U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 15, 2005

Kevin Marsh

Q. Just your general feeling right now.

KEVIN MARSH: Kind of overwhelmed right now. just, won some tournaments, very fortunate to win some tournaments in my life but nothing even remotely close to this. Southern California Amateur Championship was pretty big at the time, and still very proud of winning that tournament with that field. But this is amazing. To be able to come through and win a USGA event, and win it on the Honors Course, it's pretty amazing for me. I always felt like I was a good player, but after 18 holes here on Saturday, the thought of me being right here, right now, was the furthest thing from my mind.

But that's the beauty of golf and that's the beauty of match play. I really struggled on Tuesday the second and third rounds, and was just very, very fortunate to get through those matches. You know, Austin (Eaton III) had a tough go at it and I was fortunate to get him on a bad day, because if he would have played well, I don't think I probably would have survived that day.

Match play, there's always one or two things that happen in a round that could swing momentum the other way. Looking back, I think that you could look back at somebody wins a tournament like this, the same kind of thing happens in a match. You know, there was one or two tournaments or one or two matches that could have gone the other way. Last year, last year's experience combined with going over and playing in the British Mid Am at Muirfield was huge for me. Last year being 2 up with two to go three times and losing it all three times, was just it meant everything to me this week, because I just never let up. Coming down the stretch, whether I was 1 up or even, I just hit some great shots, and I just didn't let up.

I was four, five, six up today and I just kept pressing. Today especially, I was telling Chris, that I knew Carlton was struggling, and I knew I was hitting it pretty good. And my concern was I didn't want to give him an opportunity to go work it out on the driving range between the two rounds and find something. If I was like four or five up or something, I mean, that's still very doable. You know, I certainly didn't expect to be ten up, but to be, you know, six, seven, eight up at halfway through the back nine I thought was kind of realistic.

So then it just was, you know, really nice playing the nine and I can't tell you how happy I am to close it out on No. 9 and not have to walk another hole. My feet are just killing me (laughter). I'm sure everybody was tired.

Q. There's the clubhouse, it's right here.

KEVIN MARSH: Yeah, exactly. You know, I guarantee Carlton wanted to keep playing, but we were talking about it on the first hole this morning. Just happy. I feel lucky, my whole life I've been very blessed and very lucky. I couldn't be happier. Just everything seems to be going perfect.

Q. Talked with your caddie and he was talking about how relaxed you were, first mentioned on the Hooters Tour, you got frustrated you seemed really relaxed this week joking around inaudible?

KEVIN MARSH: Yeah, as the week went on, that definitely became the theme. I've always been really competitive and hard on myself on the course. I've gotten a lot better. We just kind of seemed to be having fun. We went and saw a movie the other night and we were laughing. When we won the NCAAs when I filled in for John, to be honest, I didn't really feel like I was coaching, I just was out there kind of being their buddy. I lived with a couple of those guys a year before, and so I was mainly just trying to downplay what they were playing for. I was really lucky today, I didn't really ever think that. I just was focused on beating Carlton and just he and I out there playing a match. I kind of had a mindset going into today that this is no different than playing our first round match. Obviously everybody that makes match play here is a great player.

You know, I've beaten some incredible players throughout the tournament, and no disrespect to Carlton, but I just kind of had that mindset that he's just another guy, he's just another player that I want to beat. So fortunately, I played great and he struggled and made the second 18 pretty enjoyable.

Q. Any type of Augusta memory for you that maybe you'll take with you next April?

KEVIN MARSH: Asking about Augusta memories I've been to the city of Augusta once, my uncle used to live there when I was like 13. I think that was the year Mize chipped in. I've never been in, driven by the gate I have no idea what to expect to be honest. I'm looking forward to seeing some guys that I played college golf with, some guys that I played when I was playing on the mini tours, you know, Chad Campbell, Chris Riley and those guys that I played 10,000 hands of gin rummy with in the Days Inn Motels for, I can't tell you how many. And that's going back to what Chris said when he first met me. I really didn't enjoy professional golf at that level. I mean, obviously if you're playing on the PGA TOUR, it's a whole different thing.

But it was a grind. I didn't enjoy it, and the day that I got the letter back from the USGA that I was reinstated as an amateur was one of the happiest days of my life. I just really missed playing golf for fun and playing just purely for the competition. You know, if I would have won this I won today, great. I'm still going to go home and build a shopping center and if I would have lost the match today, I still am going to go home and build a shopping center. Not to take anything away from the tournament or what you get out of it or The Masters and all of these great things, but that's the difference now is an amateur is I can take one tournament at a time and when it's done, it's done.

As a pro, I just felt like every week, you know, I was trying to make the cut, make a check, calling people and asking for money, and it's just, I didn't enjoy it, I really didn't, and it became a grind. I probably shouldn't even have played my third year, but I told myself after I graduated now from Pepperdine that because I had such a good college career, that I felt like I was good enough to make it, but I just as year two and year three went on, I knew I shouldn't be out here because I didn't have the right attitude and I didn't enjoy it anymore and if you can't have fun playing this game, don't play. I mean, it's meant to be fun, and to be able to do this and compete at this level is something that not too many people can say. And then to be a USGA Champion is just absolutely incredible. It really, truly is an honor.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KEVIN MARSH: It will be almost three years. I think it was like December of '02, I believe.

Q. Did you still have the letter?

KEVIN MARSH: I do, actually, I do. I think I even have the application. '02 or '03? I can't remember. It must be December of '03 no, it was '02.

Q. So did you just it was pretty much, you never played in any PGA TOUR events?

KEVIN MARSH: I Monday qualified for one Nike Tour event in Colorado and made the cut. I played terrible, I think I shot like 77 on Sunday. It was just hard. I actually had played pretty well in the tournament. I was like 20th or something going into the final round, and it was brutal because in order to get exempt into the next week, you had to finish like in the Top 10 I think or maybe it was Top 20 and I was like 30th or something. So I knew I had to play a really good round.

The problem was I had like a 7:45 tee time on Monday in San Jose for the next qualifier. Basically if I didn't finish in the Top 20 because I played in the afternoon, I had to withdraw from the tournament. It got to the point, so I finished like 55th or something, made like $650 or something ridiculous. And, you know, now I'm stuck for a week, because I can't get to San Jose in time to qualify for the next event, even though I was playing great.

So that was disappointing. I never got through first stage of Tour School. I missed by four shots I think every single year. First year I should have made it. Just totally gagged the last two rounds, I shot a couple 73s or 74s or something on a course that I had played a million times and played well three times, '97, '98 and '99.

Q. When you first came out

KEVIN MARSH: 13.

Q. Senior year?

KEVIN MARSH: No, actually it was my sophomore year. I red shirted my first year and then I qualified for the U.S. Am at Champions in '93, the summer between my freshman year. I didn't play that good my freshman year. I played in pretty much all the tournaments but didn't really do much. I qualified for Champions and played awesome, finished third or fourth I think, and then I played Notah (Begay III) in the round of 16. I was 2 up through eight and he was really struggling and we hit our drives on nine, had about a four and a half hour rain delay, which also reminded me of today. Because we finally got to go back out and hit balls for like 20 minutes and he came out and birdied like three of the first hour holes on me and ended up beating me three and one or two and one or something like that.

But that gave me a lot of confidence. Like Justin Leonard was in the locker room, he was the defending champion that year and he goes, "Man, you're playing great." I didn't have a clue what I was doing and he goes, "Oh, made it this far, you could win this tournament just as easily as anybody else." So that was great. I always think highly of Justin for saying that.

Then was fortunate to be able to play a little bit with Tiger in college and stuff. Just kind of got my confidence and then the few months later we were up at Stanford's tournament and I was in second, one back of Notah and I shot 66 in the final round to win my first tournament.

After that I was off and running, I won the week later at San Diego State's tournament at La Costa. I had a really good year. Only two tournaments I won that year and I think I ended up winning conference the following year and University of Pacific's tournament was the fourth tournament.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KEVIN MARSH: So we had Kurt left after my All American year, he went and got a great job with SC as their head coach and director of golf. I still love Kurt and still talk to him a lot.

. But I think that hurt me a little bit, we went through some coaching changes my junior and senior year. Being as I was captain of the team, I think I took on a little bit too much responsibility of that. We kind of had some tough times. My game suffered from that.

And then I actually got injured. I hurt at that time I thought was my shoulder but ended up being, seven or eight years later, found out I have a pretty severe herniated disk in my neck which caused me to lose a lot of my strength in my right arm and stuff.

Healed that and got my game back but didn't play all that well the last few years of college.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KEVIN MARSH: Geiberger, I graduated, my last year of playing was '96 and then I had an extra semester left of school being on the 5 1/2 year program. I mean, you're in Malibu, who wants to leave, right? I stayed and helped out a little bit with the team, graduated December, turned pro and I was out on the road, we had a week off, we were in Columbia, South Carolina, I believe, and Chris Riley, Chad Campbell and Drew Fennimore (ph) who played for Texas A&M in college, four of us, four cars, all drove all the way from there to Chicago, go hang out for the week, watch Cubs games and watch the teams and checked into the hotel. That was the night after the first practice round and John was yeah, he didn't go to the course that day and he wasn't feeling good. I think I crashed on one of the guy's floors, Mike Walton and somebody else's, I think Mark Madison, and then the next morning, John was really hurting, so he gave me his credentials and I took the team out there. Came back that night after the second practice round, and he was quarantined in his room because he had the chicken pox and they wouldn't let him out in public. He never even saw the golf course.

The week went on, we just played great and unfortunately Jason had a rough last hole. He should have won the individual title, and just

Q. (Inaudible.)

KEVIN MARSH: No. I don't know, maybe he might tell a different story. I don't remember that happening. That could be true.

Q. Said somebody came up you could make 11 or something on the last hole and you still would have beat

KEVIN MARSH: Maybe. I don't know.

Q. (Inaudible.)

KEVIN MARSH: He definitely did. He hit a terrible drive and he hit an awesome second shot out of the fairway bunker and he had like 7 iron into the green and he blows it left and plugs it in the left side of the left bunker, had no shot. So it was unfortunate. Couldn't make bogey at least to get in the playoff which was a total bummer because it would have been nice going for the double dip there.

In hindsight think everything that's happened to Jason has been good. Proud of the guy, he deserves it, and Pepperdine has got a bunch of guys, Jeff Gohl (ph) has been going well, he's been on Tour twice, looks like he might get his card. He's in the mid 20s on the Nationwide Tour. He we just had a guy, Michael Putnam, that just played a couple weeks ago, a great story from the U.S. Am. And then Jason Allred has been out there this year, got off to a great start and has not been playing very well lately. We could potentially have four guys out there next year if they can get back out there.

I think Jason is going to have a big year, I believe that. Jason should be winning on the PGA TOUR. I told him that two or three careers ago when I walked around Vegas with him when he was on Tour then. He's hit it tour quality since he was 16. I mean, the guy is unbelievable. He's a streaky putter and when he gets that putter reeling, he's as good as anybody.

But I think that part of it has gotten better. I think Megan has helped him, having a kid,.

Q. The sports psychologist

KEVIN MARSH: L.A.

Q. I think he's south somewhere, Florida.

KEVIN MARSH: Jason, he's got all the talent in the world. The cameras and the fans have always loved him since he was literally I played with him the first time we were on this California like Southern Cal versus Northern Cal, I can't remember, it was up in Fresno. We were 16, 17, something like that and they loved him then. He's always had that smile. He's just a great guy. Happy to see him doing well.

Q. Making a name for yourself this week?

KEVIN MARSH: Yeah, that's true.

Q. You're going to make it to Augusta before he does.

KEVIN MARSH: That would be pretty cool if he qualified and we could play a practice round or something together. I think they were asking me that earlier. You know, I don't think it's easier to qualify for The Masters as an amateur, but it's probably not that much different to be honest. I mean, you've got the Public Links now and this and then the two finalists of the Am.

Q. And the British Am.

KEVIN MARSH: And the British Am, too. I think from my experience in the game, if I was to look at it from now, obviously I would say this is, you know, easier than for me to try to turn pro and get through Q School. And then even I don't even think winning one tournament gets you in anymore. I mean, that's just ridiculous. The field is so small. Not to take anything away from the amateur that is have done well there, but I think that is part of the reason why. There's not as much pressure, you really don't have any expectation and you just go out there and see what happens, you end up beating 30 or 40 guys and all of the sudden you're making the cut and who knows what happens over the weekend.

You know, I've never met Ryan Moore, even though he's from Vegas and stuff and played for UNLV. Hopefully I can meet him and pick his brain a little bit, because he's certainly done well there and played it a few times and knows how to get it around that golf course and now he's playing unbelievable, which is really impressive to watch. Obviously struggled the first few tournaments he turned pro and to be able to step up and do what he did a week ago, two weeks ago, whatever it was it just really impressive.

To me, that's pressure. I mean, playing an 18 hole match today, even though you're playing for the trip to the Masters and being the USGA Champion, to go out there knowing you've got to finish in certain position to make money to qualify to not go to Q School, to me that's the most pressure anybody could face in the game of golf. That, and maybe the Ryder Cup or something.

Q. Run out of sponsor's exemptions

KEVIN MARSH: After those first three or four tournaments, I said I would be surprised if he was able to pull it off. Like I said, nothing to take away from him, but I haven't been to that level, but I know what it's like mentally getting ready for Q School. It's just brutal. Like I said nothing to take away from Ryan, but he's never felt that. Going through those three stages, you know, especially for him, he's going to have to go through all three, he would have. Now even if he doesn't make his card, I think he probably gets into the finals, which is huge, and it automatically gets him on the Nationwide Tour. So what he's done just that last week is just huge, just huge.

Thank you.

End of FastScripts.