FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 12, 1997

Steve Veriato

STEVE VERIATO: Yeah, it's been a while.

STEVE VERIATO: As far as qualifying, you probably got the number. I don't know the number. I probably was around 70, I guess.

STEVE VERIATO: Right. I started last May. I don't know when this tournament was last year.

STEVE VERIATO: I guess, accumulated enough money from July to July to get here. What was the other question? Oh, Hawaii. Kind of fun. I like Hawaii.

STEVE VERIATO: Yeah. It was fun. Nice, warm weather. Just missed the blue water and the coconut trees up here in Detroit, though.

STEVE VERIATO: Actually, I walked away very discouraged at Olympia Fields. Really one bad hole. I've got a good supporter back there to remind me how well I played throughout the whole week. But, when you're the guy behind the gun, sometimes you shoot blanks. But that week was pretty good. And I should look at it that way and did look at it that way after a few days at home. I did play well. Had a few mistakes in the last day. Kind of opens your eyes a little bit. Saw, you know, leading the US Open, never done that before. Someone made it aware to me, that, "Hey, that's something you haven't done before." I've done it now. So maybe I can stay up there a little longer. I can't wait to try again for the US Open. This is almost like one. I think I'm faring in very well. I expect to continue.

STEVE VERIATO: Yeah. I never do that real well. I think the very 1st hole, hit a 9-iron in there. That was about five feet, I guess. Made a birdie on 1. 2, I was in there a little close and didn't make it. 3 was the par 5. I was 2 in the bunker. Got up-and-down out of the bunker on 3, birdied 3. I was right behind the hole on 4, on the right edge, made a long chip, bogeyed that hole. And I think on 5, hit about an 8-iron in there, about eight feet or so, made a birdie.

STEVE VERIATO: No. 5.

STEVE VERIATO: Didn't I birdie 5?

STEVE VERIATO: That's okay. Parred 7. Parred 8. I'm sorry. 7 is the par 5. I missed the green on 8, about pin-high. It was a very difficult shot. I even got Graham to take his hat off for me. I chipped it in from the right rough, went right in the hole. And I think I was up there fairly good on 9, made a bad putt, but -- pardon, parred. Parred 10. Birdied 11. I hope that's a skin, but probably not. I hit a sand wedge in there about 12 feet down the hole, and made a putt coming down the hill. And I thought we were going to bogey 12. We were in that big hollow on the left, chipped up long, made about an 18-footer for par. And I guess the rest of them were on the green, 2-putt, on the par 5 I messed up, I guess. In the bunker, second shot in front of the green there. Y'all ought to go see that hole. Wedged it up there, fell back down in the hole on the right, that big old hollow, and 2-putted for a par. Then parred the rest of the way, except for 18, 3-putted from the fringe.

STEVE VERIATO: The left side, the biggest one (laughter).

STEVE VERIATO: I think the weather, for one, is great. The course is in good shape, fairways, a lot of good shots. There's a lot of good players. If you look at who is up there, they're the guys that are up there every week. Mr. Bland.

STEVE VERIATO: Thank you.