U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 18, 1999

Jason Martin

JASON MARTIN: I was going out there and trying to have a lot of fun today. Actually, I played last year, which was a great experience. I got to play with Sergio Garcia, the first two rounds of stroke-play. And then yesterday I had a -- I got through that successfully. And I said: I'm in match play now. I made it further than I did last year. I was looking forward to it all day. And the first couple of holes I was a little shaky, of course. But I got through that okay. And Gene didn't play as well as he wanted to the first couple of holes, and it really kept me in the match. And about the 4th or 5th hole, my caddy was like: Start swinging aggressively at the ball; everything is the same as it's been all week. And that's what I started trying to do. On 5, the pin was way on the right side of the green and on the left front, and I hit the putt a little hard, but it went in the bottom of the hole. It was about a 60-foot putt, and that really got me going. And then I did a good par on 6. Hit it real close on 7. And the wind was really blowing hard, and Gene hit it over the green, and I won that hole. I hit a great shot on 8, hit a great 3-iron in there.

JASON MARTIN: On 8. Hit a 3-wood off the tee, and hit a 3-iron in there. Hit it short and still couldn't hold the green. It barely went over the green in the first cut of rough. It rolled back, and I think Gene made bogey there. We both bogeyed 9. It was tough on the holes by the ocean. And then I was coming back into the wind on 11, 12, 13. I didn't play real good. I didn't hit the ball real good off the tee on those holes. I just stayed patient. And, of course, on 17 probably the shot of my life. I was behind the hole, and I chipped it in; so I kind of felt like Tom Watson.

JASON MARTIN: It was just over the green in the intermediate cut. It wasn't in the thick stuff. I barely got it on the fringe. It wasn't going far by if it did miss, but it hit right in the center of the hole and just fell in. It was really neat with the crowd there.

JASON MARTIN: It was -- I'd say it was 20-foot. And then on 18, I think I just hit a drive right at the tree. The wind was so hard in my face, I knew I couldn't get there. And Gene maybe poured it off the tee. I wasn't really looking, and put it in the hazard.

JASON MARTIN: This is probably the biggest. I won the North Carolina Amateur last year, in '98. That was the biggest. And then I qualified for the U.S. Am last year. I had a good summer last year. I haven't played as well this summer, but this adds a little icing; so it helps. It's a big win.

JASON MARTIN: I was 3-up.

JASON MARTIN: He parred 1 and was 1-up. And then on 2, I hit it right of the green, and I hit a chip and it just didn't hold the green. And it went over. I think Gene was just -- he was pin-high, just right in the rough. He chipped it down there, and he probably had a three-foot putt -- I got up-and-down for bogey, and I made him putt, and he missed it right. And I don't know if he pushed it or what; it ran out of steam and barely missed right. On 3, I kind of pushed a shot. Didn't quite make it to the green. I hit it in the rough. Gene hit it on the front of the green and 3-putted, and I made bogey there. I could have been 3-down easily right there, if he would have just made a couple of putts. But that kept me in the match. On 5, when that putt went in, that was great.

JASON MARTIN: No. I had to sleep on it.

JASON MARTIN: I was in the last group of the day at 7:30 in the morning. I slept all right, but I wish I could have played last night.

JASON MARTIN: It was, but I think that Trey Holland was going -- I don't think he was going to let us play. But a guy did speak up about five minutes before we were supposed to go, and said he didn't want to play.

JASON MARTIN: Yeah.

JASON MARTIN: Yes, it was, a little cold.

JASON MARTIN: Considering I started with 17 guys, and then it was down to 2, it got pretty interesting. But I tried not to let it bother me and hit smart shots. I didn't want to do anything stupid. As hard as 17 and 18 were, I felt bogey would be good. I made bogey at 18 first time and bogeyed 17. It kept me -- and I got a par on 18.

JASON MARTIN: About two and a half. I went up to the gallery and ate some breakfast, went to the hotel, and watched some TV.