U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 23, 2005

Kevin Tway

THE MODERATOR: My pleasure to introduce Kevin Tway, US Junior Amateur champion for 2005.

I guess before we ask any specific questions in your game, that must have a pretty nice ring to it. You fought all week for it.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, it's been a long week. I played about 11 rounds here. I was just trying to do as best as I can to win the tournament.

Q. Where do you think you won it? It looked to me on paper like your first nine holes.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I started off great, played the first nine holes really good. When I was winning those holes, it felt really good. I just tried to keep doing the same thing for the rest of the time.

Q. Your iron play this morning, I think you only made one birdie outside 25 feet in the morning round.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I was hitting my irons really well. Fortunately, I had some distances to the holes so I could just swing full and hit them where I wanted to.

Q. I notice your dad embraced you. What kind of words did he whisper in your ear when you were hugging there?

KEVIN TWAY: He said, "Great job, son." He couldn't really say much because I think he was crying. He said, "Great job and happy birthday."

Q. That's a pretty good birthday present. Can you think of one that would be any better than this?

KEVIN TWAY: No, I couldn't really think of one. Maybe some new golf clubs or something (laughter). I like getting new stuff, so...

Yeah, but this is a pretty good birthday present.

Q. When did you think you finally had the match in control? You were up 6 at one point and he started making a run at you.

KEVIN TWAY: I was up 6. He birdied 9 and 10. Then after Hole 13, when I made a good up and down, I thought if I just hit in the fairway and stay on the green, I could pull it out.

Q. How good is the competition? One stroke can separate many of the players. How did it become your day and not someone else's?

KEVIN TWAY: I don't really know. Yeah, there are a lot of good players, but I just guess me and my caddie had a better game plan than most of the contestants. We just stuck to it and it worked out great.

Q. The game plan was a little aggressive this morning for 18 holes, then once you had the lead it seemed like it was just a steady try and make pars.

KEVIN TWAY: Well, it was pretty much the same. But the second round, I just didn't hit as good of shots. Just didn't look as good.

But it was pretty much the same game plan.

Q. Seemed like when you were out there playing, you were very even keeled with your emotions. Are you as even keeled as you look and is that something you do consciously or is that your nature?

KEVIN TWAY: Before this year, I was kind of like very emotional and stuff. But my dad keeps telling me that attitude is everything, and if I have good emotions, good things will happen to you. Just tried to keep a good attitude throughout the round.

Q. You were able to do that?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah. I was able to do that. EJ really helped me to calm me down if I hit a bad shot or something.

Q. What kind of things would he tell you to calm you down and help you out like that?

KEVIN TWAY: He would just tell me I don't really know. I kind of forget. Tell me to take big deep breaths to calm my nerves, just hit solid shots.

Q. At the beginning of the week there was some focus on you because of your dad, he's a major champion. Six days later now you've gone through the stroke play, the match play, how far have you come as a golfer this week than when you first got here?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I'd say I've come pretty far. I played pretty good this year. This is just another step up to get where I want to be in life, which is a professional golfer.

Q. How much did changing the attitude help you become a better golfer?

KEVIN TWAY: It helped a lot. It probably helps more than practicing probably because attitude's like if you keep a good attitude, you can always come back and hit good shots. It's very important.

Q. Talking about EJ, you mentioned something about the first part of the week you were struggling with your putting, pulling a few putts. Mentioned a couple drills that you did. What did you specifically do to kind of get your confidence back on the greens? You made a lot of putts the last couple days.

KEVIN TWAY: We put these two shafts on the green like going towards the hole to where it breaks. I would just stroke it through it so I could start the ball on line. Once you start on line, it's pretty good. We would just pick a spot on the greens, I would just try to roll it over, and it worked perfectly.

Q. If I'm right, I think a couple of times when you made really good shots, you looked up, saw dad off in the distance. Never really wanted to make eye contact with you, did he?

KEVIN TWAY: I don't really know. Every time I look at him, he just smiles at me and it helps me. I couldn't really see because of the sunglasses.

Q. How important has it been to build your own resume? Like David said, you came in as maybe Bob Tway's son, and now maybe he's your father.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, it helps a lot 'cause all everybody talks about is how I'm Bob Tway's son. It's fine, I like that 'cause he's a professional golfer and he helps me a lot. But now it's just I guess they're more interested in me and how I play, I guess.

Q. Your father admitted he was nervous watching you play. Can you recall a time when you watched him play that you felt very nervous watching him play?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I watched him at Pinehurst this year, and he played the first day he played good. The second day, I was kind of nervous watching him because he was like he had to like par the last three holes to make the cut. That golf course is pretty much impossible if you don't hit it in a perfect spot. You're going to make bogey.

I was just kind of nervous watching him.

Q. When did you know that dad was coming back from the British Open to be here to watch you?

KEVIN TWAY: Well, we didn't know he got into the British Open till the Wednesday of my tournament that I was in Hilton Head. He told me he was going to the British Open because he was going to caddie for me next week. But he asked me if I wanted him to go to the British Open or caddie for me. I said, "Go to the British Open." He told me he'd fly straight here and watch me play here.

Q. You didn't quite pack enough, did you? Talk about that.

KEVIN TWAY: No. I played in the Western Junior, used some of my clothes there. I just didn't pack enough. I didn't know how long I was going to be here.

But I just had to go like with two days remaining and get underwear and socks and a couple shirts. My caddie had to get all new shorts and my dad had to get clothes, too.

Q. First birthday present, right?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, it's one birthday present.

Q. You don't believe in laundry or you just figure you'd do it when you get home?

KEVIN TWAY: I guess we just figured we'd do it when we get home. We didn't really now of a laundry machine or anything. I don't really like doing laundry. We just figured we'd buy new clothes, I guess.

Q. Did you get to call any of your buddies back home? You still have one more year of high school.

KEVIN TWAY: I have two more years actually. I'm only going to be a junior. Yeah, I didn't really get a chance to call any of them. I talked to my mom and my sister. They just helped me a lot.

Q. Any idea how you'll start your "What I did on my summer vacation" paper in September?

KEVIN TWAY: I guess pretty much in all my papers I talk about golf. This will be a good tournament to talk about in one of my papers.

Q. Do you think any of your classmates will top this one?

KEVIN TWAY: Probably not. I don't really know what they're up to, so I don't know.

Q. If we look at your birthday, you get to play this one more time. You could win this two times at age 17. The final next year is one day before this one. You could sneak out twice at age 17.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, that would be really good. Fortunately the tournament ends on July 22nd, my birthday is July 23rd. I'd love to come back next year and play.

Q. I think you're exempt for that. This sort of gives you an identity of your own; not that dad is a not a great father and everything else, but you're now a name on the books and on the trophy that dad didn't get to.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I guess he didn't win this tournament. But I haven't won so many tournaments he has won yet, so I'm not there. He's still a great father.

Q. Do you have any expectations going into the amateur?

KEVIN TWAY: I'm just going to try to get there and have a game plan with my caddie EJ, because he's going to caddie for me again. I'm just going to try to play one shot at a time and just try to get as far as I can.

Q. At what point did you realize the final was on your birthday? Was it something you thought about?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I noticed it when I saw the dates. But I didn't really think I was going to get all the way because I didn't really know. I wasn't playing that good when I saw the dates. But then as I started playing better, I thought that it would be a possibility I could win on my birthday.

Q. You were a pretty good giant killer to start. Took the medalist out.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I played really good that round. I was like 5 under for the day. I just made a lot of putts. Didn't make any errors so he couldn't come back in the match.

Q. Talking to EJ yesterday, he was talking about you were talking about other great players and didn't mention yourself. Do you think now you can start to mention yourself that you're a great player, every bit as good as everybody else who is here?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I thought I was just about as good as anybody here, but I just noticed there was a lot of good players in this field and they were playing good, like Steve Saunders. When I was playing him the first round, I was kind of nervous because he was the medalist and he shot 68, 65, then won his first match 6 5, so I was kind of nervous playing him.

Q. What does it mean to have your dad here? How much has that helped you out? How cool is it that he's here to watch you win this?

KEVIN TWAY: It's really cool. I like having him at all my tournaments because he always helps me. Every time I look over there, it just helps me play better. I just really like having him here since he's not here all the time.

Q. He talked a little bit about it the other day. He said you're getting pretty good but still haven't beaten him yet.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, he never really lets me beat him. If I get up on him, he just grinds and just comes back at me because I don't think he wants me beating him yet (laughter).

Q. Can you describe your emotions as you were holding the trophy, as that was presented to you.

KEVIN TWAY: It hadn't really got to me yet. I was really excited, but it hasn't really sunk in yet that I won the US Junior and all that stuff.

Q. The trophy has a lot of pretty big names on it. I don't know if you had a chance to look at the names and thinking about you're going to be on their permanently with Tiger Woods, David Duval, Johnny Miller.

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, it feels really good that a lot of good players have won this. To have my name on there is an honor.

Q. Have you met any of those guys, Tiger Woods or Johnny Miller?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah, I've pretty much met them all. I haven't really met Johnny Miller. I met Tiger Woods. I actually mitt Byron Nelson at The Masters last year, and that was pretty cool. Yeah, I've met pretty much all the players.

Q. When did you meet Tiger?

KEVIN TWAY: I met him at The Masters in like 1999. I just said hello and talked to him for a little bit, but not much. I don't think he even remembers me.

Q. Something to share with him now, right?

KEVIN TWAY: Yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Kevin, congratulations and thanks to you.

KEVIN TWAY: Thanks very much. Thank you.

End of FastScripts.