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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 28, 2001

Thomas Slater

PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS

Q.You almost didn't tee off to get where you are now.

THOMAS SLATER: Well, yesterday afternoon, after playing the 14th hole, I just felt very weak, and I was just ready to collapse. I've had a cold for a couple of weeks. And fortunately there was an EMT person there. I said to him, "I really don't feel well." So he took me by the arm and said, "Maybe we ought to take a look at you." And after about an hour and a half in the trailer, they gave me two liters of saline and some other things. I started to feel better.

Q.This was what time yesterday?

THOMAS SLATER: I don't know. Noontime. I don't remember. So they kept me for quite awhile. I went back to the hotel and let the USGA know that I might not be a starter for the morning. This morning I decided, let's give it a shot. I felt well enough. And my son who is caddying for me kept saying, "Come on, we can do it, we can do it." He was right.

Q.What is your son's name?

THOMAS SLATER: Hugh.

Q.Did you have trepidation about it? Did the EMT's tell you it might not be advisable?

THOMAS SLATER: No. They said there was no medical reason that -- pure medical reason I couldn't go. But if I didn't feel well, they didn't think I should go.

Q.This is basically because you had a cold leading up to this?

THOMAS SLATER: I think so. It was pretty hot yesterday. It was a good break that I had a 7:15 tee off time. I called the USGA this morning at about 6 and said, "If you have an alternate available, you'd better have them ready". Because at 6:00 I was in my room and pretty dizzy.

Q.Given all this history of the last 24 hours, how do you get it under? You had quite a round going?

THOMAS SLATER: I did, but I started leaking oil at the end, didn't I? Right at the 15th tee I said to my son, "Do you have any more bananas? Do we have anything else?" We were out of food. I had gone through the bananas. So I was starting to feel pretty shaky there. Unfortunately, I missed the short putt back here.

Q.Do you attribute the bogeys coming in to just winding down?

THOMAS SLATER: I was tired. A little nervous.

Q.How do you feel right now?

THOMAS SLATER: I'm going to go back to my hotel and lie down. I've got some antibiotics I'm going to start taking again.

Q.How did you make those bogeys coming in?

THOMAS SLATER: Well, I missed about a two and a half-footer on 18, 3-putted 17. 16 --

Q.One putted --

THOMAS SLATER: Yeah. On 16 I made about a four and a half foot downhill for bogey on 16. And 15 I just was short of the green. 15 is a very good par-3. Chipped it too strong and didn't make the putt.

Q.How many of these have you played in? Is this the first one of these you've played in? How many of these have you played in?

THOMAS SLATER: This is the first Senior Open I've tried to qualify for. I've played in two Senior, United States Seniors.

Q.Senior Amateurs?

THOMAS SLATER: Yeah.

Q.How come this is the first one you tried to qualify for?

THOMAS SLATER: I didn't think about it. I'm still working for a living. I just thought this year I'd give it a little harder push before I get too old.

Q.How old are you now?

THOMAS SLATER: I'll be 57 in August.

Q.Where did you qualify?

THOMAS SLATER: Columbus, Ohio.

Q.Was that Scioto?

THOMAS SLATER: No. It was Wedgewood Country Club.

Q.So what's your tee time tomorrow?

THOMAS SLATER: Noon.

Q.You can sleep until 11:00 in the morning?

THOMAS SLATER: I don't know. I haven't been sleeping very well.

Q.What did you think of the golf course?

THOMAS SLATER: It's a great golf course.

Q.Remind you of anything back in Ohio? It must remind you of a few courses back there?

THOMAS SLATER: Actually, I grew up in Rhode Island.

Q.You did?

THOMAS SLATER: Yeah. This is -- minus the rough, it's like a number of good courses in Rhode Island.

Q.Did it remind you of Wonamoisett at all?

THOMAS SLATER: A lot like it.

Q.How old were you when you left Rhode Island?

THOMAS SLATER: 18 when I went away to college.

Q.You spent your childhood and teenage years there until you went to school?

THOMAS SLATER: Yeah.

Q.Where did you go to school?

THOMAS SLATER: Yale.

Q.Where in Rhode Island did you grow up?

THOMAS SLATER: Warwick.

Q.Warwick?

THOMAS SLATER: Warwick.

Q.Were you like Rhode Island Amateur Champ or anything like that?

THOMAS SLATER: I was a Junior Amateur Champ when I was 16.

Q.Play against Stan Abrams?

THOMAS SLATER: I did. He's a friend of mine.

Q.So this is like old home week. Do you still have a lot of relatives in the area?

THOMAS SLATER: My brother and sister-in-law are up here.

Q.They were out here on the course, the gallery carrying the saline solution with them?

THOMAS SLATER: No. But I'm going to go find somebody.

Q.There's your home town paper right there?

THOMAS SLATER: Providence Journal.

Q.I won't make you repeat it. Good luck tomorrow.

THOMAS SLATER: Thank you. Just a couple more minutes. I started feeling badly out about 14.

Q.You grew up in Warwick I heard you say?

THOMAS SLATER: Grew up in Warwick, yeah.

Q.Which section, do you remember, in Warwick?

THOMAS SLATER: Warwick Neck.

Q.Went to Vets?

THOMAS SLATER: Warwick Vets.

Q.And Yale class of?

THOMAS SLATER: '66.

Q.How much family is still back home?

THOMAS SLATER: My mother is still alive. She's 92.

Q.Living in Warwick?

THOMAS SLATER: Lives in East Greenwich. My dad passed away three years ago. My brother and sister-in-law live in North Kingstown.

Q.Brother's first name is?

THOMAS SLATER: Bill.

Q.Your parents' names are?

THOMAS SLATER: Bill and Eleanor.

Q.Slater?

THOMAS SLATER: Yeah.

Q.God bless you. We'll catch up with you. Congratulations.

THOMAS SLATER: Thanks.

End of FastScripts...

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