the European PGA and the PGA TOUR announced that they have to work together to support golf and that's exactly what I have to do in Japan, too, with all the other associations, so I've really been busy do you think that. And in March, this March, I made an announcement, similar to that, how every association in Japan should work together to advance golf. So I've been very, very busy. Never home.

BOB DENNEY: He's chairman of the Japan PGA. Could you tell us how many members you oversee within the Japan PGA.

MASSY KURAMOTO: 5,387. No, no 87 for last week. (Laughter.)

Q. Would winning this cost you that job? Would you play more?
MASSY KURAMOTO: (Through interpreter) Doing well here is probably good for Japan, too, because it will be in the newspapers. And as an active chairman, I think it should be good news. So I think I'll be able to keep my job.

BOB DENNEY: He is the first round leader of the Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid, for the moment. And it looks pretty good so far, Mr. Massy Kuramoto.

MASSY KURAMOTO: Thank you very much.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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