U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 1994

Colin Montgomerie

LES UNGER: We appreciate Colin coming here after a tough day; especially with the heat and all that out there. We would like to just ask him to talk about the round in general. We are not going to do a hole by hole.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Obviously, I am very disappointed because knowing the total that was required, 74, I feel a little even more disappointed. But the pins were very difficult today and the greens were a lot slower than they were yesterday, and I was just leaving the putts short coming back up the hills and they were just like six inchy (sic) slower than they were yesterday. That makes all the difference when a quarter of an inch is what you are after pacewise. So I found it difficult to get to grips with the greens, and when I did later on, I finished one under for the last 7 holes or something. It was slightly too late.

LES UNGER: Questions.

Q. You had some difficulties with some chips early on. What do you attribute that to?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah, just -- it is very, very difficult. Unfortunately I missed the second fairway by three inches, I missed the third fairway by a foot, and I missed -- I hit it to 4 foot on 6 and I had no chance at all. I had to try and hit the putt firm and confidently because I knew I was going eight foot by anyway whether I missed it or not. So it is very difficult. The 14th I missed by an inch. You either miss it well and get half a lie or just miss it and don't. So the chip shots, I didn't actually do anything-- it is just very, very difficult.

LES UNGER: Next question.

Q. Is this the most difficult course you ever played?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes, by far.

Q. Considering what you have said about the speed of the greens from one day to the next, it is difficult, but do you consider it fair?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure, yes. They got very fast yesterday afternoon but we knew that at least they were all that way and they were all slower today. It wasn't as if you walked on one and it was quicker than the other one, no, it was fair, fine.

Q. Did you feel like even though you weren't playing well, that because the other scores were so high that you saw the chance all the way up on 15 or 16?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah, 15 I knew if could birdie the last few holes I had an opportunity, sure. I was trying to do that. I made four pars and it is not bad to make par at a round here at any hole. I don't feel despondent. I had a very good tournament. I said coming into this tournament it was my best chance of winning a major, and I gave it the best shot and I am not despondent at all. I am looking forward to the British Open now. It is on my doorstep, and I am looking forward to that.

Q. How was your disappointment today compared to --

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: It is different, really. Both Pebble Beach I thought -- I never thought I had won this tournament at any stage. Pebble Beach, I did. So this is a different feeling. I had it all to do myself today, or yesterday. Pebble Beach I was relying on other people. So it is a different feeling altogether.

Q. You have been known as sort of a hot head. Much has been made out of it. You seemed very calm. Have you been working on your attitude and patience with your game?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I am very hot headed now, I can tell you that, but, no, not really. I am just becoming more experienced and the more you see other players, you realize that it is not the way to go around things and the only way to go around things is getting on with the game.

Q. How nervous were you and when did you feel that you really started to settle down --

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I wasn't nervous at all at any stage throughout this whole tournament. I wasn't nervous at all. Nerves were nothing to do with doubling the second or the third. Nerves had nothing to do with it.

Q. What were you trying to do on the first chip on number 2?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I was trying to get it as close to the hole as possible.

Q. Did you try to get too cute with it; now in hindsight, do you feel that way?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No. I mean, it was a very, very difficult position I found myself in and I had to try and just play around with the light fringe and pulled it way left of where it was going. I was trying to be too cute with it.

Q. What about the second shot at the second hole, where were you going?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I was trying to get to the middle of the green. I was expecting the ball to fly and it did not. So I left myself with a very, very difficult shot.

Q. Were you tempted not to play the last hole?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I felt somehow it was in the way, the last hole. I wish my chip had gone in from the back of the green, so my marker would not have been in anybody's way. At that stage if Ernie or Loren were in that position, they would have felt the same way; with the two of them tied, I felt I was getting in the way, but these things happen.

LES UNGER: There wasn't very much conversation among the players out there; was it?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No. It is not the sort of day that you are asked "how is your family" or "what you are doing next week." Not at all. No, this is a very much business. Yeah, it is a job. We had a job work to do today. It was our business, and we got on with it.

Q. Is this another step in the learning process?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure, I am always learning, yeah. Yeah. I mean, it is nice to finish top European; a lot of good European players; it is nice to finish top European. It is nicer to do better than I did at Pebble Beach. I've now finished third runner-up; now I am looking forward to next year as well actually because I like the way the courses are set up. I like the course where par meets something. I looking forward to next year.

Q. Physically, Colin, how did you cope with today?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I was tired, we are all tired, mentally and physically, but that is just natural. That is just normal. I will sleep well now. I didn't-- you don't sleep much when you are leading the U.S. Open, but I will rest up this week and get ready for the Irish Open in two week's time.

Q. How many hours sleep did you actually manage last night?

LES UNGER: Thank you.

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