U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 1996

John Morse

JOHN MORSE: Didn't actually kill the two par-5's, but got both par 3s on the front with deuces. Made a bogey on 5; pulled about a 5-foot putt; just hit a terrible putt there for par.

JOHN MORSE: 6: 8-iron about seven feet and made that. 7: A 6-iron about 15 feet and hit a really good putt there right at the center and struggled a bit on the back but played fairly solid and then wedged it in out of the front bunker there on 18 to finish.

JOHN MORSE: One foot was in; one foot was out. But yeah, it was 18 inches or so from the lip where I was addressing it, so I could get in there fairly comfortable and just kind of plopped it up out there and it just ran right down that little hill and rolled to the right, right in the hole.

JOHN MORSE: I made a putt from the front of the green at 9, front fringe, actually. That was kind of a gift. 206, 3-iron, and number 3 was 195. I hit a 3-iron there as well about four feet.

JOHN MORSE: Let us see, must be 40. One of those lucky putts.

JOHN MORSE: It is a difficult stretch the last five. You have got 14 down and across from it; then you turn back up 15 and you are into the wind and with that bunker out there in the middle of the fairway, you are -- makes that hole play a little longer and the flag left, difficult position and 16 with the wind coming right into you like that, it is very difficult shot, and you know, 17 presents itself, very difficult flag stick there today, so... And 18, is just a long, long par 4, you know, so it is easy to make 5 there.

JOHN MORSE: Back in college I think I played the North Course U.S. Amateur Qualifier, U.S. Open Qualifier back in college, but I had never played the south before this week.

JOHN MORSE: Actually, I feel pretty good one stroke off the lead. I hope -- I feel fortunate to be the only Michigan representative. I wish there were more of the guys. There is a good bunch of players in this state, and I am sure a lot of guys are very disappointed that they are not here.

JOHN MORSE: I have played pretty steady this year. I haven't been making a lot of birdies, but at times I had -- but I have been playing a lot better this year and much more solid. I just basically went out today and tried to do the same thing, hit the fairway, hit the green, kind of go from there.

JOHN MORSE: They didn't bump up to bad. They were better than I thought they might be because some of the guys that I talked to this morning said they were leaving some big prints, but they seemed to smooth themselves out through the day, for some reason, but they got growing with that sunshine and that water, they grew real fast, so the speed was slowing down as we came in, which may have been to our advantage. As far as pot marks in them, no, they held up real good today.

JOHN MORSE: In places in the fairways, but in the driving areas, not too bad. Actually held up real good. I was very impressed.

JOHN MORSE: Actually, the wind picked up this afternoon and as later the day got, these guys these days are so good, it seems like the only equalizer there is anymore, as far as mother nature is concerned, is wind and when the wind comes up a little bit, it makes it that much more difficult. You can put these guys out here playing in rain and no wind, they will just kill it, but you give them some wind, it is a different score. I am the same case, it is harder to pick a club, you know, the ball flies off, that kind of stuff. So wind is difficult.

JOHN MORSE: I'd drove very well. I hit the driver in play and hit a lot of 3-woods off the tee and that when you hit the 3-wood, that helps to widen the fairways as well, but I did drive it well today and kept it in play and pretty much did what I wanted to accomplish today.

JOHN MORSE: Thanks for your time.