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BELL CANADIAN OPEN

September 11, 2005

Stephen Ames

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Stephen Ames to the interview area. 2 over par 72 today, I know it didn't finish the way you wanted to.

STEPHEN AMES: Why does everybody say that? (Laughing).

JOE CHEMYCZ: Because you made a double bogey on the last hole.

STEPHEN AMES: Did I?

JOE CHEMYCZ: Still a good week for you, just talk about your week here if you don't mind.

STEPHEN AMES: I think overall it was a great week. I think the RCGA did a hell of a job in preparing the golf course, getting it ready for the Canadian Open. I think overall the golf course probably has been recognized as one of best, if not the best, in Canada for playing the Canadian Open on. I just hope that in the future we get to play on golf courses like this more often.

Q. You and your brother seemed to talk a lot today in terms of clubs and also on the greens, was the course playing a lot differently because of the wind or what was it?

STEPHEN AMES: Yes, obviously the wind was in a completely opposite direction to what it has been the first three days, or five days, should I say. The greens obviously got a little quicker, a little firmer, what you expect for Sunday, and I think overall it reflected on the scores. I think there were a couple of guys who broke par. Not too many guys broke par today. I think the golf course won this week, without a doubt.

Q. When you got to 18, did you know that you needed birdie?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, I did. I tried to make birdie on the last couple of holes and didn't come out unfortunately.

I guess you could add that to pressure, being in that situation, I haven't been in that situation. I'm trying to press the issue a little bit maybe rather than just letting it happen. Like I said, for me this is a good turnaround for what I've had all year, basically some of the summer. And now that this has come through, I'm looking forward to the last four events this I've got to play in, and definitely going to get myself ready for next year to start stamping on the door again.

Q. You know how hard it was for Weir last year and you know how hard it was for you today with everybody rooting and everything, is it just going to get harder and harder for a Canadian to win this until it happens?

STEPHEN AMES: I think eventually a Canadian will win this. I think the work that the RCGA and the CGJA are trying to do now with the junior golfers and a lot of the local interests and investors, Jim Kinear (ph) playing golf, everybody is going to step forward and say, you know what, we're getting a lot of good Canadian golfers who are playing well week in and week out on the U.S. Tour. It's time we start putting something back into golf and make it a feasible sport to contend and put Canada more on the map so we can compete against obviously the United States.

Q. What about on court pressure? Can it be too much almost?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, it can be, without a doubt. I think on the whole, Canadians are hungry for a Canadian champ. Mike has definitely stepped into that role. It's added a lot of pressure on to the rest of us obviously.

Q. You were obviously very sharp yesterday, did you feel as sharp today?

STEPHEN AMES: I did. I did. I felt really sharp today. There are times, probably the driver might have let me down a little bit but the conditions did change. It got a lot tougher today on the whole with the wind changing in a different direction.

I think overall, I'm not going to complain with the way I played. Maybe like I said, probably be inside pressure coming rather than letting it happen. I was pressing to make it happen and that's probably why I faltered coming down the line and probably why I faltered on some of the holes. Overall considering being level for the day and taking double on the last, I'm not going to complain about that playing, no.

Q. Was it a good week for your family to have Jodi back and the kids and the family together again at a golf tournament?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, it was. It just so happened it was fun. I enjoy the fact of my kids coming and watching me play golf. I know Ryan, the youngest one, he really enjoys the golf a lot. He's obviously going to be a very good golfer himself. At six years old, he inspires me a lot. I'm looking forward to the fact that when he does get to that position to play, and for next year I'm actually looking to put him in some junior events to play in because he wants to play.

Overall, I think we had a fabulous weekend. Obviously the weather hear is just a little bit better than it is here in Calgary at home, we had flurries, so I think she's happy to be here. No, I think we are quite happy.

Q. Does the fact that Jodi is back at a golf tournament, is that sort of symbolic of maybe the worst being behind you now and that chapter starting to recede?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, it has. I've definitely felt a load taken off my shoulders, so the fact that that's behind us now and all we can do now is look forward and try to stay as healthy as we can and go on from there like everybody else in the world.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Stephen, thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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