U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 6, 1996

Dave Stockton

DAVE STOCKTON: I must have missed one, I thought I only had 17.

DAVE STOCKTON: 5, 5 and 7.

DAVE STOCKTON: I will take it. I didn't think I did.

DAVE STOCKTON: Yeah. That is okay, rather have you go higher than lower. I did exactly what I told you I was going to do, tried to go out there and make more birdies than I did bogeys. It was another, I thought, pretty effortless round. I kept my composure really good. Missed a few more shots. I was a little more nervous going off 1 today. I started out by driving straight ahead on one, which doesn't work. I hit it in the left rough. And pulled my second shot just by six inches off the green and 2-putted for par. Number 2, hit good drive and then I ironed maybe 15 feet behind it, parred it. Then I birdied number 3, my first birdie. Hit a 7-iron to about five feet and made the putt. Turned right around, bogeyed 4. Good drive, hit a 6-iron or 5-iron, I guess, it was, pulled it, caught it in the short fringe pin-high to the left, and hit a pretty good chip. But I went by it probably six or seven feet and missed it coming back, made bogey. Came right back and birdied the next two holes, hit a drive and a good 6-iron the next hole to about 12 or 14 foot, made it for birdie. Knocked it on the par 5 with a driver and 3-wood, maybe 25 feet. 2-putted for birdie. Parred 7, just barely missed it. Parred 8. Then I birdied 9. Hit a good drive, about one inch in the right rough, short rough, and laid up with a 4-iron and wedged it to about ten feet, and made that for birdie. So I turned that side, I guess, what 3-under? I hit a 3-iron off 10, which was a change instead of the 4-wood. I pulled it in the left rough and had to play up the middle of the green. Went through the green to the short fringe on 10, chipped down about four feet and made the putt for par. Parred 11 in different tee shot. It was funny. Those of you that walked the course, they put the pin on 11 right in the middle of the green. I am standing there looking at it knowing there must be some degree of difficulty factor built in, because it can't be this simple. I promptly whiff it right and Charles whiffs it left. I talk to Maltby walking off the tee. He says, "God, I can't believe it, it was such an easy pin." I said, "yes, but it screwed me up." I knew there had to be something wrong with it, but I couldn't figure out what it was. Teed off on 12, hit it in the right trees. Charles hooked it to the left. We were promptly informed that we were out of position. And I get up to my ball, which was underneath the tree. He was in the left rough for quite a while. He put it short of the bunker, which probably maybe he didn't tell you, sounded like he went through here pretty quick. But I chipped about eight feet past the hole and knocked it in. Walked to the next tee, was informed by Brian that I had a slow time of 55 seconds or a minute on that putt, and I am going I've never run out of time in my life, slow play time. So then we tee off, and I called him over, I said what does that mean? He says well, if you get one more, it's a one-shot penalty. So I hit a good drive on 13. Todd and I were at this time going to race around. Doesn't make a difference to me how fast we go. But Charles evidently got a slow play time on his second shot to 13, because he was outside of me. I knock it on the green, we both birdied 13, and then they walked up on 14 and told us we were not being timed anymore, we had caught up, which I still hadn't seen anybody in front of us, but... I don't know. I promptly hit two good shots at 14 and then 3-putted from about 25 or 30 foot. Pretty fast putt coming down. I had a driver, 3-wood and a wedge there, but 3-putted. But I came right back like I did on the front side from the bogey on 4, with birdies on 5 and 6. I came back with birdies on 15 and 16. I hit a good 3-wood off of 15 just in the short rough to the left, hit a wedge to about, I'd say, ten feet, holed that for birdie. I have no idea what happened on 16. I hit an indifferent drive down the right in the short, short rough. Todd said I had 220 to the top of the hill, which is a difficult shot coming out of the light rough. My ball went about 290. I was 60 yards from the pin. I mean, I killed it, but I still couldn't believe it went down over the hill and down in front of the green. Hit a great wedge shot to about six feet, five feet, made that for birdie. And 2-putted for par on 17 with a 4-wood off the tee. Good shot about 35 feet. And then on 18 I hit a 6-iron that I thought was going to be all right, it came up short of the green. Didn't hit a particularly good chip shot with a pitch-and-run sand wedge that I was hitting, and left it about seven feet and then made that for par.

DAVE STOCKTON: It is really upsetting me. I was really rooting for him to make that last putt on 18, I could tell you. He'd bogeyed the hole, and I'm going he's got a two-footer, God, don't miss this, with a whole bunch of other fours, I want you staying right where you are at 5, it'd be great. No, he is nice to play with. He doesn't change -- obviously you've watched him play, he doesn't change expression. He has got a lot more humor in some of the stuff he says when we're playing. It has been fun. Yeah, went right past your interview, huh?

DAVE STOCKTON: Well, I brought putter to the interview area -- where is the bag, Todd? So you all can see the grip just so you won't think I am having fun with you. You can't see it. There we go.

DAVE STOCKTON: Chi Chi have won like that?

DAVE STOCKTON: Isn't that cute?

DAVE STOCKTON: Well, I don't know. I guess play with Charles. Or maybe I should call Norman. I don't know, what should I do? (LAUGHTER). I mean, I know what happens, right? I mean, I am not going to say well, I am so far out in front, they can't catch me. I mean, my strategy tomorrow is going to be exact same thing I am going to go out there and see if I can more birdies than I do bogeys. I do have a substantial lead. But that is their problem; not my problem. My problem is going to be making more birdies. All I can do is play Canterbury. So far I have won three days in a row. Maybe it was tied the first day, 70, but I got it the last two. So I have just got to play my own game tomorrow.

DAVE STOCKTON: I think I was mentally prepared to play here. I wasn't sure I was physically prepared, but I hate to admit to my wife, the three weeks off probably did me good. I came here. I wanted to play. I was excited. I was mad I couldn't play Canada; upset I couldn't play Cincinnati last week. I was really glad to get here, and I think I am much more rested; certainly my demeanor is much better than it was at Pittsburgh and the weeks prior to that. I was not as a happy camper as I would normally like to be, and you know, I have often said anybody out here on the Senior Tour that can complain about anything has got to have a screw loose.

DAVE STOCKTON: I think that I was demanding -- more demanding of myself. I don't think I was enjoying the people the way I have this week. I mean, I am having a good time.

Kathy commented at dinner that she can tell the way I am walking; put her at ease. She is not worried a whole lot, so you know, it has carried over I came in here refreshed and ready to go.

DAVE STOCKTON: No, I tell you what, I looked at it. I was so embarrassed at Pittsburgh walking up on the greens because -- people in Pittsburgh aren't real demonstrative about anything. They are giggling and laughing pointing at the grip. I got to kind of snickering about it, but it was always going in, so I was riding with the punches. It felt good. I am going to try to get some more. I don't know how they go about getting them, but it feels very good to me.

DAVE STOCKTON: When they are showing a lot of emotion, I knew I was in trouble. (LAUGHTER)

DAVE STOCKTON: No, I took it Sunday morning five minutes before my tee time. But we had worked earlier. I was working with her putting earlier in the week.

DAVE STOCKTON: We take turns teaching each other.

DAVE STOCKTON: I thought this was a Cleveland Open. (LAUGHTER) We are in Cleveland, aren't we? And I won the Cleveland Open 28 years ago. Nobody says I can't do it again. I look at all the leaderboards. I think it really looked good. I saw Raymond charge a little bit. And I saw Irwin charge a little bit. Chi Chi was going good. I had fun watching that, but, no, I am playing Canterbury and it just happens to be the U.S. Open and believe me, I am aware of the tournament, obviously. I learned a lot last year playing with Weiskopf and how emotional he was to win at Congressional. I would have liked to have won at Congressional since I had already won a PGA Championship there. I am more aware of the history than I let on. I am aware of what I am doing, I am just not through doing it, hopefully.

DAVE STOCKTON: Yeah, that is a question -- he was talking about this Stahl that he played with. I am wondering if that is Walter Stahl that beat me in the National Amateur, the only one I ever played in -- it is not Walter Stahl?

DAVID STOCKTON: Because Walter Stahl was a plumber from Cleveland Ohio. He knocked me out in the fifth round 21st hole or I would have gotten into Augusta, I never forgot about that. I was hoping to ask him if it was the same guy because I had never forgiven him for beating me.

DAVE STOCKTON: Answer both your questions, -- well, how big was the lead at -- that is only four, five shots; then we shot 63 last round at Park City to win by 9. I would say well, in a major, I would assume, it is the 4 stroke lead I had on Palmer in the 1970 PGA at Southern Hills. He asked about the biggest lead I had. I don't know what the biggest lead I had.

DAVE STOCKTON: I won on the regular Tour most all of the ones I have led. Only significant loss was 1974 Masters where I had a two-shot lead going into the final round and lost by a stroke to Player.

DAVE STOCKTON: Two in a row and the finals the next two years.

DAVE STOCKTON: Well, like I said the first day, I mean this was our summer home here in the area. In fact, we ate dinner in Chagrin Falls last night; then went over to the Lake and found the houses where we stayed at some 30 years ago and this is like our second home. We got a lot of great memories around here. This is where -- when I couldn't get in the Opens or PGAs or tournaments of significance, this is where I used to come and practice. I have played all these courses around here and I like -- you know, I like old fashioned golf courses. I think you have to maneuver the ball. I certainly like the greens, obviously, because they are fast. One of the things I was interested to see what Carr shot yesterday, shooting 66, in the last group and it kind of motivated me to, you know, realize that no matter how many people played ahead of me, I have got an opportunity to shoot a good round out there today. And you know, other than that, I am comfortable being here. I enjoy playing here in the Cleveland area.

DAVE STOCKTON: Well, you know, I am always one to motivate myself, and both of us are a little worried about the -- about how her knee is doing. I haven't had a chance to ask her how she was doing today, but she certainly looked happy enough. She hasn't had that much pain last couple of nights which bodes well, but we will have to find out next week. I mean, how am I going to complain about a bad break when she is out there not complaining about what she has got. I don't need a whole lot to motivate me, but believe me, I am motivated to do well this week.

DAVE STOCKTON: Well, the holes did get in the way a lot. I enjoy putting on fast greens because you don't have to worry about hitting it hard. All I got to do is get it started on the right line. They are scary greens to the point that they are very, very fast. You get on one and you say, okay, I can make a birdie here; next thing you know, you have ripped it six or seven feet past the hole. You are not the Lone Ranger because everybody else is doing it too. It is just trying to keep -- I like to get pumped up. I don't fight the urge of getting pumped up. I think it is a great feeling. I mean, I am going around -- I played the 7th hole okay. Now I am on 8; what is my game plan; how do I plan to play it. I am not trying to play anything but the golf course. And I try to keep, you know, keep myself focused about what the next shot entails. The advantage I have here at Canterbury is the fact every shot is calling for something. It is not just like the 11th hole with the pin in the middle of the green saying -- you know the two shots, the worst shots I have hit -- possibly, on shots I shouldn't have was yesterday on 13 and today at 11. When it was such a simple call, I couldn't come up with something to do most of the other time I can. Am I at my A-game? Since I got whatever shot lead I got, I better say that I am or I will get some guys mad at me. Yeah, I can put up with this every week. I think I am driving the ball exceptionally well. But again, I am handling the 80%. Golf, in my mind, is 80% mental. You are sitting in here; you can tell which guys are mentally ready to go and have not getting affected and usually when you are playing USGA events, there aren't that many that haven't been affected by there surroundings. Right now I am in a zone. I don't care where in the hell I hit it, I am going to get it; then I am going to get it on the green; then I am going to make the putt.

DAVE STOCKTON: Probably a hell of a lot better than I felt today, I could tell you that. I think seven shots is a lot better than one. But I will be anxious and ready to play. I am going to be looking forward to going out there. Hopefully, we have good weather. The tournament certainly deserves it. It looked like they had a much better crowd out there today. Certainly great playing conditions and I am surprised there aren't guys closer to me.

DAVE STOCKTON: Yeah, I hit a good drive which, thankfully, I was past Charles about five feet and he took quite awhile to hit and got a warning for his slow play, so we both had one warning. I jumped on a 5-iron today, pin was a little bit easier position today than it was yesterday, but I was only going to hit one shot and that was a high 5-iron, straight ahead with a slight cut. I wasn't going to mess with going left like I did yesterday. Carried just short of the green; bounced to the back fringe. I was on the green maybe 25 feet, and, again, worried about getting a second time, Todd and I didn't even talk about the putt. I just saw take the pin out and I lagged it down about a foot from the hole, 2-putted.

DAVE STOCKTON: I was very impressed with how Faldo played. I thought his game plan was -- I thought it was flawless. He hit the ball perfect every single time in the right positions. It was pretty obvious. Then I talked to Junior about it. Some of the shots Norman hit - I am not saying anything different with what you guys saw - it looked like it was a lot of power being put toward it, but not a whole lot of finesse of putting it in the right spot. Left on 8, short on 9, you know, left on 10, so on and so forth. He just kept putting himself in the hole, every place Faldo is supposed to put the ball he put it there. It was really, you know, it was unfortunate to see. I was rooting for Greg. I mean, I think everybody was. He has gotten beat by some bizarre final chip shots and everything else. But Faldo played a magnificent round. My conversation with junior after the fact was what did he think of how Faldo played; then okay, what did you think of how Norman played and it was dramatically different.

DAVE STOCKTON: Well, tell you the truth, I am not thinking much on mechanics now, so I can't even remember what he told me. But at the time, whatever it was, I mean, we just worked it out. It is very -- you know, my dad was my only teacher. Now I have passed it on to the kids. We kind of self-teach ourselves a lot. And it is -- it makes for a very close family. Kathy even gets into the act at times. And it is just -- it is comforting to have somebody -- because you can't see yourself. You can't see the mistakes. I will talk to the kids tonight on television. They may very well tell me something that I didn't -- that I wasn't aware of.

DAVE STOCKTON: I don't remember. I don't think so, no.

DAVE STOCKTON: Today was the same, yeah 7, 8, 9 pitching wedge were all my old set, which are identical. They are five or six years old to the new ones, the 3 through the 5, 6-irons are new ones.

DAVE STOCKTON: This week? No. I have been beating up on David. No. I have talked to Ronnie briefly but most of the conversation is talking about David and you know he shot 76 with five birdies and then shot 71 yesterday; played better, but only made three birdies and two bogeys. Almost all our conversation is why did this happen and you know, how do we correct it and how does he play good at Anheuser-Busch next week. This is marvelous for me, but right now most of the Stockton focus is getting Junior to play well. And then behind you know, behind that is Ronnie. Ronnie is due to make some cuts on the Hooters Tour, so I am spending more time thinking about them. It is kind of you know, -- the media pressure you get in an event like this, obviously, you see it on television; you see it in the papers. You try to get away from it. So for me, it is kind of relaxing. I enjoy reading it, obviously. It is going to be fun to hear what you guys have to say about how I played and what position I am in, but you know, I would rather just kind of think about getting the kids straightened out and I will not worry about myself so much.

DAVE STOCKTON: Jerry, are you too tired too ask questions. What the hell are you doing? Guy is sitting over there doing nothing.

JERRY POTTER: I am writing for all those Gannett papers in California that are wanting to know how you are doing.

DAVE STOCKTON: You got to do San Bernadino and you are not asking any questions. Going to be another one of those days.

JERRY POTTER I didn't want to put you on the spot. I thought you were doing rather well.

DAVE STOCKTON: I thought you were getting laryngitis. I just wanted to give you a fair shot. Thank you.