U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2005

Martin Ureta

THE MODERATOR: We have Martin Ureta, runner up of the 2005 United States Amateur Public Links. Great match today. Why don't you just take us through some thoughts, a 1 up loss, you know it was right down to the end.

MARTIN URETA: Gosh, the first nine holes, I was 4 up and feeling very, very comfortable, playing really solid golf and putting well. And then the back nine, I made a couple of mistakes. I hit a great shot on 11, which I thought was going to be right there close to the pin, and it went to the back of the green, that thick rough, and I lost the hole there.

Then he just started playing well. He made birdies and I didn't. When you're playing the finals of the Public Links, you've got to make birdies. I finished 1 up, and then the afternoon, I just, you know, made a few mistakes that just couldn't do.

Q. Talk about the putting on 18 in the morning that much, do you think that gave him a lot of momentum, it was 2 up and he made a nice long putt?

MARTIN URETA: You know, he's such a good putter. Every time I was on the green and he was on the green, I felt like I had to make it because I knew he was to make it. He was either going to make it or lip it out or just put it real close.

So a 3 putt was just not in my mind. He was not going to lose the hole with a 3 putt. You know, like you said, that definitely gave him a lot of momentum, because we made the turn and he was 4 down, and then all of a sudden he's a putt to make and just to go 1 down and he just, you know, just pure candy.

Q. Talk about maybe the 34th hole, the 16th hole out there, the par 4, you hit a pretty good shot in there and he just stuffs it to about two feet. What club did you hit and what were your thoughts?

MARTIN URETA: I had 147 to the pin. I hit pitching wedge to about ten feet. I was just thinking, you know, birdie, birdie, birdie, because he had about 110 maybe, 120, and he's got such a good short game and he's just so good with his wedges. I knew I had to make a birdie and he stuffed it right there to about two feet. I just didn't I was just not aggressive enough.

Q. How would you just, the whole week, just summarize the whole week for us. Obviously it's disappointing losing but overall it was a good week, you're in the Amateur and exempt from local U.S. Open qualifying next year, what are you going to take out of this week?

MARTIN URETA: Coming into this week, for some reason I've always felt really good playing match play. I won the North/South last year and I just love match play. I love that challenge. This whole week I was just feeling very comfortable putting well, and that's what I liked. I knew I was putting well, so all I had to do was just put it on the green and just give myself a chance and I knew I was going to be right there.

This whole week, I just putted well and didn't drive it as well as I would have liked to, but I hit my irons very, very well. Gosh, just today, it was just not it. Today was not meant to be. He played better coming down the stretch, he made three birdies on the last four holes.

Q. I watched you play the last couple of days. Your short game, how much do you work on to me, every time you're in trouble, you're able to get yourself out of trouble very easily. That shot yesterday against Anthony, 90 percent of the time you're going it make bogey there, and even today just around the greens, it seemed like every time you were able to get that ball around the hole.

MARTIN URETA: That shot against Anthony yesterday, it was special. It was a tough shot, it was a buried lie, downhill, and I just somehow made par.

Coming back to your question, if I've got three hours to practice, I'll probably practice two and a half on my short game. I probably hit about well, when I was in high school, you know, the usual mistake when you're a kid, you just hit balls and hit balls and hit balls and hit balls, which there's nothing wrong with it, but it all comes down to short game at this level. We can all hit it pretty far and pretty good, but it all comes down to short game. Well, he showed it today. I practice about, you know, if I can, two hours a day on my short game.

Q. I notice your parents are here this week. How often do they get a chance to come see you play in the States?

MARTIN URETA: Well, they reside back home, so usually they come when I'm playing tournaments in the summer. That's the only time I see them besides Christmas.

Q. And how special was it to have them here this week?

MARTIN URETA: It's awesome. He's such a fan of me and he just loves I think he loves to golf more than I do. You know, so I'm sure he's happier than I am right now.

Q. I know you're disappointed obviously not to win and get obviously not the Masters invitation, but you do get a lot of other exemptions. You've played the U.S. Amateur twice and now you don't have to qualify. I'm sure you're happy about that. Give us some thoughts about the rest of the summer.

MARTIN URETA: Yeah, even though I lost today, I don't feel like I did. I don't feel like I lost. I played great. So I've got to look at the positives and I'm going to the Western next week, and, again, you know, it's stroke play, but if you're in the sweet 16, you get to play match play.

I've just got to look at the positives. I've got a lot of confidence going on, and like you said, I don't have to qualify for the Amateur now and that's always a shootout, qualifying for the Amateur. That's a big relief.

Q. Merion, know anything about the history of the golf course?

MARTIN URETA: Never have. I've heard a lot of things about it, though and I'm looking forward to it.

Q. Finishing runner up here and last year you won the North/South, All American, are you looking ahead a year ahead from now when the World Amateur Team and your chances of maybe representing Chile in South Africa?

MARTIN URETA: Yeah, you know, I already played that tournament once when I was when I had just turned 15 years old in Germany. My roommate is South African and that's going to be my senior year, so I was already thinking about that and I'm most likely going to play it. I hope I get to play it. So, yes, that will be a lot of fun.

Q. Did you hear from any Chileans from last night, maybe Nicole Perrot or somebody else from Chile who called and wished you luck today?

MARTIN URETA: No, I just heard from my relatives. I must have had 25 missed calls this morning. I turned my cell phone off last night around eight o'clock because I knew it was going to be on all night. Just my relatives.

Q. You're a very accomplished golfer and it seems almost as though Clay came a little bit out of nowhere in terms of his lack of attention, lack of recognition, yet it doesn't matter where it came from because you ran into a heck of a player this week.

MARTIN URETA: Yes.

Q. Talk about his emergence in general and what you think of his game, and this may be a life changing event for him.

MARTIN URETA: Gosh, he's just a really solid player. He might not be as accomplished as Anthony Kim or Jeff Overton, Matt Every, great names that were here this week, but he came out on top. He just proved to everybody that he's got to the game to do it, and he drives it real well. He's confident with his irons, and, you know, when he's around the greens, he knows if he's not on the green, he's going to make it up and down. And if he's got a good chance for birdie he knows he's going to make it. He's got the game. He's an unbelievable player.

Q. What does a week like this do for your confidence? Obviously you had some credentials coming here, but getting to the finals can be a springboard for a guy to take it to another USGA event down the line or a bigger championship down the line.

MARTIN URETA: Yeah, it does a lot. You know, just making it to the finals really just gives you, you know, it boosts your confidence up definitely. Now I've got, you know, three big tournaments coming up and it's just a good feel. It's going to be a good feel to be out playing the Western knowing that I've made it to the finals and then defending title at North/South and knowing that that's another match play tournament and knowing that I can do it, which I'm exempt for match play. So, you know, it's just a good, good feel go into this tournament.

Q. I was wondering whether you could comment a little bit about the relationship you have with your caddie.

MARTIN URETA: Gosh, it was really fun this week with Tom. The first day when I was on the range with him, you know, I asked him, "Do you mind if I ask how old you are?" And I'm expecting, you know, 50, 55, and he said 70. And I'm like, "You know, come on, you're lying to me." He's in better shape than I am, you know. He was keeping up with me all day, walking along with me and just keeping me loose and talking with me. It was just really, really fun. It was really fun. I was lucky, I was lucky to have him on the bag this week. Hopefully, you know, his game will improve after this week.

Q. Just a random draw to get him this week?

MARTIN URETA: No, just luck. Pure luck.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on a great week and good luck with the next three events you've got. Those are big, big events.

End of FastScripts.