U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 1995

Simon Hobday

SIMON HOBDAY: I played terrible since September last year. I don't know what has happened. I think being U.S. Open champion you know, you try to be U.S. Open everyday and it affected my game. But hopefully this week it will come around.

SIMON HOBDAY: Well, actually this time last year I wasn't playing well either. And that particular week everything fell into place. I had a practice round right now; I am delighted how I played. Maybe same thing is going to happen again. Hopefully it will happen again.

SIMON HOBDAY: That is right. Someone said, "Who who is that old guy playing with Nick Price?" They didn't want my autograph; it was great. That was relief.

SIMON HOBDAY: I thought they set it up fantastic. If you missed A fairway you just got so badly punished; same thing here. So -- but I thought I really felt I thought I had to use every single club in the bag. If you weren't putting well, you were going to die and if you weren't driving well, you were going to die and if you were not using irons well, you were going to die. You had to hit everything good. That is why even par won it. Was it even par?

SIMON HOBDAY: Well, it is typical to say you have to have practice rounds for this tournament, that is true. Very good practice for this.

SIMON HOBDAY: It seems that whether it is the atmosphere or, you know, like a survival course, you have got to play more carefully or whatever it is, I don't know, I seem to -- my body seems to come right when it comes to the U.S. Open. I have always played well at U.S. Open.

SIMON HOBDAY: Well, greens have never bothered me. If they are bad, that is the same for everybody. As long as there is a hole in them, it is fair. That is what I figure. You got -- the good putters will be crying about the greens; the greens are not in great shape, I have to admit that. But it's only going to affect the good putters.

SIMON HOBDAY: Yes, it is. Called for a long straight driver and also you are going to have to hit a whole bunch of 5-iron, 4-irons into the greens which is my strength when I am playing well, so if I play good, it will -- it is the kind of course I play well on.

SIMON HOBDAY: Well, I did a lot of rounds in the pubs, actually, tell you the honest truth.

SIMON HOBDAY: No, didn't have to buy any drinks. I took a cup around to a few golf clubs in the pub, just to show the people and then, well, that is what we did anyway.

SIMON HOBDAY: I like to have played better this year to kind of-- to, you know, if you are U.S. champion I would like to have played better with the title in my pocket, so -- but what the hell, you can't play good all the time. Maybe if we repeat I will be able to handle the pressure a bit better.

SIMON HOBDAY: Yeah, that is right. No, it is difficult enough to repeat it on a normal tournament, but to repeat a U.S. Open is twice as difficult, I think, so I am not looking for any miracles but I'd like one right now.

SIMON HOBDAY: Well, I have to say that my reputation has definitely outgrown me. I hear stories that have grown and grown and grown. They all have some truth in them, but they have definitely grown over the years. It is tough to keep up with the reputation.

SIMON HOBDAY: No, I have still got the sponsor. I just lost the hat just now in the locker room. I think I signed it and gave it to some kid.

SIMON HOBDAY: Thank you very much.