U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 18, 1999

Tim Jackson

TIM JACKSON: It was pretty good for 15 holes. I played pretty solid. I think I only missed one or two fairways. And then coming down the last three holes, I hit it solid at 16 off the tee, but hit the wind, and didn't bring it over. And I basically couldn't even really chip out, so I had to go for the green, and I made bogey. At 17, I was trying to swing it with the wind, but I stood up on it, and didn't have the play. He hit a really great shot and made a birdie. I think the difference was I had it -- in the middle of the round, I had a birdie opportunity to win the hole at 15, and barely missed it. I missed a makable par-putt at 14 to halve the hole. 13, 14, 15 were possible swing holes, and then we had a -- early in the match on the 3rd hole, he hit it against the fence, over the green, and he got a drop-away from the fence, back across the road, and got it up-and-down to halve the hole, and that was sort of a -- that was kind of a momentum boost for him. I think all in all, it was a good match. I was upset that I hit a couple of bad shots, but that's golf. That's Pebble Beach.

TIM JACKSON: Well, I'm out there -- I hit a bad driving in the bunker and caught a heavy lie, and had like 210 to the hole against the wind. And I'm trying to hit a long hooking 2-iron, and really a difficult shot. And I just came over the top of it and hit it fat; and down in the rocks it goes, and I didn't watch it. It was headed for the rocks; so I turned my head and the caddy said, "It jumped back on the hill."

TIM JACKSON: If I could have chipped the next one in, I probably would have felt a little embarrassed, actually.

TIM JACKSON: I thought about putting that ball and hitting it twice as hard, and trying to just barely skirt the collar, but I thought chipping it, I would have a better chance, and it landed in the fringe. He had a great shot and made a nice putt. The first time I think I've ever done that was, chip a ball off the putting green, and it had to be at Pebble Beach. And I made a divot, but I fixed it.

TIM JACKSON: It upset me a little bit, particularly when I -- he makes this 15- or 20-footer, and I've got to make a 5-footer. Now I'm looking at going from winning the hole to losing the hole, but I was able to convert the putt. I don't know about that ruling.

TIM JACKSON: Yeah, Trey said if it's any consolation, it would be an integral part of the golf course at the Open next year. I said, "What does that do for me now, Trey?"

TIM JACKSON: Well, I hit a shot just right of the hole on 17. And I was on the wrong side, and the flag was too far back and to the left. I didn't have a clear putt, I had a big swing from right-to-left. I attempted to chip it up into the fluff and maybe kind of catch the hill and go into the hole, and I pulled it a little bit.

TIM JACKSON: Yes.

TIM JACKSON: 17.

TIM JACKSON: Yeah, this is the U.S. Amateur, and I'm 40 years old; so I don't have as many chances as other guys to win the tournament. But I had control of my swing all week. And when I needed to hit a really good shot off the tee at 16, and after he scrambled and stayed in some holes there in the middle in the back 9, I just barely hit that ball too far right. Just five feet one way, it's perfect; that's just the way it goes.

TIM JACKSON: I'm looking at it, and I've got as much of a chance to hit it on the green with a 9-iron as I do to take a sand wedge and hit it to the bottom.

TIM JACKSON: It was right under the hill about 12 feet. And he had just chipped on my line. And I've got a good read on it, and then I just -- I just pulled it a little bit or didn't quite have enough speed on it. I hit a pegged putt, I thought.

TIM JACKSON: Well, I think he's the College Player of the Year. What impressed me today was the golf course was playing pretty hard. The wind was blowing. The rough is -- if you miss the fairway, you hit really cannot hit it on the green. I don't think I hit one ball on the green out of the rough all week. But he was -- what impressed me is that when he's not his sharpest, he stays in there and battles and chips and putts well. He's a tough competitor.

TIM JACKSON: Yeah, we've been paired several times in tournaments; so I was familiar with him.

TIM JACKSON: Yeah, yeah just fine. I get along with everybody.

TIM JACKSON: I would say 45 feet, 50 feet, probably.

TIM JACKSON: That was my second shot; so I hit it on the green, and I guess that wouldn't officially be a putt, would it?

TIM JACKSON: He made the putt for birdie, so he was 1-up.

TIM JACKSON: I'll be back next year. We're going to Scotland; so hopefully, Bryce will make the Walker Cup team, and he'll be a great addition to the team.

TIM JACKSON: I'm on the team, and he beat me. And I would say that if he won another match or two, I'd say that it would probably do it. He played in the Open this year; so he's a logical choice as far as I'm concerned. I think he was the College Player of the Year the last two years. So that's pretty good.

TIM JACKSON: Well, not really. I think to some extent, this year there might have been a little bit of pressure. We came out here three days early. We had some practice sessions at Cypress Point; so we've been here a while. And I think as the week goes on, I think your expectations of your own game kind of build and you want to do well, and you might press a little bit. In golf, on this golf course, if you get to pressing and trying to steer it in the fairway or hit it on the green, you're in trouble.

TIM JACKSON: We played twice there.

TIM JACKSON: Never have.

TIM JACKSON: It was fabulous. The last four or five holes are just unbelievable.

TIM JACKSON: Without a doubt, it's the most difficult. The two golf courses we play, the way they're set up, just a lot -- the hardest I can ever remember. The rough is always challenging, but tournaments past, you can at least advance it and at least bounce it up on the front of the green. Here, you were just wedging it out. Just trying to leave yourself good yardage for the next shot. But I think -- my opinion, this is the best Amateur site that I've ever been to, bar none. Newport was good, but I like this. This is great golf.