INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY QWEST

August 3, 2000

Stephen Ames

STEPHEN AMES: My thoughts, I don't think I had too many. That is good. I just went out. I think the best way to play this format is to just go out and play for score, which just playing it like a normal event and not worrying if you can make eagle here, make up your day, stuff like that. I just go out, and my may normal round of golf -- took my chances when I saw it, and played safe when I saw fit to. That is how I have played the last year, and this is the way I am going to play again this year. I struck the ball really nicely today. Hit a lot of close iron shots and made some putts. That was it, I guess.

STEPHEN AMES: I don't think it is the format. I think it is the conditions that we were playing under. Last year great conditions. This year, come back, great conditions again. I just love the fact that the greens roll so nice and true which is wonderful. Some weeks we see it. Some weeks we don't. It is hard because the weather has a lot of factor in it. Being here in Colorado I think the weather has been really dry, so I think that has helped. Basically all we are doing is just leaving them out of the water; greens are softer than last year; not hitting these monster drives that we were last year; getting up to most of the par 5s with irons, some holes we are; not all. Just the conditions, I think that is just what I love about the place.

STEPHEN AMES: No. I don't. Golf is a funny game. You just don't know when it is going to happen. I guess coming -- I thought about last year, yeah, I did sit and think about it. I thought what was nice about it that we know as a professional golfer that when we come to this event that we know the condition of the golf course is going to be in premier condition which is what it is again. So if it's anybody's fault, it is basically your own, no one else's. Or anything else, basically.

STEPHEN AMES: 17. (laughs).

STEPHEN AMES: I think we were tied for the lead coming up 16. I think I hit first. I hit it left into that trap where the pin was front left on the first slope. I didn't have much of a shot because it was up against the bank, up against the bank of the bunker. My only shot was left and long. Then I 3-putted from there. While I was 3-putting David was taking the same double-bogey somewhere in the middle. David Duval slipped in, got between the two of us. That was a great opportunity. I hadn't played much that year. What I do remember about playing last year was I was playing with a draw last year, and this year I have come in here playing with a fade. So we will see what the fade looks like compared to the draw. That has been -- always been my killer hitting a draw which has always been missing it left and last couple of weeks I have been trying to hit the other way and two weeks now I have been working on it, and last two weeks I have hit everything that way which it has been a comfort knowing that I can hit that shot and my miss is not going to be left anymore.

STEPHEN AMES: That is the one up the hill. I hit driver, 320 up the hill; 5-iron about 25 feet; made the putt.

STEPHEN AMES: Yes. I think the fade helps there. The way the hole is designed; isn't it? That is Jack Nicklaus.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, I would agree because the greens are very soft. You can fire everything at the hole, they are going to stop a lot quicker. From what I have remembered from last year they were absolutely very hard. You had to play to the right of the hole if you are going to take the opportunity of having a chance for birdie unless you were chipping back and trying to make your par. So, yeah, it is just very soft. That is all it is.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah and Wednesday.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, it changed a bit more. Playing in the morning, the fairways are definitely softer without a doubt. Some greens have got more water than others. So it is debitable which ones are harder than the others, but it is definitely different, yeah.