John Mallinger - 2/11/07 Nelson Silverio: Pretty much says it all. Welcome, John. Thanks for spending a couple minutes with us. Just give us your impressions on the day. John Mallinger: Today was great. I played exactly how I wanted to. I did everything I wanted to, a couple putts didn't fall and that's basically what matters when it comes down to Sunday, making the putts when it matters. Nelson Silverio: Questions, guys? Questioner: As far as your self-confidence goes with the putting, you did what you had to do today on the putting green, what type of self talk do you go through when you are over a putt? John Mallinger: I just kind of go back to the basics. Keep your head still, you know, just hit the putt solid and just commit to the lines. That's basically what we went back to. Questioner: John, Mickelson said yesterday he had never heard of you. Think he's heard of you now? John Mallinger: I don't know. If he has, he has; if he hasn't, he hasn't. It isn't going to affect me. Questioner: You are happy with what you did today? John Mallinger: Yes, I played solid. I couldn't have asked for a better tournament. It would be nice to win, I was in the second to last group on Sunday in Pebble and I got my best run. Questioner: John, there was a lot of emotion out there after you finished. Your girlfriend is back there, your family. What's behind the emotion for you guys, do you think? John Mallinger: I think that it's understanding, they understand how much work I've put into it and how long it's taken me to get here through some injuries and stuff like that. So to have a family like that, friends like that that come out and really appreciate what I do and support me in every way on and off the golf course. Questioner: To follow up on that, you did talk about the putting. I know there were a lot of chances. How much of it was reads, how comfortable did you feel? John Mallinger: There was a couple I made some bad strokes, but other than that we put some good rolls on it, but with the Poa Ana it's hard to get the ball rolling. As soon as it jumps off line it doesn't really have a chance to go in. Questioner: How aware, if at all, were you the fifth and sixth holes, Phil was 2 up, you make an unusually double on five, I believe you birdied almost at the same time to take the lead briefly. John Mallinger: I had no idea he made double. The only time I actually looked at the leader board probably was, I think it was 15 is when I looked at the leader board and I think I was three or four back at the time. But I just really, I didn't pay attention too much, I just kind of stayed where I was and did my own thing. Questioner: At that point when you saw he was... when you looked at 15, you the think you had a realistic shot? John Mallinger: Phil, he his winning so many times, I didn't think... second for me was what I was looking for and ended up being third, so. Questioner: Where did you watch the last round of the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, did you watch it? John Mallinger: A little bit, yeah. Questioner: What were your impressions of what Phil did there? John Mallinger: I mean, that's a tough question. I'm sure he thought he made the right decision and he admitted to it and just hit a bad shot. It happens. Questioner: I don't know what it's like to be a young player, but can you put yourself in his place and say this is what I might do if I were in that situation? John Mallinger: No, I don't really think like that. Questioner: John, given the weather was the best it had been all week, I know you said you played pretty well. Are you at all disappointed you couldn't go lower? John Mallinger: Definitely. I thought I had some great looks coming in. I thought the beginning of the round started great, I had a good look on 9, I missed, unfortunately I misclubbed it on 11, didn't hit on the green up and down, I stuffed a 3 iron on the next hole and missed it. The chances were there, I have to build on it, I'll get better and I'm looking forward to next week. Questioner: Have you played here before? John Mallinger: Yes, I played amateur tournaments and stuff like that. Questioner: But never as a professional? John Mallinger: No, personally. John Bush: If you wouldn't mind, you had three birdies today and two bogeys, starting with the birdie on 1. John Mallinger: 3 wood off the tee box and I just hit a little chip 8 iron to four feet. John Bush: Another one on 6. John Mallinger: 6 I hit driver down the middle and then about I hit 3 about 20 yards short and got up and down. John Bush: And you had a final one on 16, birdie on 16. John Mallinger: I drove it down the middle and hit another chip 8 iron, made a 20-footer, probably the loudest crowd I ever heard, ever. Questioner: You had started on the TV, I heard you talking about playing with two guys with so much experience, would you elaborate how much you can get from veterans? John Mallinger: Yes, I have to learn how to hit a 3 wood 265 yards in the wind on 18. You just watch and see how composed they are coming down the stretch, how many times they have been there, this is pretty routine for them. Hopefully one day that's the way I'm going to look at it. And that's about it. Questioner: How significant is this for you in the context of the season and keeping your card, it puts you almost near the money you would need to make historically. John Mallinger: It's nice. The money is nice, but it's not too big a deal. The main thing is I came down the stretch and I played with some of the best players in the world and I competed with them. That's what is important to me, just proving to myself that I belong here, and I think that's the biggest thing for my confidence. Questioner: You said second place was realistic for you and you did that, so what do you take away from this going into tournament as far as the rest of the season, do you feel like you can be in contention, and capitalize and win? John Mallinger: Yeah, I would think so. I thought I actually had a great chance to win it if I just had a couple more putts fall. I thought I hit the ball great. I don't know how many greens or fairways I hit, but I don't think I was very far off a hundred percent. Nelson Silverio: Great. More questions? All right. Thanks. Thank you, John. John Mallinger: Thanks.