KEMPER OPEN

May 28, 1999

Dave Stockton Jr.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: It is nice to be going into the weekend. This is my 6th year playing here and I have never made the cut. I guess I was due. I was due here. My wife always said this was her favorite tournament. And I said, "I like the course, but it doesn't like me." She said, "Well, this is your year." I came here and feel pretty good about my game right now.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: I think I set the tone on the first hole today. I hooked a drive in the left rough, went over against the tree and asked the marshal where I was. He said right up against the tree right here. He was all happy and I was pretty upset. So I was in a bad mood right off. I punched it out in the fairway and hit it about 15 feet and I made it for par. Making a putt like that starting out made a big difference. Hit pitching wedge on 2 about a foot, made birdie there. Made about a 30-footer for birdie on 4. Hit a good iron in, just didn't quite get back there. Felt like the putt was funnel hole, went right in middle of the hole. Then I hit it about three feet on 5 for birdie made that. Parred the rest of the side and just missed eagle putt on 13, tapped in for birdie. And then 18 made about a 25-footer for birdie.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: Yeah, I just worked on my game. I spent last week at Colonial. My dad played also and he missed the cut and so he was there on the weekends helping me with my game. I didn't hit it really well but we were working on things to prepare for the rest of this year. Little things that I worked on. I worked hard this week, starting the week, I didn't really do a whole lot in the practice rounds. In fact, my caddie, who is a buddy of mine, this week didn't fly in until Wednesday night. So just kind of played some shots here and there and got a feel for the course, worked on what I have been working on and went out there with a good attitude basically even though I have never played well here before. Started with a bogey yesterday on 10, but I said that is no big deal, there is a lot of golf left. It has been tough with the wind, I think. Even today -- started out in the morning, we didn't have much wind, but the backside it blew just like yesterday. I think it makes picking the right club a tough job out there.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: He didn't like the driver I was using so I switched drivers and worked on my tempo, slowing down and work on shortening up my backswing just a little bit. I get a little long. Working on -- little things like that, but to get them ingrained, where I don't have them when I am out on the course is a totally different matter. I have done a pretty good job for two days so far.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: This is my wife's favorite tournament.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: She likes D. C. She likes to go downtown and we like to see the cites and be tourists for a week. She likes walking around the golf course. She doesn't have to hit any of the shots. She likes walking around the course. She is at home with our baby this week, so she is jealous.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: Yeah, I have never had a problem with the course. I think you have to hit all the shots. You have uphill shots, downhill shots, sidehill shots, flat shots, you have everything on this golf course. And I think this week with the wind blowing like it is, the rough is pretty thick this week, but I am hitting a lot of fairways. I don't know how many I hit today but I would guess it would be around eleven. Yesterday I hit 12. If you are playing from the fairways out here, it makes it a lot easier.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: Yeah, tell you the truth maybe because I haven't played it, you know, I keep missing the cut every year. I haven't paid attention to it. The grass is fine. I haven't really noticed any difference.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: There is a lot of holes where you can't. You could take a driver, but the risk reward is pretty tough. Those short holes that you are talking about like 14 and 5, those are -- I hit 2-irons and 3-woods off the tees, sometimes less depending on the wind. A lot of guys -- some guys will take drivers out and go with them at the greens and stuff. There is a pot bunker out here, water, different things that will catch you. A lot of times -- maybe I am just playing smarter this year I am giving myself the best chance I can give myself.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: Yeah, every time I talk to him on the phone. He is trying to wear trying to get he is my teacher, so he always has input. I am always asking him for input. But there is sometimes I call him on the phone and I want him to have his dad hat on and not his teaching hat. We are working on that because you know, I am frustrated with how I have played in the past and he is frustrated with how I have played and we are trying to find the right combination. We are slowly getting there, I think.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: Yeah, I was eight years old and all I remember was I couldn't see over the gallery but I heard the big roar on the last hole and I knew something had happened and told me that dad made a putt. I remember President Ford calling my mom and dad and he had us come down for a personal tour of the White House. Only thing I remember out of that was the President has his own movie theater. I thought that was pretty cool. Oddly enough, on Wednesday night I went Russell Rose, a secret service guy; he took us, my buddy and I through the White House Wednesday night for a personal tour. It was neat going back there just -- I was like a little kid. It was real exciting. Maybe it was a great way for me to start the week.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: Yeah.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: My caddie who is -- he is hurt right now, a friend of his -- he gave me his number. He said, call him; he would like to take you. Give him a couple of passes; he will take you out there. I said, whatever he wants, I will get him. I gave him a call and we set it up. We had a great time. This was Wednesday night. I was praying for a late tee time on Thursday because I knew I was going to get back at 10 o'clock at night. I had a late tee time, so it was perfect.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: I am a positive person. I think every week I go out thinking this is when I am going to turn my year around. Maybe that has been a fault of mine in the past that I am too positive. But I don't -- I am not a negative person and I think that I am 6-under for a reason - I am playing well. I am really looking forward to this weekend. I have gone six years wanting to play here on the weekend and I am, so I will be happy tomorrow.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: What do you mean by --

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: I have never felt that way. Some guys may, but I think if you go through Q-School and get your card, you are a hell of a player. If you are going to be positive and believe in yourself and I have always believed in myself. I know I haven't played very well the last six years, but I believe in myself and my game and I know I can play with the best guys out here.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: That is why I am losing my hair.

DAVE STOCKTON, JR.: It is no fun. If you told me six years ago when I was a rookie coming out that I wouldn't have won out here yet and would be struggling - which at right now - I'd say you are smoking something. I never would have believed that I struggled the way I struggled, but golf is a funny game and I have threatened the last year or two that if things don't turn around and I don't start playing better then I am not going to be a journeyman out here and just hang around the 100 to 120, 125, it is no fun to do that. I mean, yeah, this is a great life and I love doing it. But I have been doing it my whole life, but you want be successful at it and if I can't, I will be successful at something else. I go out there and I let it rip, have a good time.