An Interview With:
GREGG JONES

CRAIG SMITH: How about we start right in with the match here and talk with me about the 5th hole birdie. You were ahead the rest of the way.

GREGG JONES: I hit a good shot in there tight and he hit it in the left rough and I guess he had a bad lie and he squirreled way right over on the green. He was pretty much toast. And I actually had already hit in there close. He hit it in a spot where he had no chance and he conceded the hole to me. And I didn't miss a fairway all day. That kind of made it where I -- it was easy to make pars. That's what you're trying to do out here is make pars.

Q. How tough is that, not missing a fairway out here?

GREGG JONES: It's pretty tough. I had hit it the in first cut on No. 2. I think with a 5-iron. That was the only time I was close  -- I'm pretty sure  -- to not being in the fairway. I think that's the key. If you can hit it in the fairway out here you can score. Because it's firming up and it's not playing as long as it was early if you hit drives up the right side of the fairway and it rolls a long way and it doesn't play near as long when we first got here.

CRAIG SMITH: Two elite players against each other. Good friends. Certainly your match could have implications for selection to the team. Just talk about some of that stuff and what you felt and what you hope it might do.

GREGG JONES: I hated to have to play Brandt in the first round. A, we're great friends, and B, we're both right there on the bubble I guess to make the Walker Cup team, and I don't know how much that match is going to go into it, I don't know. But it sort of stinks to have to play each other in the first round. You hope we play each other on Sunday. That's the way it goes. I played great, he didn't play very well and I came out on top.

Q. How are you guys good friends?

GREGG JONES: We obviously play college golf together and we played on the USA team, I guess, last summer together versus Japan. And we just hit it off great. We talk on the phone on a regular basis and we just hit it right off. We have a lot in common. Similar personalities and we're just great buds. We see each other at all the summer tournaments and we hang out a lot.

Q. Have you had to play him before? I'm sure you probably have somewhere?

GREGG JONES: I never played him in match play. But this is the first time I ever played him in match play. I only been on his team in the match play and never had to play against him.

Q. Just so I understand, your real name is Francis?

GREGG JONES: That's my first name, correct.

Q. Is your dad's name Greg?

ANNIKA SORENSTAM: No; his name is Francis. We're both named Francis Greg Jones and I'm "Junior."

Q. But you both decided to take your middle names?

GREGG JONES: Right.

Q. Any reason why?

GREGG JONES: Nothing in particular. I don't know why. I guess he was Greg and then they just called me Greg too. Nothing in particular.

Q. Hit every fairway. How many drivers did you hit?

GREGG JONES: I don't know. I hit driver on one. Hit driver on three. Is four a par-3? I hit 3-wood on four. The par-5. 3-wood on five. Hit driver on 7. Driver on 9. 3-wood on 10. 3-wood on 11. Driver on 12. What's 13? Par-3. 3-wood. 15, driver.

Q. 18 driver?

GREGG JONES: Well, I would have hit 18 but I didn't play it. Yeah, I would have hit driver on 18.

Q. How does winning the NCAA, how does that change your mindset going into the summer?

GREGG JONES: Well, it gives us a lot of confidence. I guess everybody played on that squad and we won. We had some great teams and never been able to get it done all my years. We have had great chances and we have come up short. We finished third my freshman -- second my freshman year and third my junior or sophomore year and finally we won it and to beat Oklahoma State on their home track means a lot. I'm happy for my coach too. He's been so close so many times.

Q. Do you like the fact that was Bob Lewis is walking around; do you like that?

GREGG JONES: Yeah, that's fine. I like that. I was playing good. So hopefully he liked what he saw. I don't know. But I was hitting some good shots and he watched me play some this summer so I was sort of used to it. I would see him at a lot of tournaments this summer.

Q. How many times have you been around Oakmont now?

GREGG JONES: This was my third time playing.

I got a great caddy though. He's been here for I think 10 or 12 years. He's not a full-time caddy anymore; he went to Penn State. Now I think's an accountant. He's just doing this for fun.

Q. Who is it?

GREGG JONES: His name is Doug. I don't know his last name. But boy, he knows how to read the greens out here. That's a big help.

Q. So you just have the one practice round and then today?

GREGG JONES: Right. Mr.  Wagner who I'm staying with, actually one afternoon we walked the front nine together after I played it. He showed me some ins and outs of where you want to miss it. That helps.

Q. How hard is it to go around here and not 3-putt in a couple of days?

GREGG JONES: It's pretty hard. Because you're going to hit it in some spots where you're just not going to have a chance to get it within 10 feet. You are going to have to do as good as you can do. So unless you're putting good from 8 to 10 feet it's going to be very likely that you're going to have a 3-putt.

Q. Last time the amateur was here at Oakmont, Steve Melnyk won it, it was a stroke play event and now it's match play. That's probably going to be a never-ending debate of all time. Do you like match play and if so what do you like about it?

GREGG JONES: Yeah, I think match play is fun. It's different. We always play stroke play. We hardly ever get to play match play. I think it's great. It's something different and I really enjoy it.

Like I said, we always are playing stroke play. Every college event is stroke play. Except for now they do have the NCAA Hooter's Match Play; that just started last year. That's the only one. That's a good change. It's fun. I wouldn't want to keep my scorecard out here anymore. That's for sure.

CRAIG SMITH: Would success this week change any of your future plans for 2004?

GREGG JONES: Yeah, I'm sure. If I made it all the way I'm sure it would. I'm sure some things would change. I'm not really sure. I got my last year of school coming up. If I made it to Sunday I'm sure that I definitely would be playing The Opens in the summertime; that's for sure. I wouldn't turn pro right after school; I can guarantee that. That's a long way away.

Q. Where is the Walker Cup in your list of goals?

GREGG JONES: It's on the very top. That's my goal. That's what I want to do. I played great and hopefully, God willing, at the end of the week I'll be named to it. If I can keep playing well, I don't know; that's definitely the very top though.

Q. What do you think you have to do here?

GREGG JONES: I don't know. I would imagine -- I'm sure I need to win. I don't know. I guess there's what; two spots left? And obviously I think the champion's going to get one of those spots. I guess. I'm not sure. I would imagine so. And so hopefully I can win, I think, and if I -- I'm not sure. I don't know how they do it. I don't know. You guys probably know more about it than I do. I'm sure if I don't win, I'm pulling for somebody who is already on the team to win; I can tell you that.

CRAIG SMITH: Do you want to send a little promo to Coach Lewis? Pick me.

GREGG JONES: Yeah. Right. I hope can I just play well and my game will let me make the team. That's all can you do. Keep playing.

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