U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 29, 2001

Arnold Palmer

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, I played a little better. I really played horribly yesterday. So it was, in addition to playing poorly, I made a lot of mistakes out there. Today I got off to a good start. I had a chance to go 3-under par at the par-5 from about six feet and 3-putted. And of course in the position I was in, that really shot me down. If I make that putt and go 3-under for the round, then I feel like I have a chance to make the cut or do something that I haven't done recently. But that quickly evaporated. I suppose I was still trying, but it just wasn't the same after I 3-putted that short putt.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, I birdied 13. I birdied 12 to go 2-under. And at 14 I had it for a birdie again and 3-putted. That was the short hole, the par-5. And then I recall never quite recovered the rest of the day from that, because I knew the cut was going to be somewhere around 10, 9 or 10. That was right on my number. I was over that. So I had to do some pretty fancy playing.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, I'm disappointed. But I'm getting to the age where that isn't unusual anymore. My scores have not been good. I keep feeling like I might pick it up and get it going. But as of yet that hasn't happened. So I'll go home and watch it on TV.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, of course if it weren't for the crowds and the support that they have given me, and particularly here they've been wonderful, I wouldn't be playing. They are the real reason, aside from the fact that I enjoy it and I enjoy playing golf, the crowds are the very reason that I'm participating.

ARNOLD PALMER: I'm going to play there.

ARNOLD PALMER: Billy has been a young friend of mine for many years. He went to Wake Forest on a scholarship that I helped put together, and we've been good friends since he's been out on the tour. And when they put this tournament together a couple of years ago, he asked me, and I really was kind of backing off a little bit. But this year he asked and he asked if I would play with him. So that's how it all came together.

ARNOLD PALMER: No, I don't think he had to do that. He asked if I'd play. That was it. We put it together.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, after this performance, they're going to be few and far between. I am going to the British Senior Open. Other than that, I really don't have any plans at the moment. My game will have to pick up a little before I'll be playing much. Okay. Thank you.