U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 9, 1999

Ed Dougherty

ED DOUGHERTY: I am thrilled to be here. Yes, I am very happy. I thought I played real well today. I made one stupid bogey on the 9th hole where I sort of got off my game plan. I have been trying to make pars and just let birdies happen. I had a sand wedge to 9, par 5, I tried to make a birdie. I pushed it a little bit right. I ended up making bogey. That is what a golf pro told me years ago. He says you make pars; birdies just happen. When you try to make birdies, bogeys come. On the back nine, went back to the game plan. I am happy in the sense that I stayed with my game plan almost all day.

ED DOUGHERTY: It is pretty windy out there right now. I did see some TV last night. I watched the golf on TV, and they said it was windy, but it is just a hard wind. I think it is pretty difficult. I mean, if I think it is difficult, then I did well. It is not like you're blowing your own horn. I am happy that I played well. But on 17, I had no idea what way that wind was coming. I hit a horrible shot, made a great chip shot, saved par. On 18, yesterday, hit 5-wood. I stood on the tee, had 3-wood today; I am saying, geez, this isn't enough. I ended up hitting driver. The conditions are changing as you are playing. It is making it a little bit hard out there. First hole, I hit 5-wood off the tee just in the first cut. Lived up to my nickname: One-foot-in-the-rough Ed. Hit sandwedge, hit it up about two foot; made birdie. Great start, wow. Next hole, I hit a driver in the fairway, and I hit a little 8-iron. I aimed it to the right of the pin, because it seemed like every shot out there had the forced front on the pin, especially on 17 today. But on 2, I said: Let's go to the middle of the green. And I made about a 20-footer for a birdie. 3, I hit it in the sand trap; got it up-and-down. 4 is a par 5, just a routine par. 5, I hit good drive. I didn't clear that tree down there in the corner, which surprised me. So I tried to hit 8-iron over. I came up about 25 yards short. I chipped up, made about an 15- or 18-footer for par. So that was great. 6, I just hit a horrible drive and made a good 5. 7, I hit it in the right rough, the wind was blowing -- 7 was the first time that I really noticed the wind, because I was last to hit, making just a bogey. And the two guys hit the ball out there and it went dead right on them. I tried to aim it a little bit left. My ball went right, ended up in the right rough. Wedge shot up there, and I lipped out the birdie putt. 8, good 2-putt. And 9, I made a really stupid -- just told you about that middle of the fairway. Tried to make birdie, ended up making bogey. 10, hit middle of the green, 2-putted. 11, hit 3-wood short, chipped up about two inches. That was a tap-in birdie. Then 12, I hit 3-wood off the fairway. I hit pitching wedge about 4 foot above the hole; made birdie. 13, it was against the wind, I hit 5-wood in there and made a nice 2-putt. 14, I had a 2-putt for a par. 15, I hit a 5-wood on the green today and 2-putted. 16, was the forced front. 16, just didn't look like I could get the ball anywhere near that pin. I had 100 yards, and I just pulled the shot a little bit left. I hit it up on the plateau. Hit a good putt, and I made 2-putt. 17, I hit a horrible golf shot into the right fringe, and I hit a nice chip shot; made par. And 18 was much like I played yesterday. I hit a good shot. I think the ball is going to stop at the hole, and it looks like it stops, it just trickles by. Got 15-, 18-footer. I missed the putt. Didn't hit it hard enough today. But it looked like it could get away from me, and I nursed it in. I would have liked to have made the putt, but I didn't.

ED DOUGHERTY: I would have taken it. I am only 7 now.

ED DOUGHERTY: My buddy over here, how about this?

ED DOUGHERTY: One of the USGA officials asked me that today. I am playing one shot at a time. I think the back nine is hard. When I played the practice rounds here on Monday and Tuesday, I had thought the back nine was really hard. So just say I am hoping I am getting confidence for that Sunday, that is all. I am just playing.

ED DOUGHERTY: My putting? Geez, I would have to go with the theory: No brains, no headache. Just keep -- I am just trying to get the ball up to the hole. I give my caddie a lot of credit. He reads these greens really with. Started on the 9th hole yesterday for a birdie putt, I had thought it was a straight putt. He said, Ed, it is going to break right. And we had a little conference there. As much as we could. He says, it is going right, Eddie. And I said, all right, I made it. It gave me a lot of confidence. I am going basically with his and my read. I think we are working really well as a team and, you know, I just hope it keeps up, that is all. His name is Cecilio Olmedo, a story about this guy in the 95 PGA Championship I won the Mississippi tournament, I got in the PGA out at Riviera Country Club. My Tour caddie, being as you know, as reliable as ever, decides not to show up. So Monday I give him a day grace, Tuesday morning, I had go down to the caddie master at Riviera and they had like four or five guys there. I said, I need a caddie. He says, it is for one week or for a day? I said, well, how about for a day. The caddie master says, well, he is first in line; it is his choice. Guy looks at me he says, I ain't working for a day. I said, well, that is fine. Second guy used to be from Philadelphia used to caddie on the Tour, I knew him. He says come on, Ed, give me a week's work. I said no, one day. I said, I want somebody that wants to work for a day. He says, no, I am going to sit here and take my chances. Cecilio was the third guy, he said, I will do it for a day. We walked out of the thing. I says, you got the job for a week. He says, well, it was only for a day. I said, I wanted somebody to work. He caddied for me on the West Coast all you know, since 1995, he caddied for me out there last year in the PGA or in the U.S. Open rather, and we came in 7th and my regular caddie for 17 years blew out a knee this year, had a total knee transplant, so I called him and I brought him out, so he is going to be working for me. We work well together, and I think he is very well -- he is good on the greens. He gives me confidence, that is what -- you know, that is what you got a guy on your bag for is to do that. I know they don't hit the shot; you can heap praise on everybody, but he is a hard worker I appreciate him and he is a friend, so.... see what happens.

ED DOUGHERTY: Many Philadelphia tournaments. (laughs). I don't think so. No. I have led tournaments the first, second, third round; I ended up finally winning one, but I don't think I have ever led four days.

ED DOUGHERTY: If I made the turn at 1-under?

ED DOUGHERTY: I was trying to make the turn at 1-under. I was trying to be a little greedy, trying to make it 2-under really. I birdied 9 yesterday. I went off my game plan. I think par is a good score out here. I tried to make a birdie and I ended up making bogey, walking from the 9th green to the 10th tee. I just said, geez, I said, I just blew -- I started off with a great start birdie-birdie; I said, I just blew it - a dog that eats fast craps quick. I am walking, I am saying, gee, let's get it together here, Ed, so that is go back to your game plan.

ED DOUGHERTY: I am just playing golf honestly. I mean, Roger Maltbie gave me a nice little compliment out there. He says you always were intense on the golf course. I played a fair amount of times with Roger. He says, you are the most relaxed person I have ever seen right now. I said thanks, Rog, but I always thought I was sort of relaxed. I don't know. I am just playing golf, honestly. Just enjoy the day. I told -- I may have said this, I don't know, Mike Reynolds one of my teachers down in Ibis, Florida, golf director at Ibis Country Club called me this morning. He said, Eddie, he says enjoy the day. He says, man, you are leading the U.S. Open, go out there and enjoy the day. I did. I walked down the first fairway. I am walking down the fairway all these people are giving me a little round of applause. That never happened. I mean, I had a great day. I teased you about this Jim Dent story this morning, but that was a true story too. I enjoyed the day honestly.

ED DOUGHERTY: I was just thinking about playing golf. It is only the second round. I mean, it is not like they are going to tackle me or something. It is just -- you are just playing golf. And just enjoy it. I was thinking I wanted to hit that fairway; that is what I was thinking. That is all I was thinking about. Ron Read I believe came up, he said, Ed, I may be a little bit slow, you know, on the starting time because NBC -- I said, hey, do whatever you want to do. You are running the tournament, not me. You know, I wasn't upset or anything.

ED DOUGHERTY: I get Christmas cards with One-Foot-in-the-Rough-Ed. Yeah, I get Christmas cards addressed: Hey, one foot. We used to tease each other, play a game on practice rounds on the regular Tour, you know, if you miss a fairway, you are playing four guys, if you miss the fairway you owe all those guys a dollar. It is just called the regulation game. You don't have to putt for birdies because you know the greens aren't going to be the pins, so you hit -- if you hit the fairway and you hit the green in regulation, you don't owe anybody a dollar. We used to play these games like that and that used to always be One-Foot-in-the-Rough-Ed.

ED DOUGHERTY: Dazzling, what? (laughter). You know, I won on the Tour. I am not the most dominant golfer in the world but I enjoy it and I am doing exactly what I want to do. I am pretty lucky. That is how I assess my career.