CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

July 27, 1997

Tom Byrum

TOM BYRUM: Well, I guess maybe the one on 18. It looked like I started it a little bit too far out to the right, and then it started coming back, and I thought the speed was good enough that it was going to go in and, you know, I had a lot riding on that. So, I was a little into it. Then I had to make that two-foot error, so coming back I wasn't quite ready, but somehow it went in.

TOM BYRUM: It was probably I would say around 20 feet. It was pretty straight downhill.

TOM BYRUM: Well, I was still thinking about the one that I just missed, you know. And the play-off. And I was thinking I was going to get in that play-off and hit that putt thinking no other thoughts this time. I was going to hit it to win, you know, so... It was just that was gone and now I had to come back to one like this. Tied for second for a lot of money, and I had a big spike mark in front of the ball, and the one I lipped out before it. Somehow I made it so...

TOM BYRUM: No, I didn't pay attention to what he did. Obviously, I payed attention and saw that he missed his putt. I was checking out my putt after he putted out.

TOM BYRUM: 13. Well, obviously the par five I couldn't. I was taken it out of the hole, which I guess the golf Gods didn't like too much before it went in. That was probably the hardest putt to expect because really two inches from the hole and it lipped out, and the next hole I hit a good putt. It lipped out. I was kind of -- what do I have to do to make a putt? Two of my best putts of the day don't go in, it's pretty hard. I was comfortable all day with my putter. I don't know if I was lining up a hair differently because of the pressure. But I didn't feel differently. I was proud of myself to handle the pressure all day. I had one putt that my mind wondered a little bit. It was on the 3-hole. Other than that, I really stayed in there and hit a lot of putts that I wanted. All I was asking for this week was a chance to win, and I had a chance to tie, so I reached my goal. I'm not disappointed. But I would like to see what I could have done in a play-off too, so... Maybe next time.

TOM BYRUM: I think I had three or four. I think four, because that last one I think it was 13 -- or 14 that was the fourth one. You know, that's -- at least I was hitting the hole. I mean, I could have been hitting it up there and not having a chance and wondering what I was doing wrong. When you're hitting them like that, you can't fault yourself, you have to say maybe I'll hit the next one. That's all I was thinking about.

TOM BYRUM: Yeah. Maybe that was five then. I didn't count that one. (LAUGHTER.) It didn't hit as much of the lip as a lot of them. I was turning back and I thought geez, it is going to drop.

TOM BYRUM: I thought I hit that closer. I was very surprised that it came up a little long. It looked like it was must have rolled back a little bit. Once it got settled and come back a little bit, did it? Did anyone see that?

TOM BYRUM: Because I was really surprised that I could hit that club, which was an 8-iron. Which I was surprised that I could hit it passed the pin. From that yardage, I think I had 175 yards. Not that quite that far. 170 yards, something like that. I was downwind pretty good and the green was firm, but I don't hit 8-irons that far.

TOM BYRUM: That was another 8-iron. I think I came out of it a little bit. It was a perfect club. I don't know why I didn't hang in there a little better. I think I hooked the shot on par three on 16 a little bit. I think I was afraid that I was going to hit another hook, so I think I hung onto that one a little bit and hit in the bunker. And then I kind of chunked my bunker shot a little bit. It was sitting down. I got out there and made a great putt there. So, I'm very fortunate to have a chance on 18 to tie. I mean that putt, the putt before that on par three, you know, that was a five or six footer left or right. It is a lot of traffic around that cup. That one went in, so I can't complain. I made some putts too.

TOM BYRUM: It was very exciting. But I have been in that position before, and I messed everything up. And so that's what I have been working on so hard, is to not get caught up on that. It's just golf. And just a competition. You have to boil it down to that and weed out everything that's distracting out there. The crowd is fun. If you fight the crowd as far as their noise and their yelling out to there, you or the guy you're playing with can be a distraction if you kind of take it all in. I think that's the way these guys do it that are great players, they feed off the crowd a little bit and don't let it bother you. That's at least what I try an do, and it worked a little bit better today. I try and hang in there all day. It wasn't going that great in the front. I tried to hang in there and it worked out where I had a chance.

TOM BYRUM: I wanted to get it to the hole, first of all. And I just wanted to hit a good putt. I wanted to have a chance to make that putt, and I did that. I hit a good putt. It didn't go in. So, you know, I was nervous as heck. I was glad when I hit a good putt down there and I saw that I had a chance. That was all I can ask for.

TOM BYRUM: Well, that wouldn't take long (LAUGHTER.) I bogeyed No. 3. I missed a short putt, a give me. From probably a foot and a half, two feet. And then birdied seven. I hit a wedge up on probably on top there about 12 feet or so. Then bogeyed number eight. I hit a little too much club. Either over a green. I thought I hit a pretty good chip. I released down there and made bogey. Then I birdied No. 11. I hit a 9-iron about three or four feet. I don't remember. Somewhere in there. Five feet. And then birdied 15 for par four. Driver par four when I first hit that drive being downwind. I thought I hit it on the green, but I hit a chip up, up there about three feet and made that.

TOM BYRUM: Let's see. I lipped out on No. 1.

TOM BYRUM: Pardon?

TOM BYRUM: Probably 10 or 12 feet. I didn't lip out on No. 2. No. 4 I lipped out from probably 20 feet. Was that the par three? No, I didn't hit that green. Oh shoot, I don't remember now. I know 13, 14, and 18. Those are the ones that really -- I had some momentum going there and 13 especially I think that was a big momentum breaker for me. That was really as good a putt as I could hit out there. I didn't want to hit it harder than that and run it by.

TOM BYRUM: Five or six feet.

TOM BYRUM: That was probably 10 or 12.

TOM BYRUM: Any other questions?

TOM BYRUM: I just wanted that chance. That's all I was working for today the way things started out during the day and the way everything with the lip outs and everything, I was very fortunate to have a chance and take advantage of it and wanted to get it started on line and so it was a little downhill, but I made sure I hit it hard enough. It was a very straight putt and I felt like I hit a very good putt. When I looked up, it was a little further right than I wanted to start it. I don't know how it started. It came back a little bit and with the speed it was going, I thought I made it.

TOM BYRUM: Okay thanks a lot.