U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 22, 2001

Jeff Quinney

JEFF QUINNEY: We know each other's games real well. We played a lot this year obviously. He was on our starting five. We traveled all year long together. We're good friends and it was unfortunate would he will to meet up in the first round. But once it comes down to the golf you got to pretty much play the course and not worry about the friendship. Put that aside.

JEFF QUINNEY: I don't think so. Maybe I think you're almost for comfortable because you know what he can bring to the table sometimes. If you play with somebody you didn't know you don't know what their strengths and weaknesses are. So when you tee it up on first tee I knew what he could bring and I knew if I played my game it would be a tough match and it was.

JEFF QUINNEY: I think you try to block it out. You really just try to just make it an almost a unit. Not necessarily personality or some type of player you're just playing his score, not involved with, distracted by something he's doing. To get you out of your game: You got to stay in your own game.

JEFF QUINNEY: I don't think so. He had a strong summer obviously in the public links. And then he played well at the NCAA's finished fourth. Then he came on during the spring. I knew he was a great player and he was hot coming in this tournament. So I knew I had to play well and it wasn't going to be a walk over and obviously I played against him enough that I know that I could beat him and I can't let a freshman bet the senior. So you got to get that down.

JEFF QUINNEY: Those are tough finishing holes. Obviously you want to get as many times on that, get a feel for those type of shots and the conditions and that. I hit a few errant tee shots there at the end that I wanted to get rid of out of my mind. Hit some better shots there.

JEFF QUINNEY: I don't know if there was. I'm sure he's a little frustrated withdrawing me just because he knows that I can play and that he's such a competitor that's what I love about it. I loved having him on our team because he always gave us a three or four or five guys when he was playing. He wasn't ever going to give up. He was just a grinder. He hits it a little bit so shorter and I knew on this course he might have a little bit more of a disadvantage because Druid Hills he played pretty well it's shorter. He shot 74 here. I knew he started hitting his four irons into those par-4's, so I knew if I could use my length over his length that would be to my strength.

JEFF QUINNEY: Definitely. I saw a few of the hole locations he place a little bit left-to-right usually and some of the par-three's are more in favor to a draw today. And he actually missed them short side left. He missed a couple short sides downhill and the greens were so firm now he had no chance. It's not fun playing each other. We wanted to meet in the finals or something like that at the end. Our coach at ASU said he said, I hope I see you guys back on Sunday.

JEFF QUINNEY: I think about the only name that could be worse was Driscoll the first round. I don't know what the odds of that happening were, but I had another teammate here who also made it. So there's three of us that qualified. Probably those three guys would have been a weird draw. Just to get in the draw it's kind of a crap shoot where you're going to have to play good. You have to play every one some time or another, whether it's first round or finals.

JEFF QUINNEY: I think I've grown in confidence in some aspect of my game. Although the driving is not where I want it to be. At times at the end thereafter I lost a couple shots, but it's showing signs of an improvement. And everything else is feeling real good. I feel more experienced as a player, overall, just being in situations with the pressure involved.

JEFF QUINNEY: Walker Cup teammate. I never did know if Trahan did win. He did win? He's a long-ball hitter. He likes this course probably because he can move it out there. He has to hit the fair ways, too. And but I would rather be hitting a 5-iron from the fair way than an 8-iron from the rough. It's going to be a tough draw. I wouldn't say we played a whole lot of golf together. I know he plays a definite right-to-left shot. He hits it pretty far and he's pretty aggressive. So I many going to have to make some birdies to beat him.

JEFF QUINNEY: In the semi's?

JEFF QUINNEY: Yeah, we have been real good buddies. The matches, The Masters we stayed right in the crow's nest together in the same room. He's a good buddy. Walker Cup, we partnered in the alternate shot. It's been a relationship where it hasn't been like a bad feeling or kind of enemies or anything like that. It's been good buddies.

JEFF QUINNEY: I didn't. He was I think a year older than me are, we didn't see Virginia too much. Maybe one tournament year he was there. So I didn't know him before that. I knew his name but I didn't know him.

JEFF QUINNEY: That I can actually do it. I have the confidence to be on Sunday and not doubting yourself. Just know that you play your game and step up to the first tee wanting to beat the guy next to you and not worrying about anybody in the draw or who you got to play next. You got to concentrate on that match and just fight to get it done, anyway you can.

JEFF QUINNEY: So many memories. It's probably been the best year of my life where I've been in all the majors, all the top guys, I met them. I played in the Masters. Staying with all the amateurs in the clubhouse. Playing a practice round with Greg Puga on Wednesday with Arnold Palmer. And it's a title that no one ever can take away from you. It's going to stick with you through the rest of your life and obviously golf doesn't go the way you want it to, you're still going to have that with you and no one can take if a way from you.

JEFF QUINNEY: Yeah, I think that it's a huge thing to put on your resume. Obviously the way they state it it's even means more to everyone else and myself when you hear how much it meant to them. To have that trophy in your for your in your house for a year was amazing. It was sad to see it go back but I'm going try my hardest to get it back.

JEFF QUINNEY: I don't know. I think I would have to worry about that decision when that arises. I don't want to get ahead of myself and try to make decisions like that. Obviously just to hang around for another year would be tough because I'm anxious to get out and turn pro. And obviously financially, to travel to the U.S. Open The Masters and the British Open is a huge financial burden. Because you have to have family and you get no expenses paid for. And it's, it would be a tough decision to make. When Tiger did it I think he had an easier way because winning so young he was still in college and he could keep going and going. I'm a little bit older and it would be a little bit different.

JEFF QUINNEY: Thank you.