U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 23, 2006

Kevin Tway

CRAIG SMITH: Kevin, if I'm counting up, I've got you at 3 under par, and through two days of stroke play three out of 12 rounds here there, were three people under par the whole two days. So, you must have played terrific.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I played pretty well. I'm just trying to hit fairways and greens and just putt pretty well.

So if you just keep hitting fairways and greens, the golf course isn't this hard. You have some to make birdies so just capitalize on that.

CRAIG SMITH: There are some opportunities to make birdies out there? From what I heard the first two days, there aren't many.

KEVIN TWAY: There's a couple I guess. You have wedges into a couple of holes, and if you're hitting wedges good, and the greens are softer today, you can actually go at the pins and hold some greens. It was a little easier today.

CRAIG SMITH: What did you think when you looked at the bracket? You didn't draw a no namer.

KEVIN TWAY: I know. When I played with him two years ago at the British Open and finished tied for 15th, I was a little overwhelmed. Just knew I had to play pretty well and just, I don't know, having my dad on the bag is a really big help. He's pretty much my teacher and helps me out. I figured I could beat him if I played pretty good.

CRAIG SMITH: That's the easy question. What does dad bring to you on the bag?

KEVIN TWAY: He brings everything. If I hit a bad shot, I ask him why, and he'll tell me exactly. He reads the greens good. He's just makes me play real smart and calms me down.

CRAIG SMITH: A little more confidence, too?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah.

Q. How did you feel about the way you were playing coming into this week, did you anticipate being able to get into match play and obviously play so well in the first round?

KEVIN TWAY: I figured could I play match play pretty easily and just played well and played one shot at a time. Just trying to keep plugging along, just play my game and just see how it works out.

Q. Did you feel pretty comfortable with the way you were playing coming in?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I felt pretty good. Haven't been feeling great, but was kind of hurting and now it's all right.

Q. You said you're kind of hurt?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I've got like lower back pain or something. It's all right now.

Q. When did that sort of happen?

KEVIN TWAY: It happened like a couple weeks ago at the Canon Cup. I think I pulled something or something like that. I've just been resting at home and just trying to get ready for this.

CRAIG SMITH: Did winning the Junior help you confidence wise to not only play here, but play every where you go knowing that you're that good now?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, it helped a lot. Just helped myself know that I could play with some of the best players in the country and just beat them most of the time. I don't know, it's just a stepping stone to just keep going up and trying to become a professional golfer.

CRAIG SMITH: Not to equate your game one versus the other, but size up your game; what is the part that allows you to win?

KEVIN TWAY: I always hit the ball pretty straight and pretty solid, and I'm usually pretty good with my irons and wedges. I don't putt great all the time. I'm just trying to work on that because I usually hit lots of fairways and greens.

CRAIG SMITH: And you're slowly carving a name for yourself so that your father you're not going to be the 'son of Bob Tway.' Maybe some day Bob can be the 'father of Kevin Tway,' who knows; that's your goal, but is it a good thing or a bad thing as you go through golf to have, Tway.

KEVIN TWAY: I think it's a good thing because, I don't know, since he's played the game, he's basically my role model and he's done everything I want to do pretty much. He's played in the highest levels pretty much for like 20 years, so I think he's seen about everything.

Q. And what do you have left? You have high school year?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I've got one high school senior year and then I'm off to Oklahoma State for college.

Q. So how do you go from doing this to playing on your high school golf team?

KEVIN TWAY: I don't know, just basically take it one tournament at a time I guess. It's not as big, but I guess it's pretty fun playing with the team. I don't know, our high school team is pretty good, so that's fun.

Q. How different a golfer are you than, say, the start of last summer before you won the Junior?

KEVIN TWAY: I don't know, just confidence wise I'm a lot better and I have a lot more confidence that I can accomplish a lot.

I don't know, I just basically, the same game, I just accomplish more during that summer and just growing up a little bit and having the better mind game and stuff like that.

CRAIG SMITH: And I guess if we're going to turn this into some sort of feature story or something, you probably don't get a chance to play too often with dad, but is it fun; is there a competition now that there wasn't there two years ago, who hits it farther, you know, what are the bets? Give me some of the fun when you guys play.

KEVIN TWAY: When me and my dad play, we don't get to play that often, but when we do, it's mostly just working on our swings and stuff, not really keeping scores much. If we do I'm trying real hard not to let him beat me, he's trying real hard not to let me beat him; I think I've beat him a couple of times but not too many. I hit about as far as him but if he really wants to, I think he can hit it by me if he needs to.

CRAIG SMITH: When you watch him play, what is it that where there's a different shot, is it short game, is it the course management, what do you want to emulate in him yet that's not there?

KEVIN TWAY: I think he manages around the course more better than I do. That's why it's a big help for me just having him on the bag. He always tells me I hit the ball about as good as I object. I hit the ball better than him. He's a pretty good putter, too.

CRAIG SMITH: Do you do into this, do you have I think I know the answer before I ask the question, do you have expectations? You just beat somebody really, really good.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I guess, I don't know, I'm just trying to play my own game and see how far that gets me. I don't know, you don't really come into a tournament like trying to like win. You just prepare to play well, play your best and just take it one at a time.

CRAIG SMITH: When we were at the Junior, you didn't pack quite enough clothes and you had to go shopping. Did you pack enough this time?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I packed plenty of clothes, about nine outfits. So it will get me to the end.

CRAIG SMITH: You've come a long way. Thanks, Kevin.

End of FastScripts.