U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 21, 1999

Ben Curtis

BEN CURTIS: I'm a little disappointed, I didn't get off to a good start like I was hoping. I didn't play very well on the font. And started playing better on the back. I hit it better and made a few good putts. But, you know, what can you do? Sometimes it's not your day. And he played great, and I didn't play very well. And I tried my hardest, and unluckily, it didn't happen.

BEN CURTIS: I think the difference was the putter at the beginning, because we both missed some greens. But he got up-and-down, made a few good putts to save par, and even bogey. He made a good 2-putt on 8, that was awesome. But I think it turned right around No. 11, when I had a short iron in my hand and I didn't hit it very close. I thought he was a little farther left than where it was, but I just didn't hit a very good shot there, and wished I hit it closer. On 12, I felt like I got a bad break, just because of the lie of the ball. There was so much grass behind the ball, I didn't know what to do. I should have stuck with my first instinct, hit it with a 3-wood, but hit it down 10 feet, and take my chances on making the putt. I got a little too cute and didn't do it. I think right in there it turned. And the putt on 13 I made was pretty good. The green there is pretty amazing. I hit a great putt, and it still went six, seven, eight feet by. It rolled down the hill. And that putt he made there was pretty good.

BEN CURTIS: Yeah, I was nervous in the beginning. The first hole it showed. I calmed down after that. I tried not to think about it. I just said, hey, it's another match, like the first round you just want to go out there and play your best and try to win. I didn't really think about it there after the 1st hole. I just -- I got focused and I just started playing.

BEN CURTIS: I just didn't play very well on the front. I made a double on 1.

BEN CURTIS: Yeah, I hit a tree on my second shot, I pulled it a little bit and hit that tree and it dropped down, and I was unable to hit it on the green. 2, I just hit it in the bunker and had a fairly good lie, but I was standing up on the grass. And I was below my feet a little bit, and I hit it heavy. Then made good birdies on 3. Made like a 15-footer there. On 4, I didn't hit a very good wedge shot, but I knew his putt was pretty quick. And I was trying to hit it up there at the hole, or just short, and I knocked it a little further by than I wanted. And fortunately, he 3-putted and I was able to knock that 4-footer in. On 6, I just didn't play -- I played too much break on my first putt, my birdie putt. And that was the difference there. 7, I just made a routine 2-putt to win the hole. Then 8, I hit it in the rough and after I saw -- I was thinking about going for it if he hit the green, but my lie wasn't very good. So I decided to chip out when I saw he hit it in the bunker, and I was going to play for a par or bogey there. And on the third shot, I hit it soft, and just got away from me a little bit and didn't get up-and-down out of the bunker. On 9, I thought I hit a decent third shot. That green is so hard there. Might as well put some bricks down there on that one. It was really rough. He made a good par-putt there to win the hole. On 10, I just didn't hit it. I thought it would be fast. All week there I have hit it too hard from that part of the green, and it just didn't -- I just didn't hit it very hard. I was a little tentative on it. I let a couple slip away on 11 and 12. I felt there I could have gotten it back, but I didn't. He made a great putt on 13 for birdie. And that hole is one of the toughest 400-yard holes you'll ever play because of the green. You can't really hit a 3-wood there, because you'll be forced with a low iron in your hand there. I made a good save on 14. I just hit it a little too hard on the third shot. I didn't think I would hit it that far, but I hit it really good. And I made a great saving putt. And then the next hole, he hit an amazing third shot in there. When he first hit it, I thought it would be pretty good, but it kept carrying. And I thought it would be a little farther away, but he put some juice on it. And then on 16, that green has been soft. It was one of the softest greens out there, and I saw his ball hit and go left a little bit. I figured if I hit it to the right a little bit and let it come back a little bit -- I didn't think I'd make it come back that much. And he 3-putted there. And 17, he made a great birdie. What can you say? It's the hardest hole out there and you make 2. It's good playing.

BEN CURTIS: I was about ten feet, just below the hole.

BEN CURTIS: Yes, I feel like I belong there. I've known that all along, but, yes, it's given me a lot of confidence coming into today. Yeah, I think it will help me out in the future, just knowing that anytime I get in a tough situation that I can come away with a win or play really good. So I feel that will help me out in the future.

BEN CURTIS: Yeah, he did,, he made it. Got in late last night, two-hour nap and came up. I was glad to see him out here.

BEN CURTIS: I don't know much about Kim. I haven't seen him play all week, but I think David is hitting the ball really well right now. I don't think he missed one or two fairways out there. So he's hitting the driver well, and he's putting really well. A few times, I think he hit it a little harder than he wanted to, but the hole had gotten away. But that's what a good player does; they make the putts. So I think it will be a good match, just as far as what I hear. Kim is playing really well, and so is David. I hope it's a good match.

BEN CURTIS: Yeah, to this point, but I had expectations for myself to do well. And to play like I did, it's a shame that I couldn't come out with a victory, but I gave it my best effort and I look forward to next year.

BEN CURTIS: We start, I believe, the 30th. We get a week off; so that will be a nice rest.

BEN CURTIS: A lot of support. I heard a rumor yesterday. My mom called home, and people were calling off our home golf course to see how I was doing. They were calling into the clubhouse to see how I was doing. I've got great support back home, a great family. And the friends at school, they'll just tease me as always. They're like: "You're good." And I'm just going to go out there and keep playing and try to do my best.

BEN CURTIS: I don't know. I had a little problems with a couple of classes, getting into some. But a couple of business courses, marketing, and then the other ones, I don't know. I don't know off the top of my head. I haven't really thought about it.

BEN CURTIS: No, it doesn't work.

BEN CURTIS: Yes.

BEN CURTIS: Mill Creek.

BEN CURTIS: Eric Frishette -- the first year Tiger won he went to the quarters, '94, Tiger put a little heat on him. But he's the furthest.