U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 19, 1997

Don Padgett

DON PADGETT: Yeah. I was really happy with it. I had a solid round, made six birdies and three bogeys. Just tried to stay patient all day. I had a good round yesterday. I knew if I played solid today, I would make match play without any problem, and that's what I did. 69 was a very solid round. I was happy with it.

DON PADGETT: Sure. I started on 10, got my first birdie on the 13th hole -- started out with three pars, and 13 was a good birdie. That's a tough golf hole. I hit a 6-iron about 2 feet, so that was a good start. Birdied the par 5, 15th. Hit about a 60-yard sand wedge. Hit it about 8 feet, made that. 18 was a big hole for me. Parred up to that point until 18. I hit a good drive down the left center, and it caught the road that crosses the fairway, took a huge hop and went into the deep rough, and I thought what a bad break. The lie wasn't too bad. I ended up hitting a 6-iron to about 10 feet to make a three. The bad break turned into a good break. Then I had a couple bad breaks and couple bad shots and bogeyed the first hole. I hit it in the edge of the left rough and put it in the front right bunker, didn't get up-and-down. The 2nd hole, I hit a good shot. Just hit the wrong clubs par 3, and I hit a 5-iron just right over the stick. I thought I hit it right on it. It was in the back bunker. Made bogey there. Didn't hit a good drive on 3, pulled over a 6-iron and buried it in the left bunker, so I made three bogeys in a row. I thought I'm kind of slipping a little bit, need to get a handle on it. On the third hole, which is a pretty good par 4, hit a good drive down the middle, and it's a real tough green, real long, narrow green, and I hit a good punch 5-iron in there about 15 feet, made that for birdie. That kind of got me back on track. Then I followed up with another birdie on the next hole. About an 80-yard sand wedge about 10 feet, made that. Made a couple solid pars, then birdied the 9th hole. Had about 100 yards in, sand wedge about 12 feet and made that putt, so I was happy with the round today.

DON PADGETT: Yeah, I did. Yeah, he was -- actually, I left him a message. He called me back. He was busy with some of the tournament functions there at the World Series of Golf. He was happy and just told me to keep playing like I'm playing and I did, so it was good.

DON PADGETT: Well, the main thing you need to do, match or medal play, is just play your own game. If you get to thinking about other people in both situations, it's not good. I think you just need to go out there and just focus on each shot. It really doesn't change that much.

DON PADGETT: Quite a bit. I've had some success in the last few years in the North and South Amateur at Pinehurst. '96, I got to the quarter finals there. So I enjoy match play.

DON PADGETT: Yeah. You know, I had the morning round today, so the course was a little wet. The greens have been wet all week because of the weather, but it's just different playing in the morning. Little more moisture out there. I thought the greens were a little speedier today on the Dubsdread. They putted real well. I think just because they had some time to dry out from the heavy rains. But I, you know, you just have to keep it out of the rough in those conditions. That's been the same all week, though.

DON PADGETT: Yeah, that would be a good stretch. I just -- I don't really think of it like that, though. I just try to play each hole and each shot, and whatever the score is the score is. When you get thinking about this nine holes and what I did here and there, you get caught up and get kind of distracted, really. So I try to keep focused on what I'm doing and stay in the present, not worry about what I did yesterday. Tomorrow, everything is erased. Tomorrow, we start all over, so I'll be the same as the other 63 guys.

DON PADGETT: Thanks.