U.S. AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 15, 2006

Casey Watabu

BETH MURRISON: We have with us the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Champion, Casey, congratulations. Can you talk a little about your victory today?

CASEY WATABU: Thank you. It's been a long week, as you know, I haven't been feeling well, and it's a great way to end it.

I played, I guess I saved my best golf for last. I can't believe how well I played today and you know, that probably goes to my caddie and John kept me in the game. He kept me composed. He made sure that I committed to every shot and, I mean, if it wasn't for John on the bag, I wouldn't be here talking to you guys right now. It was definitely a team effort, definitely a team effort.

Q. What got into your putter?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, like I said yesterday, I just had to make a couple of putts, you know, and I did today. I guess that's why I came up on top. I just made some putts, like I said, and that's it. I knew that my ball striking was there. I knew I could hit the ball. It's just a matter of getting it in the hole and I putted beautiful today. Can't ask for more, you know. I kind of almost played flawless golf. I think I only made two bogeys out there. I shot, what, 8 under today. I can't believe it, crazy. (Laughing).

Q. There was a time when he was starting to make a move going into 10, he had just birdied and gave it the fist pump, what are you thinking and what were you doing there?

CASEY WATABU: You know, that was a big putt for him. Momentum is a huge thing in match play. He kind of had the momentum, but I knew if I made that putt, the momentum could go on my side no matter what. Even if we tried the hole, the momentum went on my side. I does it on 3 and I did it on 10. That just kept the momentum in my side. That just kept the momentum on my side.

Q. Did he seem kind of deflated after that?

CASEY WATABU: I think so. You know as you can testimony, as you can tell. He made that putt everything and was going in and then I made it on top of him and just killed all the wind in his sails.

Q. The lie on 11 where you hit it in the right rough

CASEY WATABU: That's the only shot I had, actually because to keep it low. I couldn't lay up because the trees were on the left. I told my caddie, I only have one shot and it's at the green. I hit a beautiful 3 iron from, what was it, 231 to right in the front. Couldn't hit any better shot, just a little, little draw.

Q. At that point are you trying not to make bogeys or are you trying to make birdies?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, you know, my strategy was, don't give him any holes. Just keep on making pars, make him make the birdies and win the holes. I didn't want to give him any holes. Yeah, I don't think I gave him a hole today. I was going to make sure that he worked for every hole, you know.

Q. 9 was almost

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, that putt on 9, whether he made that or not, that par putt, that was huge for me, just not to make bogey. That was like a hole where I could have gave him a hole but I made that putt and that was huge and momentum, just kept it on my side.

Q. Normally what kind of putter are you, streaky putter, average?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I'm very streaky, yeah. Like today, my putter just got hot. You know, some days, I won't make anything. But, hey, that's golf. Some days they will go in, some days they won't.

Q. What were you thinking between rounds, did you want to keep playing?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I wanted to eat something in between rounds. I knew that was going to be a long afternoon, so I had to get some energy. I did so well this morning and I told myself, hey, keep on doing the same things you're doing, take it one hole, one shot at a time, just stayed in the present and that kept me in the game.

Q. Was there a moment today when you began to realize, "today is going to be one of those days I am going to make some putts?"

CASEY WATABU: No. I just like I said, it's just one shot at a time. You know, I just do the same things that I do, and just so happened today they started to follow.

Q. Have you played the Waialae (ph) course?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, that's my home course, I live five minutes away, I play there every day.

Q. Wailua (ph)?

CASEY WATABU: I live not even five minutes away from the golf course. I've grown up on that golf course.

Q. Inaudible?

CASEY WATABU: They have had it three years, yes. It's a beautiful golf course. I don't know if they are going to go back, but they have got some grass issues over there. But you know, I'm so fortunate to grow up on those golf courses because it's such a hard, demanding golf course. I'm just so fortunate to practice on that every day.

Q. So you're a genuine public

CASEY WATABU: Yes, yes.

Q. municipal golfer?

CASEY WATABU: Yes, yes.

Q. When do you get on fancy pants courses, resorts?

CASEY WATABU: Never. Because I've got to pay. (Laughing) It's expensive back home, I mean, even for me, they don't even let me on. Yeah, you know, it's $42 a month. You buy a monthly card, $42, you can play unlimited.

Q. You said you realized the surge this year in your game; that you could play with these guys. What does a victory like this do, that realization, what does it do for you?

CASEY WATABU: You know, it's like I hope this victory is going to do the same thing that regionals did for me, you know. I look a lot of confidence out of regionals and, you know, hopefully this will be a bigger confidence booster, making that next step.

Q. Anthony was playing pretty fast, the rhythm out there

CASEY WATABU: Anthony is a real fast player and I knew that he was going to play fast. You know, I just stuck to my game, stuck to what I know, and, you know, I just didn't rush. I just took my time and I just played my own game today.

I knew he he was walking real fast and sometimes I'll get caught up and I'll try and keep up with him. You but, you know, after a while, I'm just like, no, you're doing the wrong thing and you've got to do what you know and that's playing my own game and that's what I did. I slowed myself down and make him wait, you know.

Q. Were there subtle mind games that you guys were playing with each other that maybe the average fan wouldn't recognize?

CASEY WATABU: No.

Q. For example, like slowing the pace, walking to your ball, just some glances and things like that, could you tell that he was trying to maybe get in your head a little about in some subtle way?

CASEY WATABU: No. I didn't feel anything or catch anything today. Because I mean, if he did, it didn't affect me or I didn't notice it.

Q. He was way ahead of you on 7, I think the longer tee shot

CASEY WATABU: I forgot.

Q. The tobacco juice

CASEY WATABU: That's one thing I'm not proud of I guess.

Q. Did your parents join you out here?

CASEY WATABU: Actually, I told them last night, you guys would have a lot of fun out here. The crowd's been wonderful. The golf course is in awesome shape. I knew they were going to have fun, so I told them, hey, you guys have got to come up. So they caught the red eye last night and got in this morning.

Q. Their names?

CASEY WATABU: Victor and Iris.

Q. Did they tell you they were going to come or was it a surprise?

CASEY WATABU: No, I told them. I mean, I knew that they would have a lot of fun. Having them, some people don't like their parents to follow and this and that, but my dad's been following me from when I was young, so it's something that I used to.

Q. Did he teach you how to play?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I think he introduced me to the game, but he didn't yeah.

Q. When did you know that they were here?

CASEY WATABU: On 18. Because we played pretty fast this morning. Yeah, they flew in, I think they got in around 8:00, and I guess by the time they got here, we were almost done with the first round already.

Q. Will you spend some time here or will you head back?

CASEY WATABU: You know what I've got to catch a flight tomorrow morning and go back home. I wish I could stay because John lives down the road and he wanted me to stay, you know, we can go fishing because I love to fish. I love the ocean, I love to go diving, I love the outdoors, and but, yeah, I've got to go home tomorrow morning.

Q. Does John get to caddie at The Masters?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah. He got that the loop. John got the loop.

Q. Is there something specific you have to go home for?

CASEY WATABU: Maybe I can change my flight. As of now, yeah, I'm catching that flight tomorrow morning.

Q. Taking a chance by the time they got here

CASEY WATABU: I just knew they would have a good time win or lose, yeah.

Q. Were you feeling pretty good, though, about it?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I just was kind of optimistic, you know, I just came out and I knew I got this far and why not one more. Why not one more match you know, so I just played my own game today and I'm fortunate that I came out on top.

Q. You mentioned playing that little course in Georgia ?

CASEY WATABU: That's one tournament that I've never missed. It's one tournament that I schedule things around. I always watch. Growing up as a child, you always watch the Masters. You always something you dream of, you know, playing Augusta. And, oh, I can't believe it, I'm going there in April. That's crazy.

Q. Have you ever been to Augusta ?

CASEY WATABU: No. I've been to Georgia before. I've been to Peachtree. We played a tournament. There's this Mary B., she put on this Atlanta Kauai Junior Challenge and their junior Golf Association and our junior Golf Association used to have like this I guess Ryder Cup thing and they used to go back and forth and we went to Atlanta one year and played, but that's it.

Q. Have you ever played with Michelle Wie?

CASEY WATABU: No.

Q. You've seen her withdrawal from the John Deere?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I heard about that, what happened?

Q. Heat exhaustion. She would have had more fun here what's the rest of your schedule for the summer?

CASEY WATABU: I'm going to go home and enjoy this for a little while and I've got to get back. I've got to get back to it.

Q. Do you work back home or what will you do back home, just work on your game or will you take it easy?

CASEY WATABU: I'll probably take it easy, go to the beach, relax with my friends, go fishing, go diving, do all the stuff that I love.

You know, it's hard to say this, but you know, when I go back home, golf is not the first thing on my mind.

Q. You've been playing for years, and your two major victories were May at the NCAAs and here. And those are the two things you've won in high school?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I mean, it's unbelievable. You know, I knew that I could play, and it would be sooner or later that I would it would be my time. I just kept on being patient. And, you know, like I said that, was one of my goals to win a college golf tournament. It took me five years. It took me to my second to last tournament it win a golf tournament. I guess that's kind of the same with my amateur play, you know. It took a while, but it's well worth it. Well worth the wait.

Q. Have you ever been here before for a tournament?

CASEY WATABU: Not at Gold Mountain. I've never played here before.

Q. What do you think of it?

CASEY WATABU: Oh, this place is beautiful, awesome. You can't ask for a better golf course. The shape that the golf course is in is just unbelievable. I mean, the greens are firm, the golf course is playing hard. John helped me out. He know this is golf course like the back of his hand, and he helped me out, you know, and like I said, if it wasn't for him and knowing the golf course, I don't think he would be here talking to you guys.

Q. What holes today during the championship would you have done something differently if John had not said, let's reconsider this?

CASEY WATABU: You know, we're pretty good. We're pretty good about agreeing. I know his game very well and he knows my game very well. We played together for three years already, so, I mean, it was good to have somebody on your bag that knows your game and knows what my yardage is and what I can do. So, I mean, like there wasn't anything there wasn't any shots out there that I would have done differently. You know, everything, we made sure that we committed to every shot and we made sure that it was the right shot before I hit the shot. So, I mean, you know, nothing.

Q. He gets the bag in Augusta even though he doesn't know Augusta as well?

CASEY WATABU: I think he deserves it. (Laughing).

Q. What's this illness?

CASEY WATABU: I don't know. I've just been, sore throat, like when I got here on Friday, that night, I was kind of feeling a little wheezy already. And then the next morning, I woke up with a sore throat and then I started coughing and it's in my chest now and mucus, like you can see me just coughing up all this crap.

Q. Sounds like a summer cold?

CASEY WATABU: Yeah, I'm feeling way better than I was on Monday and Tuesday, let me tell you.

End of FastScripts.