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AT&T NATIONAL

July 4, 2009

Michael Allen

BETHESDA, MARYLAND

NELSON SILVERIO: Welcome, Michael Allen, to the media center here at AT&T National. 65 today, Michael, put yourself right in contention heading into tomorrow. Give us some thoughts on your round.
MICHAEL ALLEN: It was a good round. I'm happy (laughing).
You know, overall I played nicely. I don't know, I felt like I could have done a little better, obviously, but I played very nicely and chipped well. I finally made a chip for the first time all year. First shot I ever made -- all year I made that wasn't a putt with my putter. That kind of got me going until 5 because up until then I was really struggling a little bit hitting my driver left.
Seemed like after that I just started playing pretty nicely, beautifully after that.

Q. Can you just kind of go over your -- you obviously made a charge for your card at age 50. You could have played the seniors. What goes into that decision and you playing out here?
MICHAEL ALLEN: Well, I mean, for me the main thing is I've always wanted to play out here. It's been -- it's what I've been trying to do since I was young. And so now I'm just happy to be playing a whole lot better as I've gotten older. I'm aging well.
For me that's always been my goal until I really feel like I can't play out here. I want to compete against the best players in the world, and this is where they're at, and this is where I like playing.

Q. Can you put any reason as to why you are aging well? Are you just like more relaxed out there?
MICHAEL ALLEN: Well, I guess since I've lost, they said in the tower, 337 straight times, I guess I'm overcoming the fear of losing now (laughing).

Q. It's only 336.
MICHAEL ALLEN: We're on 337, okay. You know, I don't know. Mike Mitchell really has been the big key for me about four or five years ago, because I was really struggling when I got back. That's why I quit in the first place. Because of that, I'm really playing better golf. The game is a lot more fun for me. I'm not struggling to figure out where the ball is going to go every single day. It's certainly not perfect by any means. So the game is more fun for me right now, so I'm enjoying myself.

Q. How much did winning at Canterbury help you?
MICHAEL ALLEN: I think it's helped me a lot because in a few ways it's given me some validity to what I've been doing. It was also a nice experience that when I won I was very comfortable in doing that and playing, and hopefully and if I can maintain that I'll have a good chance tomorrow. That's kind of key to that, being out there and being comfortable with your game. For me to handle it emotionally well was a big thing for me.

Q. You had a lead going into that last round?
MICHAEL ALLEN: Yes, I did, yeah.

Q. How many times over the course of your TOUR career had you been in a position in the last group or last two groups on Sunday, and how close did you get to winning? That's the first question.
MICHAEL ALLEN: Certainly not a lot of times. I've been close a few times. I think I've usually handled it pretty well. I'm not usually in the last group, usually second to the last group on Saturday and Sunday. I usually feel like I play pretty well when it really matters. I've gotten through Tour school a lot, so playing for your career and your family is hard.

Q. Second question, I was just curious to know what led to the decision. You went back to Winged Foot for how long, and what led to that decision and what led to the decision to come back?
MICHAEL ALLEN: Well, really, with Winged Foot, I mean, I had played out here for about six or seven years. I had only kept my card like one time in that whole time. So I mean, obviously my career was a struggle. Luckily I was good at Q-school or I wouldn't have had a job.
And I just got tired of the frustration. I realized I wasn't doing anything better, and I've always felt like I'd do something else, use my mind to make a living.
I enjoyed it. I enjoyed working at Winged Foot. I tried to build homes, I tried to do a few different things in that period, and really realized that to go out in the real world and try to make $100,000 a year to try to support your family is a hard thing to do. This was something I was better at. Some friends put together some money, not even trying to go back out and play, and one thing led to the next.
I actually interviewed for Trump, which is kind of a funny story where I was going to go work. And I went to the first stage of Tour school, or the second stage, and got through. I went out and interviewed for like three days with that Karen or whoever. I thought they would have probably given me the job except they still had to interview some more people. I ended up going to the final and finished third and I ended up called them up and saying, "You're fired, I'm not going to do this."

Q. When was that?
MICHAEL ALLEN: I think that would have been 2002 would have been my first year. I was interviewing for that new course out in Bedminster.

Q. You had two very solid rounds, you finished under par both rounds, and then today you had a great round. What was the difference between today's round and the first two, and do you think you can keep that going tomorrow?
MICHAEL ALLEN: Definitely can keep it going. We'll see (laughing).
I don't know that there's any difference. I played nicely. The first few days -- the first day I made a few bogeys. Today I miss one little short putt for par on the back nine.
I don't know, I'm just kind of fighting it out. I'm hanging in there. I really haven't made many putts. Most of my birdies have been within five feet, so hopefully that will start changing a little bit.
I don't know, it just seemed like the numbers were there and I was able to make a few more birdies today. The main thing is keeping rid of those bogeys so the birdies count. Hopefully tomorrow I can. I believe I can, but there's a lot of great players out there, so we'll see.

Q. How did you get in this field, sponsor exemption?
MICHAEL ALLEN: No, I'm a fully exempt member of the TOUR.
I mean, I really feel like I've been playing well for all year. I've only missed a few cuts. The big thing for me that changed, the only change I've really made is my putter. I've gone to a long putter. After looking at some of the stats over the last six months, I seem to give away not necessarily to the winner but to the top 10, 15 players, I give away 10 to 15 shots a week, and I just figured I've got to change that somehow. I don't want to putt with a long putter, but at least I think -- I'm still not going to be a top putter out here, but I think I'll be more competitive.

Q. What does it mean to you to be in Tiger's tournament with him near the leaderboard if you were able to win this thing tomorrow? I know there's a long ways to go between now and then, but in terms of validation, what would this do for you?
MICHAEL ALLEN: That would be just what I've always wanted to do, to beat the best player in the world and to come out on a great golf course like this, not just a birdie fest, that you can go out and play with the best players in the world. That would certainly validate that everything I've worked on for the last four or five years are legitimate, that personally I can handle the emotions of playing against the best players and controlling myself.

Q. Have you ever gotten paired with Tiger, practice round, anything?
MICHAEL ALLEN: I've played nine holes with him, and I think my caddie turned the bag because he actually knew my name. When he walked up he had my name for him so he could know who I was. He said, "Hey, Mike." I'm sure my caddie had the bag pointed towards him so he could read it.
NELSON SILVERIO: Michael Allen, good luck.

End of FastScripts

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