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SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 29, 2005

Jerry Pate

LIGONIER, PENNSYLVANIA

JULIUS MASON: Jerry Pate, ladies and gentlemen, Jerry, tell you what, let's get your thoughts, capturing the day. Then we'll go through your card talking about your birdies and bogeys and the playoff, if you don't mind.

JERRY PATE: Well, I played pretty much the way I thought you might play.

I should have made a couple more putts. But other than that, I played well. I hit the ball well, I played well. I missed a little old short birdie putt well heck, I had two three putts and then missed the short birdie putt on 14 from about three feet. Then the putt on 18 was really the second 3 putt. 3 putted 10 and 18, so. And still shot 70. So I'm not disappointed with that in a Major championship. I just got to get a little bit more confidence with my putter.

JULIUS MASON: Questions, folks?

Q. A lot's probably going to be made about laying up at 18, what was the thought process going through your mind and did what happened with your 4 iron make any difference on how you played 18th first time through at the end of the day today?

JERRY PATE: Well, I forget about every shot I hit in the past. I look at the good side of it. It was a 5 iron shot. I should have played it. I had 184 to the front, downhill, so I mean even into the wind it's a 5 iron all day. I can hit 5 iron 190 on the fly. I think it played 194 or 191 on, 191 on 17 how long is is 17 playing? I hit that ball a foot. Not even a foot. I hit it, what? 10 inches. And the same 5 iron, same basic shot. And that was slightly uphill. So it was just a bad decision I made. I wasn't even thinking of laying up, to be honest. Never crossed my mind. But I discussed it with my caddy and I laid up. So I have to accept that.

Q. First, could you tell us the length of the putt on 18 in the regulation and then the length of the putt at 18 in the playoff hole?

JERRY PATE: I have no idea. The first one was probably six feet and the second one was probably eight feet. Something like that.

Q. When you said you didn't have any intention of laying up, what what did your caddy say to you that convinced you that it was the prudent thing to do?

JERRY PATE: He said, I want you to lay up. All you got to do is make five and you win. And that's I don't think I, in my 30 years of career, the people that know me, I don't think that way. After I laid up after I hit the shot, you know, I still felt I was okay. I hit the third shot's not an easy shot. I hit a little 52 degree wedge, I had like 100 yards and I was really more concerned with the ball spinning back into the water, as soft as that green is. And I made sure I hit it hard enough to get it back there. And that was really where I lost the tournament was the wedge shot. And I'm a very good wedge player. But I just over played it. And hit it too hard. And I think coming down hill with a the wedge the ball's back in your stance you deloft it and you hit it a little longer. So same thing with the 5 iron.

I mean, I hit 5 iron there yesterday, made a I hit 4 iron the first day and made bogey. I hit 5 iron there yesterday and made par. I hit 5 iron there this morning and made par. So my caddy's thinking was, you know, just lay it up. Don't put the water into play. But again, I, the water was never even a thought in my mind. Wasn't even a thought in my mind. I was thinking I would be better off to just hit it long. I wasn't going to hit a 4 iron, I can tell you that. I was going to hit a hard five.

Q. Talk about the first putt in regulation on 18.

JERRY PATE: Well, I think that every putt I hit coming in was not hard enough. The greens went from really fast this morning to very kind of slow. And I think that's pretty typical of poa annua. We had a lot of traffic across those greens. And there's a lot of humidity, water in the ground, and as it comes out the grass gets heavy. And I can tell you the two three putts that I hit, I hit I thought a solid putt on 18. I thought it would be as fast as lightning. I saw them mowing it and rolling it all morning long. But it wasn't. It wasn't fast at all. Same thing when I 3 putted at 10. I thought I hit a good one there and it came up six feet short and I missed that one. So I missed three putts on the back nine within five feet. And that was the difference.

Q. How far was that first putt, please?

JERRY PATE: First putt? Oh, probably 30 feet. Something like that. Maybe longer than that. Probably longer than 30. Yeah, about 30 feet. Probably 30.

Q. Would you talk about your ball striking today, was that one of your best or your best ball striking round on this TOUR?

JERRY PATE: No. Not really. In fact, when I went out today I wasn't, I don't even feel like I'm striking it as well as I hit the ball. I just put it in play. I just put it where you had to put it. And I think that's just something that I'm blessed with. God gave me some talent and whether I feel like I'm hitting it well or not, somehow I seem to slap it around there and get it on the green. And that's why I'm a little disappointed I laid up, to be honest. When I I was really disappointed even after I hit the third shot on the green I'm thinking, God, why did I lay up. But that's what you got to do. You have to trust in your own instincts and I didn't trust it. I got all the way to the last hole and started relying on what wasn't my instinct. My better judgment.

Q. I was just going to kind of ask that question. It's one thing to maybe lose when you make a decision, is it harder when that happens and it really wasn't either your decision or against your nature?

JERRY PATE: No, I made the decision. I hit the shot. So there's no question about it. My caddy didn't make the decision. I made the decision to lay up. His job is to suggest what he thinks and it's up to me to pull the trigger. And I have the last say. So it's not his fault. At all. I hit the shot and I should have laid I shouldn't have laid up. But, you know, and again, I should have won anyway. I mean laying up, that was part of it, but missing not making par with a wedge, I mean, come on. I can't remember when that's ever happened. But it happened today.

Q. With such a big occasion and an opportunity to win this event after so many years without a TOUR victory, did that play a part on the greens and the putting and the nerves?

JERRY PATE: No, not really. In fact, I wouldn't even I wasn't even nervous. I just hit a bad putt. When I started this year and last year I just thank God every day when I get up that I'm able to come back after 23 years and still play and be competitive. There's a lot of people who would love to have that opportunity to stand out there and try towin. I've been blessed that with four surgeries that God give me that chance. And, hey, I go around the golf course talk to God all day. Believe me. I think a lot of players do. And my inner feeling is I'm, no matter what the outcome is, that's what's supposed to happen. I don't think I'm in control of it as much as I think I am. And who would have thought I would have laid up?

But, hey, I pulled the wedge out and laid up. I had to hit a beautiful drive. I hit it about 300 yard. That was probably one I drove it literally on the same sprinkler head every day. It was almost embarrassing when I walked out there. I'm this far (Indicating) from it every time. And I had two bogeys and two pars. So that's the 18th hole killed me this week.

Q. The question is, after this week, do you feel like you've made strides going into the Champions Tour or is this just another event?

JERRY PATE: Every day and every shot is a building block and a stepping stone in my golf career. You come out here just for the challenge of seeing how you can test yourself and how you can, how the golf course can test you. I take this experience and I move forward. I just have to keep playing to put myself in the position again.

JULIUS MASON: Like to thank Jerry for coming on down.

End of FastScripts.

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