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BRITISH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2004

Skip Kendall

ROYAL TROON, SCOTLAND

STEWART McDOUGALL: Ladies and gentlemen, Skip Kendall, 66 for a total of 135, leading The Open Championship at the present time by two shots. You started off a few shots off, now two ahead. Tell us how the difference feels at this point.

SKIP KENDALL: It feels great. I really wasn't paying much attention to the leaderboards out there today. I just wanted to play as well as I could, obviously. Just rolled in a lot of putts. I made one from the bunker on three and it was a glorious day. It was a lot of fun out there. I was playing with two great guys, too, and that's always very helpful, and just was real calm out there, very relaxed, just going through the motions and not paying attention to a lot of the things that you probably could get caught up in out here. So it was great.

Q. Why don't you take us through the highlights of this round. How did you shoot 66 at The Open Championship?

SKIP KENDALL: The first couple of holes -- I got off to kind of a start where I made two pars on the first couple of holes, but I wasn't feeling all that great. I was probably a little tight and I told myself, this happened before. I shot 68 the first round at Shinnecock this year at the U.S. Open and followed it with 75. And I told myself, you know, let's just get on track here, let's relax, play golf, play like you know how to play. And I think everything started with -- I hit a pretty good wedge shot into 3, but the ball took a hop into the left and trickled into a bunker. A pretty easy bunker shot, but how many times does the ball go into the hole. And it really got my day -- it went in and got my day going.

I kind of relaxed after that and really played some solid golf after that. But that really was the start of it.

One hiccup on 11 where I hit my tee shot to the right. It ended up an unplayable lie, and was very fortunate to make bogey on the hole.

But other than that, it was pretty solid. No real, real struggles out there, other than the 11th hole. And I made some really nice putts.

Q. Did you have to save bogey? Did you have to make a one putt for bogey?

SKIP KENDALL: I did. Where I had to drop it, I had to hit it over these bushes, these clumps of bushes. If you hit your tee shot right -- I can't carry them, if I hit my tee shot right, it's going to go in them. I hit 4-iron left of the green and had to make about probably a five, six-footer for bogey. And I did that and that helped.

Q. You've obviously been asked a lot of questions about not winning on Tour and wanting to get a win. Given who won the tournament last year, and we got a first-time winner, do you figure there's no reason why you can't break through here?

SKIP KENDALL: Let me say this: I really feel like I've been very close. I've lost in a bunch of playoffs. I really feel like I can win out on the PGA TOUR, as well as any place else. I think it's just a matter of time. Hopefully this will be mine. I don't know what else to say, other than that. I think if I can stay relaxed and not get caught up in what we're really doing and just play golf, they're my clubs, have fun, I think I'll be fine.

Q. I wonder if you could talk about the eagle on 16. And when you saw that go in, was there any thought that this really is my day?

SKIP KENDALL: Well, you know, I hit two very good shots. I hit 2-iron off the tee and hit a really good 3-wood just right exactly where I wanted to hit it. I knew I probably couldn't reach the green, and it got further to where I thought where I could putt it, it was just short of the green. I felt I really had a good read on the putt. My caddy, we saw the same exact thing, the putt was going to break about a foot or so to the left. And even though it was 50 feet, it was one of those you felt like you really could make. They don't always go in the hole and they very seldom do, but to see it tracking right at the hole the last few feet, it was a great feeling. Whether it was my day or not, it certainly was, obviously, in what I shot.

But I know that there's a long way to go and this is only halfway done. So hopefully I'll be signing my name right here in a couple of days.

Q. Have you ever come over for the 36-hole local qualifying?

SKIP KENDALL: I have not. Really the reason, because of that is, the tournament prior to The Open Championship is -- at least on the PGA TOUR used to be Milwaukee. I grew up in Milwaukee.

Q. So?

SKIP KENDALL: I grew up on that golf course, so I've always had to play there. And it was impossible for me to do that.

Q. What was your take out of Congressional, with so many guys not showing up?

SKIP KENDALL: I understand. I do understand The R&A's position kind of, what I've heard they're taking. At the same time, as a player, that happens in the U.S. Open qualifying all the time, as well. The 15 guys still took 6-under par to make it at Congressional. There wasn't any no-names or people that you didn't know who it was. If there would have been 60 more players there and the same guys would have made it at the same score, you never would have known anything. I mean, it wasn't like there were people making it that you've never heard of or would say, "Huh, who was that?"

So from my point of view, I do see both sides of it. However, I don't think maybe it's as big a deal as maybe The R&A thinks. And I hope that they don't cancel or do something -- well, they can do something different, but I would like to see it stay that way. I think you're coming off a stretch of -- you had a 36-hole qualifier for the U.S. Open, I don't know, three weeks before that, you play the U.S. Open, and then you play maybe some other tournaments in there, and it was everyone was kind of tired, I guess, to play two 36-holers very close to each other.

Q. Did you play the Booze-Allen?

SKIP KENDALL: I did not, no.

Q. Can you just go through the incident at Memorial last year with the finger?

SKIP KENDALL: Sure. I was cutting a frozen bagel and I was trying to be very careful. It was a very sharp knife. I didn't have a microwave, so I couldn't put the bagel in the microwave to unfreeze it, I guess. And I was just kind of going around it, the bagel slipped on the cutting board, and the knife came down and my left forefinger happened to be in the way. I didn't cut it completely off, but I cut a big piece of it off and they had to sew it back on and I didn't play for I guess about four weeks. I came back and I did play here last year. I came back, actually, playing probably better with a different grip than I was playing before it happened. So maybe it was a blessing. But I'm back now, all ten digits are back intact and back to the same grip.

Q. You obviously played very well, but were the conditions sort of conducive to a round of 66? What was it like in terms of the greens, the wind through your eyes, anyways?

SKIP KENDALL: It was probably a little more difficult today, especially the front side, because as I understand it, typically it's more downwind. Today it was, like the first hole and second hole and beyond, it was more right-to-left and maybe even a little in. So that was quite different. Although you do like seeing the backside holes left-to-right or left-to-right and helping, but it was -- I think it was probably a little more difficult today. I don't know if the scores show that, I haven't really looked at them, but probably a little more difficult than yesterday I would say.

Q. I understand that you had a brush with royalty. I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about that?

SKIP KENDALL: I did. Well, I've never met anyone like that before. And on the 12th tee yesterday, the walking -- I don't know what you call them, official, I guess, in our group, who I happen to know, pointed out that Prince Andrew was standing right behind the 11th green. So I said, wow, I'd love to meet him. And he gave me the protocol of introducing myself. He said you can, go and do it. I went over and shook his hand and talked to him briefly. And that was pretty exciting for me. Seemed like a great guy. I don't know. Is he? (Laughter). You guys tell me.

Q. Can you tell us what the logo on your arm signifies, on the right-hand side?

SKIP KENDALL: It stands for -- it's two kids. I run a charity Pro Am and I'm highly involved with the Wisconsin Children's Hospital Foundation. I do an outing for them every year. It's just really dear to my heart, a very big passion of mine to help kids. I put it on there as kind of a reminder of what's really important. And it's big enough so I can look at it after I make double bogey (laughter). So that's what that is.

Q. Skip, you don't have a lot of British Open experience. I was curious if you like links golf and if you've learned anything about playing links golf that has helped you this week?

SKIP KENDALL: I think the one thing that really helped me especially this year, I have not played a lot of it at all. I grew up in Wisconsin. I don't think there's many links courses up there at all, if any. I think the thing that really helped this year was we did play Shinnecock at the Open. And that was a -- I played pretty well there, too. And I think that was maybe having a factor on why I'm playing well here. I'm getting used to it. I'm maybe getting used to using my imagination a little bit more and what you can do on certain shots, what you can't do, too. Everyone has always told me that a good shot is really rewarded. And I'm finding out that that's true.

Q. What's your best previous position heading into the weekend in a major, first of all? And on top of that, you said you were going to try to avoid all the distractions this week and not let your mind roam on the what-ifs. How do you plan to do that tomorrow, maybe teeing off as the last group in The Open?

SKIP KENDALL: My best major finish was at the '98 PGA, finished 10th, I think. I was never really -- I never threatened to win the golf tournament. The last day I got close. I started off par, eagle, birdie, and was actually really close. But I ended up finishing 10th. I ended up shooting 1-over that day. But really haven't been in that many majors, to begin with. So this is certainly the highest I've been.

Again, I've been out on Tour quite some time. And I don't think that -- this isn't my first rodeo. You just go play golf and hopefully play well. My mom is here this week, by the way. She turned 80. We had to bring her with us this week.

STEWART McDOUGALL: What's her name?

SKIP KENDALL: Shirley.

Q. Just a variation on that theme. Even though you haven't won you've been in the hunt several times. What do you hope to draw on from those experiences this weekend?

SKIP KENDALL: I have come close. I think the main thing for me is I just need to stay relaxed out there. I really do think that's the biggest key, honestly. If I can stay relaxed and have fun out there and talk to the people I'm playing with, or my caddy, whoever I'm playing with, I should play okay. The golf will take care of itself. But for me, it's all about staying relaxed and having that kind of calmness, I guess, inside.

Q. Can you just reflect on your days working at Olive Garden, and what was your practice regimen back then?

SKIP KENDALL: Yes, that's pretty old. That was a long time ago. I started out my professional career playing mini Tours in Orlando, Florida. And I couldn't really make it doing that so I had to -- I was working as a waiter at the Olive Garden. Some days even -- they wouldn't let me work dinner, so some days I had to work the lunch and dinner, split shift. And so in between shifts I would go to a field that was very close to the restaurant and hit balls. If I had an hour or two break, I would go do that.

Q. Is this in Orlando?

SKIP KENDALL: In Orlando, yes. With my bow tie on, because I had to keep it on, because it was too hard to put back on.

STEWART McDOUGALL: Clip-on or tie?

SKIP KENDALL: It was definitely a clip-on. It was too hard to get back on. Can you imagine these people driving by on the street looking at me? Black pants, white button-down shirt with a bow tie, hitting balls.

Q. Would you hit 100-yard shots?

SKIP KENDALL: No, it was a nice field. This was my field, lots of trees. No, it was big. There's a shopping center there now. But it was nice. It was really nice. I'd hit balls there even when I wasn't working. I'd just go there and hit balls. I'd shag my own balls.

Q. What year was this?

SKIP KENDALL: It would have been probably fall of '89, I believe, into '90, I'm pretty sure.

Q. What age would you have been then?

SKIP KENDALL: Let's see. Let's do the math. 25.

Q. What other family have you got with you, apart from your mother?

SKIP KENDALL: My beautiful fiancee is here, Tracy, a wonderful person, and she has helped me tremendously this whole year, my support.

Q. You mentioned the need to stay calm. Is that a problem? Are you the kind of person that sort of revs at a pretty high rate?

SKIP KENDALL: Not really. Some people think that they need to check my pulse, but I know when that's elevated. Outwardly I may not look uptight or whatever, nervous, but I know inside how I feel. And to play my best golf I know I need to be that way, very calm and relaxed and kind of that peaceful thing. But I'm an aggressive player, too, so it works hand-in-hand, how to be aggressive, stay calm, so on and so forth. But that's golf and that's -- I think that's a good attribute, too.

Q. When you're not calm, how does it show in golf?

SKIP KENDALL: Well, I probably start hitting shots all over the place, really, and just don't perform as well. So for me, that's a big deal. I can feel it in my golf swing. So when I do, I'll try to do all the techniques I know of to relax, and like I did today on 3.

The first two holes I was really -- I hit some okay shots, but I felt a little tight. And finally on 3 I hit a good iron shot into the fairway, and even though the wedge went in the bunker I felt good. And lo and behold the bunker shot went in. That really relaxed me.

Q. I know you've lived in Florida a long time, but being from Milwaukee, are you a full-fledged cheesehead, Packers fan?

SKIP KENDALL: You bleed green and gold when you grow up there. Half the home games, when I was growing up were in Milwaukee, so we always used to go to the games in Milwaukee, anyway. And, yeah, I'm a huge Packer fan.

Q. Do you think people in Scotland know what a cheesehead really means?

SKIP KENDALL: Do you have one to show them? Probably not. I don't know. It's just a goofy thing that people from Wisconsin in the States put on and show their true colors. It's a big cheesehead hat. If you wear one of those you'll definitely fit right in.

Q. What's your fighting weight right now? And do you draw inspiration from guys like Corey Pavin and Jeff Sluman, who won majors and aren't the biggest guys around?

SKIP KENDALL: I'm probably not even 150 pounds right now. I weighed myself last week, and that's one of the things we've been talking about, that I want to really put on about ten pounds. As silly as it sounds for people mostly who want to lose weight, it's equally as hard for me to put on weight. Although I'm getting up there in age now, so hopefully -- it's a nice problem to have, but I really think that it would benefit me if I could be heavier. But it doesn't do anything to me. I feel fine. I feel great. I'm in good shape.

Q. What about Corey, Jeff, guys like that?

SKIP KENDALL: Well, you know, those are two great players. And certainly being the same stature as they are, yeah, I can always draw on them. But more than that, I try to draw off players that I think have similar games to me. So they certainly both do. Those are definitely two of them. And a guy like Scott Verplank, who I admire his game a lot, how he gets the most out of it by not being someone who is certainly considered really long off the tee. So really people who have similar games more than stature.

Q. Was there any debate on your part about going to Congressional? Did you have to think twice about it or was it a no-brainer. Were you a medalist?

SKIP KENDALL: Firstly, I didn't -- it was a no-brainer for me. Anytime I can try to get in a major championship I'm going to be there. These are important to me, to not only test yourself but to try to win one. And the only way you can do that is to try to get in. I was one of the guys that finished at 6-under, so I made it right on the button.

Q. Did you come up from Florida that day?

SKIP KENDALL: Yes. I didn't play that week at Booze-Allen, but I did come up to qualify. I was 10-under through 27 holes. I don't know, I maybe got tired or something. I bogeyed the last hole at Congressional, the par-3, 18, on the blue course. And I really thought that when I got off the green that I had made it. I didn't think there was going to be a question. As it turned out I made it right on the number. So it got a little dicey at the end there. But I really -- I thought I played well enough to make it when I finished my round. But it almost didn't turn out that way.

End of FastScripts.

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