U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 28, 1994

Jay Sigel

JAY SIGEL: Well, I have played Pinehurst probably 100 times plus, and this is the best condition I have ever seen it. Everything is perfect; the sand in the bunkers is the most uniform I have seen it. The greens are all consistent. I mean, it is immaculate. It is marvelous. I am just delighted to be here.

JAY SIGEL: Well, the first tournament was awesome. It was a lot of fun even though I started off a little rocky. I got a little better throughout that. Second one was that much better and that was even more awesome. The third one I was leading the event which was kind of enough to blow your mind that early and played well, and I said at that point that these guys really are having that much fun and I am really glad I made the decision. And it was easy to make it at that point because it wasn't distorted financially. There was really -- after three events the financial aspects of it were not part of it and I made that statement; this is really a lot of fun. These guys are really a lot of fun and they are truly having fun. So -- and then to win in the fourth event was -- what an exclamation, more than outstandingly awesome, I don't know, but --

JAY SIGEL: Yeah. So that, you know, I am still having fun. And I am surprised at the depth of the players, and I am surprised at the length and difficulty of the golf courses. They are set up somewhat uniformly in that the rough is modest. The greens are similar speeds and the pins are reasonable, certainly, but the length and some of the shots you have got to hit are really, really amazing. So that is the summation of that.

JAY SIGEL: Sure does. I have always felt very close to the USGA, and I have a lot of friends, and they have done an awful lot for me. They have done an awful lot for the game. So that is one very, very large aspect. And being given a special exemption to play here was fantastic. Now, coming back to Pinehurst where I have played my first event was for the Donald Ross Juniors when I was 15 which happened to be 35 and a half years ago. I took the train down from Philadelphia all night and teed it up the next morning in freeezing Christmastime. So I have a lot of fondness for playing Pinehurst, and a lot of friends here. I am staying in a private residence, and I feel real good here. I have got a Pinehurst caddy who I have had many, many times and I think that is the way to go at Pinehurst, and I am looking forward to the week.

JAY SIGEL: I am glad you asked. I shot 72. I think I had seven or eight birdies; shot 72 which was even par then.

JAY SIGEL: But there were, like, three or four of us tied. It was such a large field. It ran all day, and of course December 27th, I think it was, at that time it got dark at 4 o'clock, so there was no time for a playoff. It was decided that we were going to cut cards. And needless to say, I don't like cutting cards, so I didn't win, but I tied. But I pulled the wrong card.

JAY SIGEL: Number 2.

JAY SIGEL: My caddy is fellow named Carl McLaughlin. Carl has caddied here for years. He has got two brothers that caddy here, and he really knows the greens very, very, very well.

JAY SIGEL: They are soft. The backside, the greens were getting firmer, and I think without anymore rain they will be just perfect. I'd like to see them firm up a bit and, I mean, you know, we are seeing significant ball marks when you hit a shot to the green. But the greens are the best I have seen them, by far.

JAY SIGEL: I couldn't think of anything better, really. Pinehurst is one of my top five courses. And at this stage of my life, just playing in a USGA event is great, and the fact that it is the Senior Open is very special. And I don't think I would want it to be any other place, really.

JAY SIGEL: Well, I didn't turn pro younger because I had a hand injury at Wake Forest when I was 19 - 1963. And I was going to turn pro. I would have, but I just couldn't because I didn't play for about 11 months and it took me about five years to play without pain; couldn't practice that much. So I got into a business, started having children. We have three girls, and I just didn't think it would be strong enough, and I don't think it would have been. So, why I turned pro when I was 50? Basically, so many people would ask me the question well, you are going to turn pro when you are 50, when will you be 50? I said well, you know, so and so time, and they said well, you are going to do this, that, and the other thing and I am not going to turn pro. Really, I said that up until I was 49 -- 49 and a half, really because I didn't have any intentions and my concentration last year was really on the Walker Cup Matches. So, so many people would ask me. I finally would turn the question around; well, what do you think? And then they would tell me what they thought and all these people were -- I mean, 101 out of 100 people were extremely positive, so I thought I better investigate this situation and sure enough I did and talked to some very significant people in the game of golf and they answered some questions that I had, speaking of Jack Nicklaus and Frank Hannigan, David Eger, David Fay and folks like that, who really didn't have a vested interest in anything that I may or might not do, so here I am. I saw an opportunity to do something different that might be a little bit more -- well, not a little more. Certainly more exciting; maybe than what I was doing, and certainly more risk.

JAY SIGEL: So many. I guess losing to Keith Clearwater in the finals. We were tied going to the 34th hole and I am on the edge of the green - I don't know where he was - but I should have won the hole and I didn't. I took three from the edge and I lost 17 and 18. I think he birdied 17. So lost two down. But so many memories from that. That is one event I wanted to win a great deal only because of Pinehurst and the fact that it was match play.

JAY SIGEL: I would say that is true, at Pine Valley in 1985.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah. I did captain in '83 also but that was at -- in -- I can't think of it at the moment, but it was across the water. Hoy Lake.

JAY SIGEL: Not really because the way I played match play most of the time was to play the golf course. Don't worry about my opponent because I couldn't control him. And so, no, it doesn't bother me. It feels really good just being here and I have always felt that way. This is an unbelievable place. In fact, this -- I like the things that have been going on here. They have done something to the bunkers. I am not sure what they have done, but they are far more uniform and the tree trimming, I think, looks terrific, just terrific. I wasn't here 50 years ago, but I can imagine that is what it looked like.

JAY SIGEL: Well, I have thought about it. But as soon as I get to thinking about it I dismiss it as quickly as I can. I have got to get here for my 1:30 tee time on Thursday and drive into the fairway. That is really the biggest job right now and to prepare as best I can the next couple of days without overdoing it. That is one thing I have had to learn as a professional. I now have 24 hours a day to work on this thing and I have got to be careful.

JAY SIGEL: No. An awful lot. 27 amateurs, I think.

JAY SIGEL: 27 and every mid-amateur, and I don't know how many juniors and 6 or 7 Opens.

JAY SIGEL: 7, yeah.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah. World events, so you have got 50, 55, 60.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, I feel I had a good -- I have had a good week last week in Detroit. I missed a million putts. Did the same thing in Atlanta and Birmingham and Nashville. So I have played a lot of golf. I feel fairly comfortable. I am hitting the ball -- I feel good. I am hitting the ball pretty good, so you know, it is just a question of scoring and, you know, the ups and downs from the critical spots and making a few putts.

JAY SIGEL: Well, this will be my sixth event in a row and that is the most I have ever done. As an amateur I probably played three at most. Fortunately, my wife has been able to travel and my daughter on occasion, so my wife was out for two weeks in this six week stint. But I am just taking it -- early on I sort have had to pace myself so I'd play two -- or I'd play three and have one off two or two and have one off and try to ease my way into this. But now I see how you can play six in a row and I think I will be off next week. I am looking forward to that and then I will probably play six in a row more.

JAY SIGEL: Better than I have expected. I am ready to be home, though. I haven't seen my dog, Divot, in awhile, I miss her, and I just miss walking around the yard and things like that. But you know, the six weeks, the five weeks that I have been out and this week will be-- they have been a lot of fun. I'd say they have been very satisfactory and you know, I am feeling more and more comfortable on the tour and I am looking forward to continuing that.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, I tried some other putters and they are history. I am back to my Ping.

JAY SIGEL: Appreciate it.