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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 20, 2004

Ryan Moore

MAMARONECK, NEW YORK

CRAIG SMITH: Ryan, look at the sheet here and just tell me a little bit about the turning point. It looks like you won ten, 11, 12, two pars, two birdies; momentum was really on your side.

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I don't know, I guess it was around 8 or 9, I made a couple really solid pars, which pars are just great on those holes. So a couple good pars there and I was kind of able to swing the momentum. And made a really good birdie putt, a 25-footer there on 10.

11, we both halveded there. I made a heck of a 2-putt which I could not get my first putt within ten feet from where I was. Made about a 12- or 15-footer there for par.

And then 12 I was able to capitalize on a good wedge shot in there. Just kind of played steady from there on out. I hit some really good putts and lipped out a couple of times from 25, 30 feet.

And then just missed about a 50-footer there on the last hole but I guess it ended up not mattering. That was it.

Q. At the beginning of the week you said your putting was not where you wanted it to be. You said a couple of times, "I need to get the putter rolling," how has that progressed through match-play?

RYAN MOORE: It's been rolling better and better every day. I felt great over the putter today. I hit some really solid putts all the way around. Short putts, long putts, my speed control was great.

I mean, like I said, that putt on 11 was the only thing I didn't sniff the hole with and that was only because I really had no chance. I had to just throw it up, let it roll to 15 feet and try to make a 15-footer fortunately I did that. It feels really good. I feel really comfortable with my putter now, and in match-play, that's what you have to do.

Q. How has this course changed? It was so wet on Monday, even Tuesday to some degree, a lot firmer, a lot faster?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, definitely. You're hitting 9-irons and wedges that are a couple of big hops and then checking. Mid-irons and long irons are really running out on the greens. But I guess fairways are a little firmer so you're having a little list iron in there. It's a little easier to control coming into the greens.

But no, it's playing really tough right now. It's tough to get it really close to the hole.

Q. Obviously yesterday afternoon, that was a struggle, you were happy to win, but you didn't play all that great. After it's over, you go back at night, how do you put that behind you to go ahead to today?

RYAN MOORE: Well, I tried to just focus on how I played in the morning, because that's me. That, to me, that's what I really I think about. I played really solid in the morning. I played great out there, seven birdies or whatever it was. I just really focused on the fact that I played really solid there. In the afternoon, just got a little tired and that can happen. I'm hot, and on a hot day and with a really difficult golf course like this. It can start to wear on you. I was hitting it bad early, which kind of wore myself out, really.

Like I said yesterday, it was just a battle of who could hang on and I was able to hang on there. That birdie on the first hole was like, all right, let's get this going so, that was nice.

CRAIG SMITH: Between expectations and fun, how are you balancing the two out there, when you sit here right now, where you can at least think about Sunday?

RYAN MOORE: I don't know, I don't really worry about it. I just try to stay in the moment, one shot at a time. That's all I've been saying this week, and that's all I've been trying to do. I think that's all you can do. If you get too far ahead of yourself, then it will start to cost you.

I think I've been really good at just staying right there and not really worrying about later on in the week. It's nice to think about it, I guess. That would be great. I would love to be there Sunday and I plan to be there Sunday. Whatever it is out here, every match from here on out is going to be a great match, just like today was a tough match. I'm having fun, though. That's the key.

Q. Any wind out there today?

RYAN MOORE: There was a bit of wind. Not as blustery as it was yesterday, but it was definitely there. I mean, it was affecting the shots. It was a little different than it has been I guess it was even a different wind than it was yesterday or the day before. It's kind of just swirling around. So for me that's tougher.

Q. The matches still going on, but if Svoboda were to win, could you verbalize what you can imagine it being like tomorrow, playing him if he does win?

RYAN MOORE: Well, I wouldn't imagine there would be very many people rooting for me in the area. (Laughing). That's great. I kind of said before, for me, I don't really worry about who I'm playing. I just go out there and I try and play. I like playing in front of crowds or whatever. That's fine with me. You know, it's actually kind of fun being the underdog, or the guy that people aren't rooting for. I always kind of enjoy that myself.

So, I don't know, it wouldn't bother me. I'm looking forward to it if it happens.

Q. Have you had a situation where you've played a guy on his home course in something like this?

RYAN MOORE: Not necessarily home course. I played a kid in my first Public Links that I won that was from Michigan about 30 minutes up the road, and he had a lot of people out there rooting for him. He played for University of Michigan, I think, on the golf team there.

So, yeah, a lot of people out there rooting for him and not very many people rooting for me. I don't know, didn't seem to bother me. Just go play.

Q. Have you ever stayed against Jeff Overton?

RYAN MOORE: I played with him. Played with him one of the practice rounds at Nationals and then one of the regular rounds at Nationals -- no, no. I guess it might have been the first two rounds at Nationals I played with him, but that's all. That's all I've ever played with him.

Q. How about the family, is your mother and father here?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, my mom and dad are both here. They got here, I guess the second round. They got here that morning and watched almost all of the second round and been here since.

Q. You got a little rooting section there moving along with you?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, I've got a few people out there cheering for me, which is nice. I had a couple of my buddies that stayed around. Yeah, it's nice having people out there supporting and you rooting for you, but not a necessity always I guess.

Q. Back four or five years ago, even if you felt your game was at a high level, was it difficult to play someone in a match that had a really accomplished resume that had won before? Was there ever an intimidation factor there playing a past champion?

RYAN MOORE: Everybody knows about everybody out there and everybody knows what everyone else has done. But everybody out here has accomplished or in some way or another done things.

For me personally, it never affected me. Usually it motivated me a little bit. You definitely know what the other guy has done and what he's capable of. Like I said, at this point in the week, everybody is playing well and you know you've got to go out there and play some good golf to keep advancing.

Q. Have you sensed that work the other way for you since you've won Public Links?

RYAN MOORE: Not necessarily. I mean, maybe. That's from the other perspective. From my perspective, I can't really tell what's affecting my opponent, whether it's because I've done well. I would think probably not. It might be slightly intimidating, the fact that I've won quite a few events lately and I've been playing solid. But I think it just puts pressure on the fact that they know they have to go out and play well and have to play solid. When I start making birdies, they are like, "all right, here we go." I think it's nice, they have that pressure of knowing they have to go out and play well. That's the only thing I can see that maybe could affect me people.

Q. You said yesterday in your match that sometimes even if you're 3-up with five to go, you could still feel the pressure. You were 3-up with five to go today. So did it cross your mind to put it away now because you know darned well what could happen[]?

RYAN MOORE: I was definitely thinking about it . I was actually laughing, I was like, here's where I was yesterday. You know it's possible, playing on the other side of it today was like, all right, now I just have to -- you get stuck where you want to be conservative but you want to still keep putting pressure, because if he's making birdies, you're starting to lose holes. You try to keep the momentum going your way as much as possible.

He put pressure on me and I made a birdie on 15 which was a really good birdie. Just lipped out.

No, I felt like I had it in my control. I was hitting the ball well enough. I wasn't really worried about him. I could just keep making solid swings and making pars and I wouldn't be too bad.

Q. Despite all your wins this summer, is your game that much more improved now than, say, Nationals?

RYAN MOORE: More improved now? No, it's the exact same. My game hasn't changed since October. It's been just the same swing, the same -- a few clubs have changed here and there. But no, I feel really solid. I feel like every time I step on the course, I'm really consistent. I'm doing nothing really special but everything well, I guess; what you could say. So I'm hitting the ball really solid off the tee. Irons, if I get myself in trouble, I'll be able to recover. Starting to roll the putter right now and that's the key in these tournaments. Just got to keep it rolling.

Q. Any special feeling about 16? When you came to 16 today, were you aware, that you had won 16 three out of four days?

RYAN MOORE: No. No. I was just -- sorry, I'm a little distracted, I'm watching the match in the background, Svoboda just missed a putt. I think Overton is up again.

No, I'm comfortable on that hole, I've hit some good tee shots there and some good shots into the green. Just the fact that you kind of just store that that and say, all right, I've done this, just do it again.

Unfortunately I missed the fairway. Got an amazing lie in the rough. I haven't got anything that good this entire week, and was able to advance it on the green. But no, I wasn't really thinking about the fact that I had won it, I'm not -- I'm not in the past, I'm not ahead of me, I'm right there in the moment and that's how I play.

CRAIG SMITH: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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