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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP


July 29, 2004


Jay Haas


ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

Q. We're now joined by Jay Haas. Jay, could you start us off by walking through the birdies on your card, please?

JAY HAAS: I hit a pitching wedge to about seven feet at No. 3.

I was on in two on No. 4 and two putted.

17, I hit about a foot and a half away.

18, I made about a six- or seven-footer there. In between I had numerous chances. I really felt like I left a few out on the course. I played very well from tee to green, about as good as I can play. I hit a lot of fairways, but when all is said and done, I'm very pleased with 4 under.

Q. Is it tough to be pleased at 4 under but know there was a few six- to eight-footers out there?

JAY HAAS: Yes and no. Had I made the ones earlier, maybe I wouldn't have made the last couple on them. I'm trying to be patient and feel if I play well I'll be there at the end and try not to get too frustrated. I didn't hit a lot of good putts. That was the frustrating thing. That was the disappointing thing. Toward the end I hit some better ones and hit a nice one on 18. We'll go to the putting green and see if that difference works for tomorrow.

Q. (Inaudible).

JAY HAAS: I think everything from tee to green is but maybe the greens are a little softer than they wanted them. You can throw the ball right at the hole, which is pretty unlike the US Open. What we had at Shinnecock, I hit 16 greens, I might have hit 7. It's kind of the nature of this course and the weather here. It's hot and humid, you can't afford to get them too firm and dry because they're going to die on you. It's kind of the way it's set up.

Q. Perhaps a reaction to --

JAY HAAS: You know, maybe. Bellerive said we want to have some grass on our greens in a month after we leave here, so -- it's set up. There are a lot of good scores. I'm a little surprised there are so many 1, 2, 3, 4 unders. I expected maybe six or eight guys to be under par. Peter, I don't know if he got in 6, I don't know if I expected that. When I saw Craig at 5 I thought that might be the number, but just to see everybody -- not everybody but quite a few guys in the red, I think that's a little different than what you expect at a USGA event.

Q. What will happen with the rain -- it's going to rain tomorrow I think all day.

JAY HAAS: That will keep the greens soft. They probably won't water them tonight just because of that. I was hoping it would somehow miss us.

It played beautifully today. There was no wind to speak of. I won't say it will make it easier. The course will be play a little bit longer and you'll have to deal with an umbrella and rain gear, but if it rains quite a bit, it will remain that way for the rest of the week.

Q. (Inaudible).

JAY HAAS: I hit probably the best drive of the day. I was between driver and 3 off the tee. I had 155 and hit an 8-iron and was trying to cut it in and did exactly what I was trying to do. I ended up about six or seven feet past the hole. It was two of my best shots of the day. The drive was just as I pictured and so was the 8-iron. It's fun to finish like that. As I said, I was a little frustrated on the back, or disappointed I didn't get some more birdies, but birdieing the last two always feels a little bit better.

Q. (Inaudible).

JAY HAAS: Yeah, it was wonderful. Every hole they would clap for us coming up there. I'm just excited for the Champions Tour, the Senior Golf here, that there are this many people out here. It's a wonderful town for golf. They have done a great job with the grandstands. When I hit that shot in on 18 I would have thought it was the US Open, not the US Senior Open. They have been great to me. The grandstands are full. I have been hearing a lot of "Go Jays" out there. It's fun.

Q. Is there a group of girls from your high school?

JAY HAAS: Were there girls out there? I didn't see any.

Q. Good answer.

JAY HAAS: I've seen quite a few people both male and female that I went to school with. Some I remember, some I don't. We had a little get together at St. Clair over in Illinois the other night. I saw some people there and a lot of names I remember, faces I haven't seen them in 25 or 30 years, so they've changed a little bit like me.

Q. All the support that you had on you today, did that make it easier or did you feel more pressure?

JAY HAAS: I didn't feel any more pressure. In an event like this and quality of field like this, I feel enough pressure already. I don't know if I can feel any more. I like the fan support. It's great. They're pulling for me and hollering. I think they were probably more frustrated than I was. It looks easy from the side, but they were patient with me.

Q. Speaking about the pressure, is it nice to get away from the regular Tour?

JAY HAAS: Yes and no. I guess I really haven't -- I've tried not to think too much about the Ryder Cup. People bring it up and I talk about it and everything, but I guess I never really thought of it in those terms that I'm off the pressure of the PGA Tour.

Like I said, it's a tournament. To me I feel the pressure to perform well no matter what the tournament is. It didn't seem a lot different to me. The course to me is set up pretty much what we play, probably a little tougher than what we play on a weekly basis. Distance it's about the same we play, you know, 7,000 yards. That's enough for me.

All right, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.
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