CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

July 5, 1998

Larry Mize

LARRY MIZE: This isn't quite the way I wanted to be sitting here today. You know, it was kind of tough on the front, the wind was up. The course played harder. It was a little bit of a struggle there. I made birdie at nine and played ten really solid. I had a great shot into 11. I got some momentum. I made four birdies in a row and, you know, 15 I really didn't hit that bad of a shot. I just hung my five iron just a little and it's coming back to the fairway and hits a tree branch and kicks in the trees. I hit a lot. I hit two shots a lot worse than that this week and it came back in the fairway. It wasn't a perfect shot, but, you know, it wasn't that bad. And I got a tough break there and hit a good wedge in there after my second tee shot and made the double. And you don't hit a great six iron and a nice first putt and it's just one of those deals. I just hit a lousy little putt. My caddie told me after that, you took it back a little short. I guess I got quick on it. I hit a good drive. Eight iron on the 17, I hit a great putt. I don't know if you could see it or if you were all watching, I melted the lip. I made a stupid mistake. I was between clubs, the wind was in our face. I know to take the less club. You're pumped up. I think that's what probably aggravates me the most. You know, all the other stuff just happens, but to make that mistake on 18 was, you know, that's really the killer. You know, people may say 15 and all this other stuff, I still could have won the golf tournament, and I just, you know, I could kick myself. I made a silly mistake on 18, I know better. I knocked it over and had a hard up and down. Once again, I hit a really good putt and it didn't go in. You know, I'm disappointed, but I'm really happy for Olin. He's a good guy, a good player. I'm excited for him.

LARRY MIZE: Four and a five.

LARRY MIZE: And under normal conditions, four is probably perfect. And, you know, maybe at the end of the day my brain's not working right. You know, you are tired, because the way the last few holes went for me, it takes a lot out of you. But, you know, I just know better. You can hit it over the 18th green real easy. So, you know, that's tough, but I guess -- let me take another drink here, I'm thirsty. On the positive side, you know, I'm really happy with the way I played. No doubt I'm disappointed that I had a really good chance to win and didn't take advantage of it. But, you know, I haven't been playing as well and to come out and play this well yesterday and today when I needed to is encouraging. I'll take those positives and try and qualify for the British.

LARRY MIZE: He thought the four, too, so we're both in the doghouse. I never blame my caddie. I pull the club. I'm the boss. Whatever he says, I understand his feeling. I still pull the club. I'm the final decision. So it's just a mistake, you know. I'm sure he probably feels bad, but I'm not upset with him. Van did a great job today. And you just hate it. I hit a four iron right over. I flushed it. It's right at the flag. I'm in the heat, I hit the shot, I need to hit. I pulled the wrong club.

LARRY MIZE: I had 189 to the hole. Shots maybe -- a couple yards uphill. The wind's in our face. You want to get it over the bunker, but hindsight is so easy. At the time I thought I was doing the right thing, I know better.

LARRY MIZE: I was, but that didn't matter. Where the ball landed, it was kind of an unlucky break. It trickled just into the first cut. If it stayed short, it would have been much easier. I tried to hit hard. It came out soft.

LARRY MIZE: No, I couldn't. It wasn't in play. That would not have been right. It didn't bother my stance. It didn't bother my shot at all. I needed to go just a little farther and get on the sprinkler.

LARRY MIZE: Oh, I don't know, 12 feet.

LARRY MIZE: 17, oh, man, I had just a good shot. I can't believe that putt didn't go in. That putt was about, I don't know, eight feet, something like that; seven and a half.

LARRY MIZE: Yeah, you know, it really is. I was hitting it so good and hitting a nice little draw. I just hit down. The right side was going to draw it in the fairway. I hung it. It was going to stay out a little bit. And was drawing and -- that's the way it is. That's what -- that's the way the course is. That's what I like about the course. The last four holes, a lot can happen. Unfortunately, it did to me today. The 15th hole is kind of nice when you can come in here and make double it's a great hole. That's what's great about it. You can make 12 and you can make six. I wish I didn't make six. It's a great hole, a lot can happen. You know, no lead is safe out there, because you've got to play good. The disappointing thing for me is I think I did play really good coming in. You know, 16 was a great shot. 17, two great shots, 18, two great shots; but, you know, just the little things here and there made me play four over.

LARRY MIZE: That's a great shot. That's not an easy chip shot he hit. He's coming over and over a little rise. It's breaking pretty good left to right. He hit a great shot. That's not an easy chip in.

LARRY MIZE: Oh, I don't -- you know, I have to tell you, when it went in, I was just happy for him. Olin and I are friends, as much as I love to win. Don't get me wrong, I was trying to win, trying to beat him. When it went in, the main thing I thought of was happy for him. He had a chance. Stewart still had the putt. Stewart still might have made it.

LARRY MIZE: Yeah, but I didn't -- I didn't play as well coming down the stretch. At Kemper two years in a row I had a lead and I lost it and I ended up losing outright once, and Norman beat me in a play-off next year. But I didn't play as well. I hit, you know, I didn't hit two good shots on the 18th hole. I didn't hit good two good shots on the 17th hole. So, you know, I think we've all had things like this happen to us. And the bad thing, yet, the good thing for me is, it's bad that it happened, but it's good that I still feel good about the way I played. I still hit some great shots. I mean, after the double at 15 to come back and try a six iron, I guess I feel good about that. I'm not trying to be arrogant, but you do feel good that you shook it off and came back and hit the good shot and played 17 with two good shots. So that's a positive, but it's happened before, but I played poor coming down the stretch when it happened.

LARRY MIZE: You mean the four iron on --

LARRY MIZE: No, I was thinking I was watching out for the people and I was thinking, well, it's going to hit the hill and kick down. So I'm coming back tonight and cutting those branches down. I'm just teasing. No, you know, I have to tell you, I wasn't worried about the tree, you know.

LARRY MIZE: Yeah, you think about it dropping straight down or something. It dropped 20 yards into the trees. You don't want to be in there. I'm bleeding. I got a scratch here. I didn't check for ticks. I do have to think that was a very unlucky break for me.

LARRY MIZE: It got me back. I drove it, I hit driver the first two days and hit it right those days, and it kicked out in the fairway. I wedged it and made two pars and then I laid up yesterday and made birdie and then today.

LARRY MIZE: I hit the five iron yesterday. It wasn't -- it was a little less than where it was today. It hit the hill and kicked forward and down. It wasn't that much different. I needed a little different trajectory to miss that.

LARRY MIZE: You bet. Thank you all. Enjoyed being with you all this week.