U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 18, 2005

Peter Jacobsen

Q. Tell us about the ace.

PETER JACOBSEN: It was one of those shots that the minute it left the club, I knew it was a fantastic shot. I didn't know it was going to go in, but I knew it was going to get close. You don't think of making hole in ones on par 3s, you think about hitting it close to the hole, in the vicinity.

When it left the club it was right on the line, it took one bounce and went in. At first I thought it might have hit and gone over, because that's happened a few times this week, but it went in the cup. And I saw all the spectators turn and raise their arms like touchdown.

Q. There's only two rounds under par right now; you are really in the hunt. You won the Senior Open; is this expected?

PETER JACOBSEN: Of course, it's expected. No, coming in, one of the great advantages of winning the Senior Open is getting a spot in the U.S. Open. And I want to thank the USGA for having that category. That's a great thrill for me to have won the U.S. Senior Open and I've played in so many U.S. Opens that it's a tournament you want to compete in, it's a tournament you want to play in.

If I said I thought I could win, I'd be lying. I thought I could make the cut and play well. I've always been a fairly accurate driver, and always been a fairly good iron player. The U.S. Open is right down my alley. I think you're going to see some lower scores.

The greens are fairly soft today and slower. If the golf course played the way it did Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I don't think anybody would be under par. My hat is off to the USGA for pulling the speed back a little bit on the greens and softening them up just a little bit.

Q. What did the fans yell on the other side of 15?

PETER JACOBSEN: He said, "Strike a blow for the old folks." And I'm right there with him. I've got my AARP card.

Q. You were four back at one point yesterday. What would it take at this point to convince you that you could win?

PETER JACOBSEN: Gosh, just more consistent play. I've been playing very consistently. I've 3 putted two holes coming in. 12, I had a tough downhill and left it short on 12, and had a really long putt on 16 off the fringe and it hopped and left it about 15 feet short. It's so hard to decide if the little shots around the greens you're going to play, whether you're chipping it or lobbing it or putting. You're at the mercy of the inconsistencies around the edges of the green, which makes Pinehurst so tough.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Yeah, that's the one I beat Don Johnson and Kevin Kostner, that was easy. Those guys are like 8 handicaps.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: I have no idea, no idea. We just did it in about five takes and that was gone.

Q. That was a fictitious course?

PETER JACOBSEN: Actually we filmed the U.S. Open Tin Cup was in Houston. I think it was Deerwood, I think.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: No, I don't know what they called it. You'll have to run to the video rental store tonight.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Oh, it was all scripted. The most interesting part about that whole movie was Kostner was hitting remember when he hit it in the lake on 18 all those times? We were there, we were shooting three or four days and Tommy Armour and Corey Pavin and Cook and Lietzke, a lot of guys were there, and Kostner had to hit this 3 wood from the last hole and have it just barely get there or not far enough. He did a great job, hit 10 or 15, and they said, "cut, that's a wrap," and he said, "Do you think you guys could get there from here?" And we looked at the sprinkler and dropped 4 and 5 irons and whipped them on the green. He said, "It's time for lunch."

Q. When was the last time that you had a legitimate shot at winning The Open?

PETER JACOBSEN: I don't know, probably never, who knows. I'm too old to remember that far back. I do remember one year I had a great time. I played Winged Foot. I think it was '84, played the last round with Watson, shot 67 the last day and had a good finish. And I remember very fondly at Brookline I shot 64 the last time playing with Calcavecchia, but I was quite a ways back.

Q. The pars at 5, 6 and 8, how close were you to birdies there?

PETER JACOBSEN: No. 5 I had about a 20 footer. 6, I had about a 40 footer. And 7, I oh, 8 I had about a 30 footer. And let me just say this, hitting the green at 5, 6 and 8 is a victory in itself. Let's not get all hung up on the fact that I didn't make my 30 footer now.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: I birdied 4, par 5, just short and pitched it to about eight feet.

I birdied 7, hit 2 iron off the tee and a 9 iron about 15 feet, birdied there.

And then No. 10, hit a driver and laid up with a 5 iron, sand wedge to about six feet.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Hit a 5 iron about 200 yards and I think I had 94 yards with my sand wedge oh, on 9, I'm sorry. Hit a 7 iron, and I forget the yardage right now. I think it was probably about 174, maybe, 175.

Q. Did you ever get the feeling that something (inaudible).

PETER JACOBSEN: Well, this may sound crazy, but just being here this week and playing well on Thursday and Friday and having a chance to play on the weekend is very special in itself. So whatever happens, whatever the USGA wanted to serve up, I was ready to take.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Well, I was with Payne, I remember celebrating with Payne when he won the PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes. And when he won here any time you're with a very close friend who wins a major championship, it's you get that same giddy feeling by osmosis, just the fact that you're around them.

I remember when Corey Pavin won The Open at Shinnecock in '95. He and I were going up to do a link for the troops up in Washington, D.C., and we jumped on a charter plane and flew up, and I couldn't keep him down, he was bouncing around that airplane.

But it's just it's very, very special. And I've never won a major championship, the USGA Seniors is as close as I'll ever come, other than Tin Cup. But it's great to share that with your friends. It's special being back here at Pinehurst after the tragedy that claimed Payne's life; he was so close to all of us. He was such a great person.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Probably that year, '99, that Payne was killed. We had a great band. We had Stephen Stills and Graham Nash and guys from Hootie and the Blowfish, the Duck Down Band. It's a fun thing. It was probably the most fun thing Payne and I talked about how much fun that was, more fun than golf. Because it was totally out of our comfort level. And we were actually on the road with some of these famous musicians. When we recorded our two CDs, we were actually in the studio with these world famous guys just having fun.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: That would be fine.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: I agree, why not? This would be great. It would be fantastic.

Q. Last year at the Senior Open you were limping around. You didn't think people were watching?

PETER JACOBSEN: I was limping.

Q. You won it. Now, can you repeat something like that?

PETER JACOBSEN: Sure, why not? I had just come off of hip surgery. I had had hip surgery in May, so this was July and it was actually the first tournament back. I had withdrawn from the Senior Players Championship and the British Senior Open so I didn't think I could play. But I got around.

And again, I think that the key to my longevity, I've been out here almost 30 years, I'm certainly not the best player that's ever played the game, but I think my attitude has been what's sustained me. I look at things like the glass as half full rather than half empty. It pains me to see guys take it so hard and not enjoy themselves on the course and get so upset, because it's a great game. It's a great game that's shared with all these people out here. And I don't hit every shot great, they don't turn out the way I want, but the great thing about golf is you have another opportunity the next one you hit.

Q. If there's any one person who could create a dream like that it would be you?

PETER JACOBSEN: I can create that dream, sure, sure.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: That's the key. I hope so. That would be fun.

Q. Will you think about Payne tomorrow?

PETER JACOBSEN: I've been thinking about him all week. It's hard not to. I think about him every time I play a tournament because he was such a unique character with his personality and his sense of humor and his sharing with the crowd and spontaneity, but intense at the same time. It was tough to play with him when he was in contention, because he was so singularly focused on his game. He almost had a Hogan like focus. But he had a Jimmy Demerit type Fuzzy Zoeller, Chi Chi Rodriguez for the playful side of the game.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Maybe, maybe. We did a lot of things together. I hope so. I hope so.

Q. Hole in one, how does that rank for you?

PETER JACOBSEN: Probably one of the best ones I've ever had because it was in the U.S. Open. I've had quite a few. I had one at the British Open, one at the LA Open, I won a car at the LA Open one year. I jumped in the car, I couldn't find the keys or I would have been out of there. But this is definitely No. 1.

Q. How many total (inaudible).

PETER JACOBSEN: I've had 16. 15 of them I played all by myself, but today I've had 16 of them.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Yes.

Q. In competition?

PETER JACOBSEN: Yes.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: Seven.

Q. How did you enjoy the give and take with the fans?

PETER JACOBSEN: I enjoy that a great deal. I think it has a lot to do that I do shows on The Golf Channel. We try to bring the fans inside the ropes as much as possible. Too many sports they stiff on the fans. Too many sports try to keep the fan out of our world, and I think it's important to let them come in a little bit.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: I did. I'm kind of an odd fellow when you think about it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

PETER JACOBSEN: You know, that's a good question. I would definitely say Darius is not a good golfer. He's about a he's pretty good, he's about 10. Kostner is probably a better golfer than Payne is a harmonica player, and Payne would agree with that.

End of FastScripts.