CANON GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

July 3, 1998

Omar Uresti

OMAR URESTI: Okay.

OMAR URESTI: First of all, I started on number 1. I got a little quick with my drive and I pulled it left in the rough, ended up having a decent lie. I hit a decent shot out of there in between the two bunkers on the left side of the green in the rough and chipped it up to about ten feet and made that putt. That kind of got me going right there making that first putt. Number two I hit good three-wood off the tee, hit wedge to about a foot and a half or so. I tapped that one in. And I just made a couple of good solid pars on the next three holes. I got to number six the par five. Let's see, what did I do there? I hit a good drive down the middle, laid up with a two-iron and then I hit sand wedge probably to about 10, 12 feet right beside the hole. I got a good bounce, landed short of the green and hopped up 12 feet right short of the hole and made the putt. Number eight the par three just hit a good smooth three iron in there, probably about ten feet short and right off the hole to a good solid putt. It happened to go in. Number nine, good drive. Hit wedge another foot and a half or so. A good couple of good wedge shots that helped out on the front nine. Got to the back, made a good solid par on ten, had a tricky putt from the right fringe. It's kind of a double breaker and very slick, you know, rolled it up there a five inches from the hole. Eleven I hit it about ten feet short of the hole and made another good putt.

OMAR URESTI: Eight-iron off the tee there. It's just short of the hole.

12 I hit a good drive which is -- this is my second year I played this event and probably the first time I hit that fairway. So that kind of got me excited there and then I hit -- gosh, I hit wedged about two feet there, tapped that in. 13, par five. I hit a good drive, actually trying to go for the 13 in two with a three-wood. Hit that, stayed straight, turned out to be a good layup. A wedge shot for 50 yards for a sand wedge, had a five or six footer, made that one. I hit a left to right break. 14, hit a good drive down the left center. Hit wedge to about ten feet and made that one right in the center. Had a little wait on 15 tee box. I started thinking about everything too much, getting anxious, a little nervous as well. I just got a little quick with my tee shot and hit it right in the rough. There was a big clump of grass in front of the ball. I didn't know how it was going to come out. Hit my bump and run. Hit it too hard, it went over the green. I was on the down slope. I was trying to get it somewhere in the vicinity of the hole. It landed on the green and rolled, ended up not hitting it hard enough. Two putted for bogey. I was kind of a little disappointed there. Especially on such a short hole.

OMAR URESTI: I still had like a 20 footer left. So I was just trying -- kind of guarding from hitting it too hard. I didn't want to go over the front part of the green there. Got a little quick on the next hole with a little seven iron and ended up on the right front of the green. And I just didn't hit my first putt hard enough. I left myself about a four or five footer, kind of decelerated on my putt. I three putted for bogey. 17 and 18 I hit four good shots, good tee shot, about a three-wood on 17 and 18, decent iron, made a good putt coming back for par. 18 I hit good tee shot and good six iron in there. Had a little real quick putt down the hill and right to left. Just didn't play it quite high enough. Then made a good two and a half three footer there for par. I was very happy with today's round. I hit the ball really well and made I some putts finally, hadn't really putted. I've been putting well. Nothing has been falling. Finally started falling, hopefully it's a good sign for the weekend.

OMAR URESTI: I don't know if it cost me a four or five shot lead. I think it hurt me a little bit. Just because I started thinking a little too much and I just got, like I said, anxious. My swing got quick for two holes. After that I was able to settle down.

OMAR URESTI: I didn't actually see the leader board. I don't think until, gosh, probably number 16 or 17, walking up 16 green. Probably when I saw the leader board and saw I had two- or three-shot lead, whatever it was. So it wasn't because of the leader board. I knew I had seen it a few holes before, and saw that I was at eight under and tied with a few guys, and so I kind of was keeping it in my head. It wasn't because I looked at the board. The way -- I know I was playing good, eight under through 14 holes. I hadn't done that in a while. It was just a good feeling to be there.

OMAR URESTI: Last year at Bay Hill I was like a out of the lead after two days and late after safety's round. It's been over a year, I guess.

OMAR URESTI: I played a solid round on Sunday there and Mickelson went nuts with about three holes to go. I saw he had a four-shot lead or something on me. It kind of took the air out of me. I missed the last three holes. I missed three putts under ten feet or birdie.

OMAR URESTI: I slept well. I didn't have any problems. I probably saw a movie. I don't remember. I usually do that. A few times a week I see movies, to take my mind off it so I don't have to think.

OMAR URESTI: Yes.

OMAR URESTI: Nine years older.

OMAR URESTI: Um, it just kind of -- it's pretty competitive, so when I'm playing well, he's able to kind of keep me focused and everything. Sometimes when things are going bad, I can take things out on him a little easier than I could on another caddie that is not my brother. It's kind of funny, Colonial -- Rusty, my brother, was sick and I ended up having another guy caddie for me and just took a few holes or couple of days to get adjusted, you know, to having somebody new. So it was kind of a weird feeling. I ended up getting along -- we worked really well together, so if ever I need somebody, I might call him up again. Working with my brother, it works out really well.

OMAR URESTI: Rusty.

OMAR URESTI: I guess -- I know they saw -- my mom heard the name Omar Sharif, and saw him, and all that; kind of just named me after him.

OMAR URESTI: No, no. One of my favorite is "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" with Clint Eastwood.

OMAR URESTI: Definitely probably going 4 o'clock this afternoon.

OMAR URESTI: I don't know. There's a theater about three miles from my hotel. I've seen everything already there. Hopefully, something new started today.

OMAR URESTI: Saw it.

OMAR URESTI: It was good.

OMAR URESTI: There has been some good talent coming out of UT, especially recently. Bob Estes was there my freshman year. Justin Leonard was a freshman, my senior year so was Harrison Frazer. They've always had a pretty good program. Probably nine or ten of us all on tour right now that are members of the PGA TOUR. And Harrison and I have played quite a few practice rounds together this year, and it's been good to see him play well, especially at home at Dallas and Fort Worth, when he had to those good weeks, and especially this week, when his wife is not out with him. Earlier in the year she was working a lot and I saw a few movies a lot. That's kind of someone I can do that with.

OMAR URESTI: At least one a week. I try to see at least one a week. I go a couple weeks every now and then, especially like around home when it gets a little tough, but I think this week I've already seen two. The week of Atlanta I saw, I want to say five. So it depends where I'm at and how close the theaters are and who all is around.

OMAR URESTI: "Armegeddon" and "Mulan," the Disney animated one. That was actually pretty good.

OMAR URESTI: I enjoyed it very much.

OMAR URESTI: Whatever is not out, at least at this theater. Hopefully, like I said, there's something new coming out today, we'll see.

OMAR URESTI: I've been hitting the ball pretty well the last couple of weeks. Usually I drive it fairly straight. But U.S. Open a couple of weeks ago that killed me. Right now I just put a new putter in the bag. A new Teardrop 88302 they've come out with. It has a slight roll on the face, started using that this week. So far it's felt really good in the hands and looks really good sitting down there.

OMAR URESTI: I know what I need to do to stay up there. As matter of getting it done, try not to get anxious or nervous. Things start going well again, I'll try not to look at the leader board as much. It's kind of hard when you're looking at these big old screens when you're walking towards them, when you're walking to the green. Try not to get too anxious out there.

OMAR URESTI: I played with Tiger when he made that hole-in-one. That's the biggest crowd I've ever seen, probably 100 people in every hole. That was kind of nerve wracking to start with. Once you get going, you can get focused a little bit. Kind of get used to it.

OMAR URESTI: When he made that hole in one? That was crazy.

OMAR URESTI: Yes, very much so. It definitely is. I know those guys. They're good players. I'm just as good as they are, I feel. And we'll just see what happens.

OMAR URESTI: Thank you.