U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 1, 2000

Bruce Fleisher

BRUCE FLEISHER: Yeah, it was almost a wonderful day. But actually it was a terrific day; got off to a very good start. My driver worked very well today except for a couple of shots. But I said earlier in the week, that is the key this week, you have got to keep it in play to be offensive, otherwise, you are not going to have too many birdie opportunities. But I birdied 1, good drive, 4-iron, had about 90 yards, hit wedge to about twelve feet made that. I think No. 2 was big today because I missed the fairway, actually came out with a pretty good lie. Hit it about two yards short. I was able to put it up about ten feet and I made that one I thought that was big -- kind of kept the round going. 3rd hole, 5-wood 8-iron to about 6 feet, made that. 4th hole hit a good shot. It lipped out for birdie. The 5th hole, I hit driver, 8-iron to about three feet, made that. The 6th hole, I think I hit a 9-iron, yeah, 9-iron for my third shot, to about eight feet and I made that. Yeah, okay. 10th hole, good tee shot, good second shot to underneath the hole, I made that. I don't know how long that putt was. Gosh, I don't remember. Sorry. Anybody know?

BRUCE FLEISHER: Okay. I will buy that. Got it up-and-down on 12, it was kind of a start of my blip, but I -- I regained my consciousness. Good tee shot on 13. I hit 7-iron to about ten feet, made that. 14, I blocked it right. I actually my real bad tee shot of the day. I had kind of an iffy lie. I chose to try to make 4 the hard way which I didn't, I made bogey there. Then I really didn't have too many birdie opportunities. I had birdie opportunity, I guess, on 16; actually hit a pretty good putt. But wasn't meant to be. Good 2-putt on 17; then I messed up on 18 there, so...

BRUCE FLEISHER: That putt was about four feet, and I really -- I misread that putt. (inaudible) the thing really swung left. I am saying I don't know how it did that because I am looking at the putt to go left-to-right. It actually did go left, so you know, you hate to finish on that note, but I am not going to let that upset my evening.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Yeah, I hit a 5-wood, then I hit an 8-iron to about six feet right of the hole. It was a treacherous putt too, let me tell you.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Well, there was -- noisy place. I guess that is why they call it Saucon Valley. But no, leaderboard is out there. You see what is happening, so, I was really trying not to look at the leaderboard too much and obviously they played very well today. It is going to be tough tomorrow. If we get the same two guys, I don't know how many guys are in the hunt, well, doesn't matter. I am playing with Hale tomorrow and I think he is going to be the one to beat.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Well, Hale has been there before. Hale certainly has nothing to prove, or lose, actually, the way I look at it. My first real experience as far as a major, I am going to try to go into it as manly as I can and I'd like to sit here and say I am going to have fun with it - I am not. But Hale is a champion and a great player. I am just -- I am just going to try to play the way I have been playing the last three days. And it may be good enough. It may not.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Absolutely. (laughs) I agree. Yeah, but, you know what, this is a different week; this is another year; different time. Maybe it is my time. I am not going to back off, I can tell you that. I may not play worth a damn, I am not going to back off.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I think it takes guys like me to make Hale mad. I mean, he likes that, you know, but no, I guess someone has got to be the best out here. It is nice to be the best out here if that is what you think.

BRUCE FLEISHER: It is a nerve-wracking business, you know, my wife gave me a wonderful talk this morning. She always -- she is a psychology major. She always makes a lot more sense than I do. I deal with -- you know, we deal with failure and we deal with emotion and we deal with success out here and you know, you guys write about it. I try to downplay it. You know, it is like missing that putt on the last hole, I know the world saw it. So you say to yourself, well everyone thinks I choke, so to speak. In my heart I know I hit it where I wanted to hit it. Just misread the putt didn't make the putt. But very difficult to explain what is going through your mind. I probably put a lot more pressure on myself than I should because if we took - and I am getting philosophical now because it is the only way I can --

BRUCE FLEISHER: If you took everything in the realm of life, this golf tournament means very little. And I am not trying to be religious. Even though it is important to a lot of people, you know, it is important to the charities hopefully that are receiving this week. Certainly important to my bank account, if it happens. But those things really are meaningless because you are still dealing with, you know, I am dealing with how people perceive me that I have always dealt within my life where I always had to be better. And that is hard to live up to. I wish -- I just wish one time I didn't care so much of what people really thought of me. And I think there are some players or maybe some people that can go through life being that way. And maybe happier that way in the long run, I am not quite sure. I know that -- I remember Billy Andrade telling me one thing when I was very nervous, we were in contention, it was in Atlanta. I said Bill, how do you deal with all these people. How do you deal with yourself emotionally. How do you deal with failure. He says No. 1, Bruce, all these people out here, they aren't paying your bills. Now, they are out here for a couple of different reasons. Socializing; girl watching, drinking, some of them may want to come out and watch golf, very few; he says, so those people, you know, they want a show. They don't really care if you are Bruce Fleisher, Billy Andrade, they just want to see a show. When you leave this golf course, No. 2, your wife is still going to love you; dog is going to lick; your kids are going to love you. No. 3 all you can ask for is of yourself is be the best of yourself that you can be in that moment of time. If that is it, if you don't pull it off, so be it.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Wendy.

BRUCE FLEISHER: No we, are not that religious. She was talking about the greats, the Nicklauses; the Palmers, the Trevinos, the Players, Irwins. These guys are out here for a different reason than myself. These guys have lived their dream. They are continuing on doing something they love and give back. These guys are giving back for what they did years ago. I never did what they did years ago. I survived. I was sort of like a journeyman. Now I am living my dream so I can't be -- trying to find the right word --

BRUCE FLEISHER: That is pretty good, I like that. She just made sense. She made me feel a lot more comfortable of what I am trying to do in my life at this particular point in time. And I am not quite sure what it is.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I wish I could have more fun. This gentleman called me "wallpaper" the other day. But I don't know if it's supposed to be fun out there. Certainly the USGA doesn't make it fun. I don't know if Lee Trevino -- if you can put Lee Trevino under a lie detector test or Chi Chi who are able to show a lot of their personalities, if it would show they are really having fun. Maybe when I have 100 million in the bank I will be fine. I don't think even think that is right.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Absolutely. Absolutely.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I was hoping you could help me. No, I think tomorrow -- tomorrow I am just going to try to do the same thing I have been doing. Keeping the ball in play, just keep my rhythm, hopefully make a few putts, don't get too excited, don't get ahead of myself.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I think you can't cut anybody out. If we -- I think you can slip off very fast out there the way Tom is playing. I don't really know what the leaderboard is -- Tom is 10-under? Anybody -- four back. Doyle 4 back, I think everybody within five or six really if they get going, this could be a horserace.

BRUCE FLEISHER: How have I been playing this year? I have been jerking around with my golf swing the last three months, and I decided to go back to my old swing this week and I think every week is a new week. I have always felt if I can get out of the box, I will have a good week. But that is for everybody. If you can get out of the box, get in the battle, it seems to just flow that way. I played good two weeks ago, I didn't play good last week, particularly. This week I am playing well, so hopefully I can continue. Three wins are great. But it just seems like they are not that easy. To win is not that easy. Go home; have dinner; see you tomorrow.

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