U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 1997

Graham Marsh

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, it's always nice to shoot a low round. I'm surprised that that is the low round, given the fairly benign conditions we've had the last two days.

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, I guess there are a number of ways you can shoot 67, but mine came from hitting a number of iron shots very close today, an 8-iron within 18 inches of the third hole. The 7th was not so close off the back edge. You know, I holed it from about 25 feet, I suppose. Then I hit a beautiful 4-wood at 8 to about 6, 7 feet behind the hole and made that. 9, I drove it in the fairway traps left and gashed it up in front of the green in the long rough right which is just where I wasn't going to leave it and chipped it on and made a 5. A nice 3 at 12. I hit it under the hole, which isn't exactly what you're supposed to do, and holed it from about 30 feet straight up the hill. 13, another disaster. Terrible tee shot, hooked it, went across into the hazard on the right, and so it was just a question of how many I can make from there and chipped it up to the corner, but went through the edge and had to chip it out from there again with a 6-iron, sand wedge on, very nearly made the putt from about 12 feet. 16, hit it close. I hit a 5-iron to 18 inches again. Then played 17 well. 18, hit a horrible drive, sliced it way out there between the two -- between 1 and 18. 5-iron over the trees. Actually, I came up with a very good break there. I could have been blocked out, but I had a shot I could hit it on the green. Hit a 5-iron, hooked it into the bunker -- first bunker on the left. Played a wonderful bunker shot to about 6 inches. So, overall, extremely happy with my game, but just hit two or three wayward shots, but the difference is on this golf course, you can hit many greens. For example, my playing partner Gibby Gilbert hit it there 10 or 13 feet on several occasions and 3-putted it. So you heard I'm sure from other people, other than myself, that the trick is getting it close, but it's then defensive putting from there. If you get aggressive with the putter, you can really knock it 6, 8, 10 foot past the hole. So my 67 came from being three very good shots today close, not making mistakes with the putter when I was on the green, and I putted defensively, and I came out unscathed. I made a par from a bad tee shot at 18 and only a bogey from a very poor tee shot at 13.

GRAHAM MARSH: No, just normal problems you get -- I have a neck problem, and it just -- towards the end of the round, I get a pain there, and if I can just get a treatment for 10 or 15 minutes, it eases the pain. If I don't take attention to it, leave it for a few days, it can easily spasm on me.

GRAHAM MARSH: My iron to the 12th, I hit a 7-iron.

GRAHAM MARSH: It will depend on the weather and depending -- it depends on what the USGA and the course superintendent do from here on in. Downhill par 3, 14, I mean all three of us Steve Miller, Gibby Gilbert and myself hit iron shots there. We cleared the bunker, the bunker in front of the green by no more than 7 or 8 yards, and we're off the back edge of the green with a 6-iron on a downhill shot. So, that's the sign of what could happen. Now, if they put a little water on the greens and slow it down just a little bit, I believe that somebody will shoot better than 67 before the end of the week. However, if the sun stays out like it is and we get a nice brisk summer breeze, even par will be one heck of a score. Because, as I said in my opening statement, I think the golf course has played -- the conditions have been relatively benign up until now. That's the best we can get out of it in exceedingly good conditions. If we get tough conditions, that even par is going to be looking extremely good at the end of the week.

GRAHAM MARSH: 143.

GRAHAM MARSH: That was about 233.

GRAHAM MARSH: 183.

GRAHAM MARSH: Great.