U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2004

Ryan Moore

THE MODERATOR: Ryan Moore, 2004 US Amateur Public Links champion. How does that sound?

RYAN MOORE: Nice ring to it. I love it. That's a great sound there.

Oh, I don't even know. I don't know where to start. As I said earlier, to have won it once is great. You know, a second time, that's just amazing. Just to be a part of any USGA championship is a lot of fun, let alone to win. I mean, that just makes it even more special, so.

THE MODERATOR: Kind of had a good run here. You won the NCAA, you won Sahalee, won the public links. You are probably as hot as anybody out there. Was it the putter again today? You said you found something the other day. The putter?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, it was definitely the putter. After the first match, whatever, the day we were just playing our very first match, didn't putt, didn't hit the ball even very well that day. Just felt a little off.

You know, I came out, me and my caddie, I stayed that night after the match just real late, 8:00 or so, kind of before sunset, we were just dinking around the putting green. We kind of found something that felt good, and I went with it. It worked for the rest of the week.

I felt great. I felt like every 15 to 25 footer I had, I felt I was going to make it. When you get that confidence rolling, it really helps. It helps the momentum in match play. I think the putter really creates the momentum and creates I guess the control of the matches.

That's what I was able to do. I was able to get up early every one of my last matches, before the very first one that I was three down, I was able to get up early and just kind of take control, make them have to come after me. That was a good position for me.

THE MODERATOR: If you were playing yourself, what would you have had to do to beat you?

RYAN MOORE: Good question. I think I would have tied actually (laughter).

THE MODERATOR: Good answer.

RYAN MOORE: No, you know, against me, I don't know, it's tough. I don't really know what to say. I've never had to play me before. I guess I play against myself every day.

THE MODERATOR: What would it have taken to beat you today?

RYAN MOORE: A hot putter from Dayton. He hit really well, a lot of good shots, he was even inside of me a lot. He hit great putts all day. He hit the hole I don't know how many times. I was sitting there just waiting for it to kind of take off, waiting for him to just make one and really go from there. It just never happened.

I was kind of waiting for it and expecting it, knowing I'd have to respond to it or be able to come back and play well right on top of it. It's never happened.

That would have definitely taken the match a lot longer. It would have come down the line rather than ending as early as it did, if he could have got that rolling a little bit.

THE MODERATOR: You play well with the lead.

RYAN MOORE: I love having leads. I don't know why. It doesn't bother me being down, though. I mean, I was down in that first match. You know, it was fine. Just relax and be patient.

You can't beat yourself in match play. I think that's kind of the key. I never really beat myself this week. I stayed out of my own way in a sense. I just kept hitting good shots. I was really patient with myself. Never really stressed out, was never too worried out there. Kind of just let everything take care of itself.

Q. First round you lose the first three holes. Did it pop into your head, "I could be gone"?

RYAN MOORE: Well, yes and no. Obviously, if you're sitting there three down, "Oh, geeze, what am I doing?" The guy made a 50 footer, holed out from a bunker. I hit a horrible shot on 2 and hooked it in the water. It was just those three holes, he hit some great shots. I was just like, "I might have to shoot 62 for a while." He was putting and hitting it.

No, you know, like I said, I never was really too worried, was never really too stressed. I kind of just sat back and relaxed and just kept playing my own game. Didn't really worry about him. I just kind of let it all take care of itself, like I said. I mean, he even lipped out a couple putts coming down the line. It could have definitely gone to the 18th hole all square very easily. He lipped out the last two holes.

Same thing, just couldn't quite get the putts to drop. And I studied him to death. Made a lot of pars, but didn't make a lot of birdies.

Q. You mentioned about that something you found on the putting green the other night. When that happens, can you identify what it is? Has that happened to you before with your putting or swing, or are you thankful it's there?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah. It happened last time at the public links. It was something my dad told me last time over the phone. I was hitting the ball really well last time at the Orchards there. I don't know. I wasn't really putting. I was kind of getting frustrated. I was just burning edges every round for the first two days. Then for the first two or three matches, I just couldn't get it going.

He just kind of told me a little something. "Maybe the ball is a little too far back in your stance." Sure, that's always a possibility. Sure enough, I get on the putting green the next morning, move the ball forward a couple inches, nothing real drastic, just starting making everything. From then on out, I don't think I missed a putt inside 30 feet. It was ridiculous. I was rolling them. When you start making putts like that, it takes so much pressure off your irons or wedges. If you know you can hit it to 15 feet and make the putt, it makes it so much easier, you don't stress out so much.

This week was more of a it was just something, I've been really working on keeping my head down, really focusing, keeping my eyes quiet, not getting anxious, following the ball, which is an easy tendency, especially under pressure. You can see it happened to a lot of people. I've been really working a lot on that, one of my coaches at school, one of his keys, what he teaches. That was kind of a big key for me.

Something with my left wrist, I just felt like I needed to extend a little bit more my left wrist down my line. That's all it really was. It was just as simple as that. I just kind of was feeling my left wrist a little bit more, stay a little bit more towards my target, just a fraction of a second longer, starting everything down my line a little better.

Q. (Inaudible)?

RYAN MOORE: That's what I call it. Keeping it really focused on one spot, not following the putter back and through. Just all around keeping your head really quiet, really steady. That starts with my eyes for me. If I can keep my eyes really quiet, not track the putter, then my head will stay right there and I don't come out of it, like whatever.

Q. How after winning this time will you approach what follows? As the national champion, with the Masters again coming up, obviously the first time you're not used to the publicity, fame, playing in the Masters, how will you approach it?

RYAN MOORE: Uhm, yeah, it's nice having experienced it, knowing what to expect. You know, I played the US Open before I played the Masters. I got to see what a major championship was like with the media and all that stuff. So that wasn't as much of a shock. It was just, you know, different. Augusta, the greens, all that kind of stuff, it's just an amazing place. I can't wait to go back for one thing.

But, no, I'm kind of going to approach it the same way. It's fun. It's a great week. A great bonus at the end of this week, that's for sure. I'll know the course a little bit better having played it, having played it in competition, not just practicing on it like I got to before the last tournament. I just got to play a few practice rounds. So to actually see it in tournament conditions with thousands of people out there, you know, I handled it I'd say fairly well last time. I only had a bad nine holes is all. My last nine holes I hit a 43 or something like that, which was double the par for the rest of the week.

I'll look forward to it. It's another week, just go out and have fun. That's what it's all about. Just playing there as an amateur is kind of stress free in a sense. It's a freebie. It's a chance of playing with the big guys for a week. I'm going to look forward to it, hope to be in contention.

Q. Will your dad get a free ticket for the Masters?

RYAN MOORE: Of course. He might be on the bag actually. We'll have to see. I have a couple of brothers and a dad fighting for that one, too. We'll see who ends up on it at the end of the week.

No, he did a great job this week. I really had fun with him on the bag. I look forward to it. I think he'll be caddying at the M for me, too. That will be fun.

Q. Who else was here from family or friends for you during the week? Anybody?

RYAN MOORE: A couple of friends that came out. (Aaron/Erin) drove up from Chicago, Emily drove up from Chicago. My family would have loved to have been here. I think my dad last night was trying to find some tickets to come out, but I don't think he could find any.

No, just had a lot of support. Everybody around here, everybody in the community was so great. It was just amazing. The crowds out there, they were cheering me on. A bunch of little kids out there, which is fun for me. That's awesome. It was great.

Q. Have you talked to home yet?

RYAN MOORE: No. I was going to call. Seven messages now, going on a few more I'm sure.

Q. Did you have a little back problem earlier this summer?

RYAN MOORE: Tailbone.

Q. Did you have surgery?

RYAN MOORE: Yes, I did, about probably six weeks ago now. It was kind of a minor thing. It was removing a cyst off of my tailbone. Just got really painful there for a while.

But it was fine. It was not a big deal. I was putting three or four days later. I wasn't like bedridden for weeks upon weeks. It was a couple of days of laying on my side. It still kind of hurts to sit, which is not fun flying tonight.

Q. How long did you have to stay off the course?

RYAN MOORE: I was probably hitting I was swinging 50%, 60% a week and a half later. I was hitting balls 10 days later, like my lob wedge, sand wedge, stuff like that. My mom wouldn't let me swing earlier than that. She would come down and yell at me if I started taking out my 3 wood or something, which is probably good.

But, no, the surgery went really well. The doctor that did it, I mean, I got checked out I think it was three weeks after. He said it was the fastest he'd ever seen anybody recover. As well as it had recovered, he said it was just amazing. Pretty lucky.

Q. What are your keys to keeping yourself going along? How do you think a 14 year old would survive this?

RYAN MOORE: 14 year old? I don't know. That's hard to say. There's no real like keys or tricks that I've had. I've never had a problem playing 36 holes. I think I have a pretty, I don't know, I guess I call it simple golf swing. It's not like a waste of a lot of energy. It's pretty easy on my body, you know, on my back, whatever it is. It's not too hard on me.

It's more just as much not wasting energy when you need to. Hitting bad shots, getting mad about it, stuff like that, I don't think people realize how much energy they're wasting when they're out on the golf course. When I hit a shot, it goes where it goes. I can't do anything afterwards. I kind of just take it as it comes. Just keep moving along.

I think that's what really, really helps me throughout the week, is just not wasting any energy along the way, really being able to conserve. I guess a few of my matches were a little shorter than most, I guess. Didn't hurt.

Q. Did you look to see whether Michelle Wie qualified for this? Would you like to see her next year or the year after?

RYAN MOORE: Great. If she can qualify, she deserves to be here. I wouldn't have a problem with that at all, as long as she's qualifying. Would have been fun to see her here. I'd love to play her. It would be great.

Q. You've been considered one of the best amateurs out there. I think a lot of people consider you the best now. How do you handle that? Do you relish that? How do you approach that?

RYAN MOORE: You can see it really bothers me when I'm out here (laughter).

No, I enjoy that. I enjoy being the guy that people are coming after. I mean, like you said earlier, I enjoy having a lead. I enjoy being that person, being in that position where people are coming to get you rather than you trying to play catch up.

You know, I say this every time I hear a question like that. I put more pressure on myself than anybody could ever put on me. Any amount of media pressure or parents or coaches, not like they put a lot of pressure on me, but I have higher expectations for myself than anyone could ever imagine. So it doesn't really bother me. It's just kind of what I expect out of myself. It's what I feel like is possible.

I only get really disappointed when I don't feel like I play as well as I could have or should have, or if I waste a lot of energy, I get in my own way. That was a big key for the week. I just kind of let it flow.

Q. Was there ever a time when you did get upset playing golf?

RYAN MOORE: Was there a time?

Q. Yes. Going back.

RYAN MOORE: Of course. There are always times like those. I'd say it was about beginning of October. It was late in the spring of my junior year, sophomore year late in the year of my sophomore year, played real bad, had not so great a summer. I was able to play in the Walker Cup, which was fun, but I still wasn't playing great going into that.

My first three tournaments of the fall, I had one good at 64, but the rest were over par you know, I was getting really frustrated. That whole span I was getting really angry, really frustrated. I just kind of had to take a step back and look at it, just say, "This is a game. If you're not out here having fun, what's the point of doing it?" I kind of took that approach from then on out. No matter how I was playing, it was to enjoy the struggle of it, to enjoy hitting it in goofy places, because I hit it in a lot of goofy places. Usually, not always. I can get myself in some interesting spots.

It was more of a factor to just enjoy that, enjoy the challenge. I guess it's been working ever since I did that. Yeah, I wasn't having fun back then. I wasn't enjoying myself. I just was wasting so much energy out there, just wasting all my focus and all my energy, putting it all into getting frustrated and mad rather than putting it into hitting good shots.

I had to take a step back and look at how I had played well before, what I was doing then, which was just out there having fun. If you look at me at the US Junior, I was out there having a great time. One of my buddies was on the bag caddying for me. We were laughing, joking around, having a great time. Same thing at the Publinx a couple years ago. Great guy that caddied for me out of the blue. You know, I was having fun.

I kind of lost that somewhere in between there. I'm not sure what exactly did it or what happened to cause that. I've definitely regained that, a little bit of fire, that enjoyment. I'm just having a good time when I'm out there.

Q. What does that mean to you, that phrase "staying out of your own way"?

RYAN MOORE: Well, it's a fact that a lot of people beat themselves, you know. That's getting in your own way, getting too frustrated, overcritiquing, overthinking. It can get you into trouble. Just stuff like that, as I was saying, it wastes energy. Not putting your focus on the right things or in the right direction.

You know, just staying out of your own way is just kind of relaxing, just going and having a good time, hitting every shot for what it's worth. That's one shot. You can't control anything behind you or in front of you. I don't know why all of us try to, but you can't. That's all there is to it. That's just kind of my approach right now.

Q. Tell me about the match you lost in the Publinx last year.

RYAN MOORE: That was kind of during that time. I was just getting frustrated, really forcing things instead of just letting it happen, letting it flow. Obviously, I lost to the eventual champion, so he was playing well. I definitely had a chance. It wasn't like he was shooting 8 under or 9 under. He was 3 under or 4 under, which is definitely good on that course. I definitely had my opportunity.

I wasn't controlling the golf ball there as well as I am now. I'm really hitting it solid, keeping it in play all the way around the course, whether it be even like Sahalee last week, which is one of the most narrow golf courses in the world I think, I was hitting 11 and 12 fairways every day, 16 greens. So I'm hitting the ball, giving myself a lot of opportunities, which helps to that stress relief, not wasting too much energy. Having opportunities all the way around makes it easier on yourself. That's kind of what I've been doing.

Q. Were you surprised last year when you got beat in the second round? (Inaudible)?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, obviously. I mean, I approach any tournament thinking I'm going to win or knowing I have the chance to win. Any tournament, not just amateur events. Anything I have, I have that mindset going in.

You know, I wasn't feeling as good that week. I wasn't feeling great. I wasn't hitting the ball very good. But I still thought there's a chance I can get it running out there and did get the putter rolling. That's what it takes, you have to have a hot putter to win an event like this because if you get it rolling, you make it from anywhere, which drives people crazy, if you're hitting the ball well, making every birdie opportunity. There's always a way of getting it done. I just didn't get it done. Didn't play as well obviously as I would have liked to. I dealt with it and moved along.

Q. Were there any shots early today that were pivotal in establishing that?

RYAN MOORE: I can't remember anything. Just starting off the 1st hole, make a good 12 or 15 footer, I don't know how long exactly it was. It was a great putt, good speed, has a line. It's just one of those putts you hit it, you know it's in. Starting off with that confidence, it doesn't hurt.

Second round, making that eagle putt on No. 2, I think that was the point where he was like, "Geez, you know, what have I got to do?" He hit a good little wedge shot in there, and I still had an 18 or 20 footer, whatever it was. I just stepped up and just rolled it. It just went in. That kind of got me back on track and got me going again.

Q. 20 feet, you say?

RYAN MOORE: 18 feet, 20 feet ish, somewhere in there. Another one of those, I hit it, looked up, it was in. It was one of those.

Q. (Inaudible)?

RYAN MOORE: 8 iron.

Q. How does this compare to other USGA events?

RYAN MOORE: Beautiful course, perfect shape. Greens got pretty firm there, especially those last obviously today and even a little bit later yesterday. The greens really firmed up, which definitely added to the difficulty. It was really hard to get it really close. Earlier in the week it was a little softer. You could be throwing darts in there with a 7 iron or 8 iron, really sticking it and stopping it.

It was a good golf course. Fun match play course. You had to go out there making birdies. I like that. That's fun to me.

Q. How about the timetable for turning pro?

RYAN MOORE: I don't know. Sometime eventually (laughter). Kidding.

Probably sometime next year after NCAA. I don't know. It depends on the US Open, just stuff like that, where it's hard to say exactly. But next summer I would definitely like to be turning pro. I don't think I'll be playing another one of these, I wouldn't think, but there's still always a chance of that.

Q. Walker Cup or anything like that?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah, that was fun. I enjoyed it. I'll probably be going before that, I would think now. A lot of things can change in a few months.

Q. This certainly helps your chances at a chance at the World Amateur Team Championship this year.

RYAN MOORE: Can't hurt things, that's for sure. That was a goal. I had a lot of fun. Me and Ricky went down there last year for the Copa de las Americas, something like that. We had a lot of fun like that. Great place, great facility, just beautiful. In Puerto Rico, you can't complain.

It's definitely something I want to be doing mid October, whenever it is, I want to be a part of that team. Me and my buddy Michael Putnam, kind of a goal of ours. I want to see him on the team, as well. He's one of those guys that will be a lot of fun. That's kind of our goal at the end of the summer. Little carrot dangling.

Q. What is your dad's name? How did you know how to give you that tip on the phone?

RYAN MOORE: He's my teacher. He's the one that taught me my swing, my whole golf game. I don't know. Just I told him patterns, where I was missing. He just kind of came up with that. He could just think of my stroke. He can obviously see it. He's seen it a million times. I've played with him every day I'm home. Him and my brothers, get my sister out there a little bit, but she doesn't like to play.

I don't know. He just kind of obviously, he had something, some sort of insight, kind of just hit him. He knew the right thing to say. This week I actually didn't ask him. I kind of found it myself, so.

Q. What's his name?

RYAN MOORE: Mike.

Q. Did Arnold Palmer give you some advice at the Masters?

RYAN MOORE: Yeah. He gave it to my dad actually. It was when I was getting interviewed or afterwards. Palmer came up and grabbed my dad, just asked him if he could have a few words with him. Of course. Are you going to say no to Arnold Palmer? No.

Just took him over to the side and said, "Ryan has a good, solid golf game. He's got lots of years to be out here. Don't rush. Definitely tell him to stay in school his full four years, really enjoy that." I think he didn't turn pro till he was 25 or so, I believe. I could be wrong.

He just said, "I waited a while. I really enjoyed myself, enjoyed my amateur career." He said he'd love he said that too many guys make the mistake of going a little early instead of kicking back and enjoying themselves a little bit, enjoying the college part of it, which is what I'm looking forward to next year.

Q. As well as you're playing, do you ever think (inaudible)?

RYAN MOORE: Obviously. It's always been there. It's always been something I thought about. But, no, I really want a team championship. I'm not just saying it. That's what you play college for. You don't go there for all the individual titles. This is your one time, four years of your life, you get to play as a team. We haven't had we've had a very good team, we just haven't performed very well since I've been there. I really think this year we're going to have a good shot at it.

I probably wouldn't be going back if I didn't think we had a good shot at it. I really think the guys got a little fire under them after last year. Didn't perform as well as they would have liked to coming down the line. We got a great freshman coming in, a couple transfers. There's going to be a lot of competition. That's what I like. I look forward to that.

Q. (Inaudible)?

RYAN MOORE: I didn't. No show, just me. I was there by myself.

Q. That's disappointing.

RYAN MOORE: Very. I think I figured it out that they would have had to average 74 or something like that between the four of them to have won it as a team, with my score. Obviously, if they win it, things could have been different. That was very disappointing that the team didn't get to go because I thought we could have had a shot, so.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you Ryan.

RYAN MOORE: No problem.

End of FastScripts.