U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 22, 2002

Bill Haas

CRAIG SMITH: I guess you didn't lead until it mattered most.

BILL HAAS: Right. I got off to a bad start. It didn't feel bad. He was -- he made a couple birdies, I guess. Or he won two holes with pars, with, yeah, with pars. So I was shaky off the start. But I think when I get over par, or down in that situation, I tell myself I'm not a 75 shooter or a 74 shooter. I tell myself I'm a 70 shooter and it evens out. If I'm 3-over, I'm going to shoot 70 or 69. If I'm 3-under, not saying I'm going to go backward, but I'm confident enough. I can get it back and that's what I told myself.

CRAIG SMITH: You told me something out there that your approach to playing DJ, that if you had lost to him, well, that would have been okay because you knew what he was in terms of playing skills.

BILL HAAS: Sure. I played a lot of golf with him. And every time I play with him -- I don't think he's ever shot a bad score. And he didn't today. He just -- I just got lucky, I guess. Knowing he's played in the Masters before, Public Links champion, player of the year, NCAA Walker Cup player, all his accolades are so impressive and I'm under him in that respect, for what he's accomplished. And so I guess, it makes me want to beat him even more, being friends with him and knowing what he's done makes this win that much better. But then again losing to him is not as gut wrenching, I guess.

Q. Was there a situation at nine, I mean, it could have gone either way and if he gets that, you're four down with nine to play. Does that kind of enter your head or did you think new nine holes, we're clear?

BILL HAAS: Well, my putt -- before I hit, before he even hit his shot, I thought he had the advantage there. All he had to do was get it on the green. If he landed it short, it was going to roll to the hole. If he went long, it was going to come back to it. And my putt was tough, I had a tough putt there. It went up and was breaking and I was just trying to 2-putt there and you kind of tune out what the score is. I just said 2-putt. And I guess if you can mentally block things out there.

Q. So what was your mindset going or making the turn? You were, I think, you were three down. Was there any panic, any nervousness?

BILL HAAS: Not really. I think inside everything churning and running around. But outside, I tried to stay composed and I will tell myself I'm going to make some birdies and he's going to make some bogeys. And just be positive. And hitting in the rough's not a big deal. It doesn't mean I've lost the hole yet and hitting it three feet doesn't mean I'm going to win the hole. So you just got to keep punching them, keep hitting them, jabbing them, see if you can get back in the fight and back in the game. So I don't really try, I don't get that rattled as to where I'm losing and the day's over with. So not too bad there.

Q. How long were your birdie putts on 10 and 12?

BILL HAAS: 10 and 12?

Q. 12, you 2-putted it?

BILL HAAS: Right. 12, I hit it close for eagle and missed that. And 10, actually it was conceded. It was about six feet and I'll say I made it. He conceded to me. He had a tough chip and ended up making five, so.

Q. How surprised were you to have him lose two holes by making bogey? The key holes, 13 and 16 there. Did that surprise you for him to do that?

BILL HAAS: I don't know. I guess he's not that good to where he's not going to make bogeys two in a row. God, I made three in a row three times out here this week. And it's going to happen. But he's been there so many times. He's got more match play experience than I do. And I guess, you would say you think he's not going to make bogeys coming in, but he's human just like anybody else. And he got a couple bad breaks but that's the way it goes.

Q. What did you hit at 17?

BILL HAAS: 5-iron.

Q. What was your yardage and club on 12 for that second shot? And then how big was that putt you made at 14 to keep from losing that hole?

BILL HAAS: 12, my second shot was a 4-iron from 221. A little help from the wind. Had to cut it around the tree a little. And then 14 was the turnaround. That was the biggest putt of the day, to leave it that far short. I was thinking, he wasn't going to get his up-and-down. He was against the grain where everybody walks in the rough. It looked like he had almost -- he hit it close there from the fairway, so I got lucky. He just barely went over there. But I was thinking, I was going to 2-putt and he might not get up-and-down, that is. And that was my chance, and then when he hit it close and I had a 15-footer left after a terrible first putt, I was thinking if I went two down there I was done. So that was the biggest putt of the day probably.

Q. At 14 when a when a cell phone rang Trahan lost his composure a little bit. Did you sense he was getting angry and kind of losing it a little bit there?

BILL HAAS: I sensed he was getting frustrated maybe a little because he was making bogeys, but not because of the phone. He's the type that can laugh that off, and throw a smart comment to that guy, which he did. Which he probably should of. The phone rang once and he kept it on, it rang again, kept it on and I don't know what noise it made the third time, but it kept making noises so I would have said something. I'm sure. I don't know. Maybe even more rude. It wasn't rude, the guy deserved it. I almost -- I should have said something as a player as an opponent too, so.

Q. Did you feel that there was a point where you just needed to hit it in the middle of the greens because DJ just was not in control of his iron game down the stretch?

BILL HAAS: I would say that the time I shot the middle was 16. I went to that shot. Right when I hit it, I was oh, Bill. I thought it was cutting no good, ended up being 15 feet left of the hole. Still I was aiming 20 feet left of the hole and he was over there in the rough. And I was first, I said, If I can hit it first that's going to put the pressure on him." So that was it. One time I shot for the middle of the green. Any time I'm in the rough, I hardly ever go right at the pin. But other than that I'm pretty aggressive.

Q. Were you ever out of rhythm on the front nine? You guys were playing pretty quick and I wonder if you felt like maybe you were going too fast and getting out of your rhythm?

BILL HAAS: That's what I do. That's my fault. I start going way too fast, if I make a bogey, I want to get to the next tee and hit it and make a birdie so bad. And that's definitely -- I got out of my rhythm. Maybe that's not the reason I was down, he was playing well. He made an unbelieveable birdie on 8 and I just gave him that. I was like, that's incredible. I'll accept being three down after that. So it wasn't just me playing bad. I made a birdie and I think I was a couple over and over out here is not that big a deal. There's been worse scores. So I guess I got out of my rhythm a little bit. But I guess I calmed down.

Q. You talked about some of the things that DJ has accomplished in his career. Have you looked at your self compared to him as just not, a little bit not quite as good as he is. And if so, does this change your perspective?

BILL HAAS: No. I don't look at myself as not as good as anybody. I think I'm as good as everybody. And I think when I get on the first tee with whoever it is, I say I'm going to beat him. And I'm not, during stroke play it's different because you're not trying to beat him and usually you pull for your opponent that you play with. I do anyway. Guys I play with I hope they play well, I just hope I play better. I don't think I'm ever worse than anybody. That's the worst you can do. I can't think I was not as good as DJ. I would have lost worse than I was down. But, yeah, just to beat him, what he's done, is a great feeling. And the other guys I beat in the first two round were excellent rounds. Williamson and Greg Kennedy and I felt just as good after those two wins as I do today.

Q. You've come a long way in the last three or four days, some big hurdles, big hurdle today, this afternoon, what are your thoughts now as you go forward?

BILL HAAS: They're all big hurdles I think all these matches are big and tomorrow's going to be just as big. I either got Kevin Stadler or John Klauk. And I think they were all square with three to go or something. And I don't want to play either of them, but I'm going to have to.

(Laughter.) I'm good friends with John. And I have gotten to know Kevin a little bit this summer. And we're all friends out here. And it will be -- when you get on the course and start playing you're less of a friend, you know, you want to beat them. But I'm just looking forward to playing and hopefully I can win.

Q. Being the Medalist and then winning the matches you won so far, can you remember a stretch of golf where you played this well?

BILL HAAS: I think just this whole summer has felt good to me. I played well. Not to go through all my tournaments or anything, but I think I was counting I only shot like three rounds over par all summer and that's pretty good for me because I'm pretty erratic. I told you I'm aggressive and sometimes I'll shoot 65 and then the next time 77. This whole summer has felt pretty consistent and this week's kind of carried that over. But no, this summer and this week has been probably the most consistent I've played ever.

Q. What's the difference been?

BILL HAAS: I don't know. Lower scores?

(Laughter.) I don't know. I'm putting better. I got a new putter this summer. And an Odyssey and it's much better. Nothing against Scotty Camerons, but I was using those for the last four years and this Odyssey is much better. And when you get confident with one club and it just works for you, so.

Q. This might be a little premature, but on 16 Stadler just chipped in. So he's one up now with two to play.

BILL HAAS: Okay.

Q. But when you guys were growing up, did you, I mean on tour with your fathers and everything, did you used to hang out with Kevin at all?

BILL HAAS: I bet I did. But I don't remember. We traveled, me, my brother and my sister, oldest daughter of the group, we all three traveled probably for four years up until I was four or five. And after that I think I kind of stayed home with my mom. And I think Craig and my dad were the same, he's turning 50 soon. My dad's turning 49 in December. So they were around the same age and I'm sure me, and Kevin a couple years older than me, so I'm sure there was a time when the whole, all the families were out there traveling together. Going to the same nurseries and all that kind of stuff. But I don't remember hanging out with him buddy/buddy like. But I've gotten to know him, he's a great guy, just like his father.

Q. When you finally got the tee back after the birdie at 10, was it important for you to get it back and to keep it?

BILL HAAS: Sure. Because then if you lose the tee you lost a hole. So I didn't want to lose any more holes after number nine. And I might have. No, I didn't. But that birdie, to hit it close on number 10 out of the rough it was big. And then he gave me a putt on No. 11. We both hit it kind of close and it was a tough putt. Mine rolled down about three feet and his rolled down there about two and a half. And I gave it to him kind of hoping he would say good too and he kind of looked at it and backed off and I was about to putt and he said, that's good, Bill. And I was surprised, it was kind of a breaker. And I think right there I was like, wow, that was nice. And now I'm only two down. I think I was, yeah. Now I'm still only two down I could have been three down there. And I think that was a little bit of a turnaround. I felt confident after that. From then on I felt pretty good.

Q. Were you surprised he didn't give you that putt at 15?

BILL HAAS: He did, actually, I just putted it.

Q. Oh, okay. Because you --

BILL HAAS: But I didn't hear him either. I putted it to putt. But afterwards he said, you didn't hear me give it to you? And I said no.

Q. It might have been because he was 30 feet off the green when he said it.

BILL HAAS: Yeah, he was a little bit upset.

CRAIG SMITH: All right. Thank you.

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