ROGERS CHARITY CLASSIC

August 15, 2024

Stephen Ames

Canyon Meadows G&CC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: All right, we will jump right in. Stephen, thanks for joining us for a few minutes. I know it's obviously nice to be back in turf like this playing. One question to lead us off. If I were to ask you last Saturday night if you thought you would be standing here as the winner of the Boeing Classic, your thoughts.

STEPHEN AMES: No, not at all. Seven back, no. That's unusual obviously. But I guess the guys in the last group obviously had a little troubles with it, trying to close it out.

Roberts is an established player; Charlie had a few Top 10s. Hasn't really done much in his career in the sense of winning, but he has had a good career.

And of course playing and Ernie and Stephen Alker as well. So, know when you asked me that question, I never would've thought that, no.

Q. The season and the career you're having out here is just incredible. Do you ever stop and pinch yourself or is this the kind of golf you knew you were capable of playing all along?

STEPHEN AMES: Haven't thought about that yet.

Q. Okay.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, no, not really. I'm just trying to play day by day. I'm trying to be that same person that I was on Sunday. Come back out here and try to be that person today and tomorrow and the next couple days.

When things go off it's usually me that's changed more than anything else, not so much my golf swing. So those are the things I've been focusing on for most of the year and obviously it's paying off, which is nice.

Q. What's it going to take to play well at this golf course specifically this week?

STEPHEN AMES: Well, besides the rain not falling on us -- just kidding. At this stage right now the ball striking is very good. I've always struggled with the greens here a little bit.

I think looking at it more and more, I'm seeing more and more grain in them than I normally have not seen in the past. But the conditions of the golf course this year, again, are fabulous.

I think overall it's just a matter of being a little bit more patient than I have been in the past and go from there.

Q. Stephen, we know your history with this tournament. We ask you all the time, but what would it mean for you to win here in Calgary?

STEPHEN AMES: Obviously a lot. Yeah, it would be more icing on the cake more than anything else.

The last three years have been awesome with all the wins on top of that as well stacked on top of it. Putting Calgary on my resume as well would be definitely.

Q. Much nicer with Junior on the bag also?

STEPHEN AMES: Always is. It's always fun with junior on the bag. Yeah, he was on the sidelines last week so that was different for him, too.

But we've have a good run. It's going well. We've obviously won together so we know how each other thinks. He's also inspiring playing himself so he's learning more and more every week as we work as a team.

Q. How impactful, knowing that over the last 11 years $112 million has been raised for charities to help Alberta-based local groups here? You're playing golf, but there is more happening here. How special is that?

STEPHEN AMES: I think that's the vision that obviously Mr. Riddell, Clay, obviously envisioned. When we first sat down and had the meetings as a patrons group, his goal was actually $10 million a year trying to raise, and look at what we've surpassed when you consider the fact how much -- that's more than $10 million a year over the last 12 years that we raised the money.

At the end of the I think that was the most important thing for Calgary, and for at the time it was Shaw, the legacy that they left behind now with JR, and now that Rogers has taken over, I think it's a wonderful legacy that they would like to continue doing themselves.

So hopefully they have the same premonition, same vision that Clay and the rest of the patron board had. They moved forward and raised the same amount of money over their period of time out there.

Q. I was looking at some stats this morning. You're now one of seven guys to win two like multiple events past the age of 60 on the PGA Tour Champions.

STEPHEN AMES: Wow.

Q. It's like Bernhard, Hale, Tom Watson.

STEPHEN AMES: The legends.

Q. Yeah. When you hear that sort of thing, what strikes you?

STEPHEN AMES: I mean, I'm in that category I guess. I'm not there -- I'm not in that category of legends. They have won -- all those guys have won multiple majors. Hale, three U.S. Open, Bernard, two Masters. The list goes on. Watson, what, eight, nine? Nine majors.

It's a nice category to be associated with, let's put it that way. So I didn't know that, but, yeah thanks for letting me know. Now I feel really good about myself. (Laughter.)

To be associated with that.

Q. I know that you have your golf clubs, but were you a little worried they may not arrive here in Calgary?

STEPHEN AMES: A little, but I had a backup -- got things ready and in line for backups. I already had Miura on me, should I say talking to him, and he was like how long would to take to get there. He said by Tuesday afternoon and I was like, okay, that's fine. And then Callaway is obviously in the truck. I really wasn't worried about it too much, but it worked out.

Q. The wins the last two years, they're coming in bunches. Is it a mental thing for you that you just are playing freer? Swing is clicking? What do you attribute the wins to?

STEPHEN AMES: The majority of it is definitely mental. There is no doubt about that. I am freer about everything on the golf course right now. I think it's only because I'm very free off the golf course. There is not a lot of negatives in my life right now; only positives.

You know, it's passing on and coming on to the golf course right now. I'm just reeling it and just enjoying the moment, having fun, and putting a big smile obviously which you see when I'm on television.

You know, I'm enjoying golf and I'm enjoying life, so what else could be better? Playing golf for a living and having fun doing it. Yeah, it's awesome.

Q. A lot of the guys talk about the fans here, the fan support. What does it mean to get the support from the fans at this tournament you helped start?

STEPHEN AMES: I think this event wouldn't be successful without the fans, without a doubt. We didn't have the fan base we have here which we all know, being Calgarians, that the support they've done for the Flames over the years and the Stampeders, speaks volumes for the fact that anything that is actually here. Which I heard Earl Grey when the ladies were here it was phenomenal as well.

Just heard a little birdie say that they were going back there again, so it should be. I think Calgary on the whole, they love their sports. They're great supporters of the sports that have come into town. That says a lot right there.