U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 24, 2000

James Driscoll

JAMES DRISCOLL : I think the match was even through nine holes. I won the first hole with a birdie and then he birdied -- I don't know what hole he birdied -- he birdied 2 maybe. Yeah, I think he birdied 2. We both birdied 3. We played really well, we were both under par for the front nine. Then I birdied 10, 12, 14 and 15 to close out the match. I played really well on that back nine. Didn't make any bogeys for the day.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Not really, couple tap-ins. The longest putt was probably on 10, I made a 15-footer.

JAMES DRISCOLL : My short irons were pretty good. My wedges were pretty good.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Six.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Well, with three holes left. But...

JAMES DRISCOLL : It's my fifth amateur. Last year was the only time I made Match Play, I made it to the quarterfinals and lost to David Gossett.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Yes.

JAMES DRISCOLL : I'm going to go to the qualifying tournament this fall. I'm going to turn pro right after this.

JAMES DRISCOLL : I was a history major.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Actually short iron's probably the weakest part of my game, it's just that today it was on. I don't know, probably long game, tee balls and long irons is probably the strength of my game which helps a lot. The first couple holes out here, especially in the morning when the ball's not going quite as far, you can have 4-and 5-irons in the first couple holes. That helps. I usually have been getting off to pretty good starts in the course.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Quarterfinals.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Well, I got -- I didn't even think about it at all this summer. Like I didn't even know it was the year of the world team championship. Then I got a letter from the USGA saying that I was being considered. Then I started thinking about it a lot, because I mean it would be a great honor to play for my country, being that there are only four guys chosen. I figured it would be a huge honor, great way to end my amateur career. But to be honest, this week I haven't even thought about it once. It's weird. I thought about it a lot this summer. Right after I got the letter. But this week I haven't really thought about it at all.

JAMES DRISCOLL : I played at Courville with Northeast Am this year, I've never met Gregorski.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Yes, my parents are here and I think every -- all my brothers here. I have five older brothers and an older sister. I think they're all here.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Everyone's here. I sometimes lose track of all of them. I think they're all here.

JAMES DRISCOLL : I'm the youngest.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Kind of. To different levels. But some are pretty good and some aren't so good.

JAMES DRISCOLL : Yeah.

JAMES DRISCOLL : I don't know. I'm pretty calm. I think it's gonna help a lot that I made it to the quarterfinals last year because I was a little bit shocked last year at the -- that day of quarterfinals. Because it's an afternoon tee time. The crowds were a lot bigger last year for the quarterfinals. It just -- I wouldn't say I was rattled but I was a little uncomfortable. I'm a lot more calm this year kind of knowing what to expect. Hopefully I can play a lot better than I did last year in the quarters. I didn't play well at all.

JAMES DRISCOLL : I don't change my game at all. I don't know, it's not -- I think some of the Mid-Ams are -- don't hit it quite as far but they -- so you can think you've got an advantage off a tee or something but they end up hitting a 4-or 5-iron in there ten feet. So I think playing with Mid-Am in different terms it's gonna help. You know they're going to have birdie putts the same length as you. You just can't underestimate them even if they hit it shorter. I know Courville hits it really far so it won't be any different really if I play him. I don't know about Gregorski. But it's all about numbers though. It doesn't really matter how you do it. You know they're gonna make birdies so you just got to make as many as you can.

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