U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 30, 1995

Tommy Aaron

TOMMY AARON: You are absolutely right, yeah it is the lowest one round or two rounds. The best finish I had in a Senior Open was at Cherry Hills which, I think, I was tied for 11th. What was that, '93?

TOMMY AARON: Yeah.

TOMMY AARON: I 3-putted 9 to go out even par, which I wasn't real happy about the 3-putt; I 3-putted 9 yesterday too. And then 10, I made about, I guess, it was 18, 20 feet, nice putt on 10. So that kind of got me going. I pitched it real close on 11 about 3 and a half, 4 feet. And then 12, I hit a real nice shot in there about, you know, 6 or 8 inches right behind the hole for birdie there. So that was probably the key to my round. I drove in the rough on 15; hit a poor drive there, but I was lucky in that the ball didn't get down on the bottom of the grass. I hit a real good shot out of there to about 5 feet to the hole, managed to make that.

TOMMY AARON: Hit 4-iron out of there.

TOMMY AARON: On 12, I hit a 7-iron on my second shot; had about 154 yards. Yesterday, I drove. I guess I missed more fairways and more greens today than I did the first day. I only missed a couple of greens yesterday and maybe one fairway, which is very unusual for me. Then today I missed a few more greens and drove it in the rough a few more times, but I shot lower, so that is golf, I guess; but that has been the key, I have been able to drive a lot of the fairways and hit a lot of greens.

TOMMY AARON: Birdied number 1; hit nice drive, 7-iron about close -- about -- I guess it was 4, 5 feet, and I bogeyed 2; hit a wood just back over the green. Didn't play a very good shot out of the long grass, bogeyed 2; then I birdied the par 5, 6. I pitched it about 2 feet from the hole, 2, 3 feet from the hole and 3-putted 9. So I was out two birdies and 2 bogies; even par. And then 10, like I said earlier, I guess it was 18 feet or so. And 11 close, maybe 4 feet, and 12, I hit it real close there, like I said, about 6 or 8 inches right behind the hole. And then 15, it was about 5 feet, I guess; maybe five or six feet.

TOMMY AARON: 4-iron out of the rough.

TOMMY AARON: Left rough.

TOMMY AARON: Well, I walked over and I looked at the marker. I had about 170 yards to the front edge of the green, and I didn't even ask my caddie how far back the flag stick was because I wasn't sure if I could hit the ball on the green or come out way short, so I really just wanted some idea how far it was to the front edge of the green which was about 170 yards. That was probably the shot of the day, really, but I got a break in that the ball did not get way down in the grass. It was kind of sitting up a little bit for me. So I caught a pretty good lie there, but it was a real good shot.

TOMMY AARON: Yeah, I hit a nice shot on 17. The putt on 17 was short, much shorter than the one on 18 for par and I missed the birdie putt on 17. I was sure glad to see the par-putt on 18 go in.

TOMMY AARON: Yeah, just about 12 feet. So that was a nice way to finish making that par-putt.

TOMMY AARON: Really haven't thought too much about the pairing. Tom is fine to play with. He just plays and gets on about his business. So does USGA play twosomes or threesomes?

TOMMY AARON: He is much taller than I am. I am just a little over 6 feet. Everybody thinks I am taller than that. Weiskopf is about 6' 3", 6' 4", isn't he?

TOMMY AARON: That is right. Weiskopf, Murphy. I didn't even look at the leaderboard that closely. Who else is up there?

TOMMY AARON: Yeah, the top players on the Senior Tour, that is right.

TOMMY AARON: Trevino.

TOMMY AARON: Yeah. That is right. All I can do is just go out and do what I did the first two days which is drive in the fairway and put my ball on the green.

TOMMY AARON: Well, I have been playing so-so this year. I am about 36th or 37th on the money list. With $152,000, I think, 2 top ten finishes out of about, maybe, 13 or 14 tournaments. Nothing that I did here in preparation, practice rounds, or nothing about my play last week was any indication that I'd play this well here. Who knows? I just -- in the practice rounds I shot '76, I think, each day. Didn't hit the ball near as well as I did naturally these two rounds, but the first day, I just -- the swing felt pretty good. When I got on the first tee, made nice stride; hit a nice drive there; hit a 5-iron about 10 feet from the hole; made that for a birdie and then I just kept trying to keep that same rhythm and/or feel for the swing all the way around.

TOMMY AARON: Well, I really haven't thought too much about it. When I leave here, I will probably have a chance to think about it. No, I was so wrapped up in playing, playing my round. Like I said, it is hard to avoid the leaderboards out here. You can't help to see them, but I wasn't necessarily looking to see how good I may be doing or whatever. I just tried to play each hole the best that I could and without thinking too much about the fact that I may be leading the U.S. Open.

TOMMY AARON: I was sitting in there having lunch. I saw Weiskopf was 6 under and before I teed off and the thought ran through my mind, "that is a good score have to shoot awfully good score this afternoon to tie him," but I didn't dwell on it or anything. I just went about what I was going -- getting ready to play; went out; warmed up; just went out and played. When you see a score posted like that early, you do notice the fact that -- the thought runs through your mind that you would have to shoot, let us say, whatever, 68, for me, to be 6 under.

TOMMY AARON: Yeah, it is. It is very gratifying. Well, it is gratifying for me to hit as many good shots as I hit. Good scores come from good shots. So that is the first thing you have to do is hit good shots, so that is as rewarding to me as anything else is the fact that I hit some good shots. Like 17, I hit a nice drive with a 7-iron about seven, eight feet from the hole. I missed the putt, but that is rewarding, to hit the good shots that you have to hit on this golf course to shoot a good score.

TOMMY AARON: Absolutely right. I really haven't thought about that. I am just enjoying the attention here. I don't get this attention very often, so I am just kind of enjoying the attention; enjoying the moment. I really haven't thought too much, but I am sure it will.

TOMMY AARON: I can't remember. When was the last time I was in the press room. To have a Coke or something?

TOMMY AARON: Pardon.

TOMMY AARON: About two weeks ago at Top Ten Nashville, yeah, Nashville, yeah, it wasn't too long ago. I was about fifth or sixth in Nashville and I was in the press room there after the second-round. I think, I was 70, 68 there, yeah, so it wasn't that long ago. I just forgot.

TOMMY AARON: Thank you.