U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 29, 1995

Graham Marsh

GRAHAM MARSH: Okay. Well, the fifth hole I hit a 5-iron in there about 30 feet and made that. The 7th, an 8-iron about 15 feet, maybe a little less, maybe twelve feet; made that. On the 9th about 20 feet, made that. The rest were pars, so -- and two put pars all that, so I guess I hit every green in regulation today. Couple of them, I think every green in regulation. I do not think I missed a green. So that was it, three birdies and 15 pars.

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, I think the break for us came today, the weather, no doubt about that. After we have been slushing around in the rain and very wet fairways, first three days of practice, I am sure that everybody sort of felt relieved to get that break in the weather today, and it does make a big difference when you are going into these, some of these greens where the pins are. When you are going in with mid to short irons rather than going in with 2 and 3 irons because they are very hard to get close to. But my guess is that there would have been a lot lower scores, of course, if the greens had been a little better. They certainly -- they were certainly cut up by the time we got onto them this afternoon.

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, yeah, it is one of those things. I suppose you, playing the first U.S. Senior Open and run second there was no guarantee that I was ever going to win. I had to make a three at the end to win outright. Disappointing thing was I didn't make 4 and had a chance at a playoff, but I guess that made a lot of press guys pretty happy because they would have had to have hung around on a Monday. But anyway, yes, it sort of stuck on my mind, but there has been a lot of water under the bridge since that time. Having won out here now it makes a big difference and obviously this is one of the premier tournaments in senior golf.

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, issue about winning, I mean, I suppose when you come out and people are sort of saying why haven't you won; why haven't you done that, I guess it is a pride thing more than anything else and once it is there, once it is accomplished the old story, you say to yourself, why didn't you do it earlier, it is just one of those feelings that you have. And I don't -- I keep saying to myself and keep saying to the people that when I was close to the lead when I was in the press room that I wasn't going to press too hard to make it happen. I just had to be patient and let it happen and I think that is always the case. It doesn't matter whether you are trying to win or whether you are just trying to win a single golf tournament such as a U.S. Senior Open. If you start pressing too hard that is when you can get things come undone. It has taken pressure off me, but I felt that it was going to happen so I certainly didn't feel surprised by it, so that was -- that was my reaction. It was just a nice relief to get that little monkey off my back.

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, you know, it is always -- I think it is always more difficult to play with, you know, one of the superstars, depending on how you handle it, and depending on how you face it mentally. Sure, I have played with Jack all over the world; I think in every country in the world where he has played internationally; somewhere along the line, I have appeared with Jack, so it is not an unfamiliar occurrence for me. But one thing you have to do is if you get intimidated by the players or you get intimidated by what is going on out there, and don't start concentrating on your own game and focusing on your own game, you have a major problem. I have just -- I guess over the years you learn to focus very seriously on your own game and just deal with your own situation. But of course, it doesn't matter, same as you play in Japan you play with Jumbo; everybody is yelling for Jumbo. I guess I am sort of travelling all over the world and there aren't too many people yelling for me. That is a natural thing. I have lived with that most of my life.

GRAHAM MARSH: Jack is special, of course, but as I said, if you don't learn to deal with it, you have a problem, so I have learned to deal with that in my own way.

GRAHAM MARSH: Well, Jack has always been a little bit longer than I have, but once there was one story -- well, there is advantages and disadvantages to that. Obviously in the par 5, if you can reach it in two those extra 20 yards are nice, but certainly there are certain times when you get first shot at the flag; that can also be nice too.