An Interview With:
THOMAS GLISSMEYER

CRAIG SMITH: Tom, pretty good stretch from 7, 8, 9, sort of sealed it for you early and then you just hang on.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Well, I played pretty consistently through the middle. He started to come back at the end and he was -- I rolled in -- I had nice up-and-down on 10. 13, he made a great birdie. But I just tried to stay focused and get things done.

CRAIG SMITH: Just before we open it up here, you had a pretty good summer, making the U.S. Open at age 16 and now you're kind of showing that you're for real here. Getting into match play and winning very handily.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Well, I worked very hard at it this year. It's really rewarding to see that it's paying off.

Q. How helpful was The Open experience for you?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Very. I learned a lot. I learned how to play out of deep rough and this rough is actually more punishing. I learned how to focus under pressure. It didn't really pan out at Olympia Fields but I think in the long run it's helped a lot. Being able to focus when I need to.

Q. The differences between this course and Olympia Fields in your mind are what?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Olympia Fields was a little more suffocating off the tee with all the trees. And it was really intimidating off the tee. This is a little more inviting here, this course. Again, the rough is just horrendous. The greens are nothing like I've ever seen before. They're so firm and unbelievably fast. I've made a few -- I had -- I putted extremely well this week and I think I owe my being right here to my putting. It's kept me in it all week.

Q. When did you play here, Monday or yesterday?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: I played Monday.

Q. How were the greens today as compared to then?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Firmer.

Q. Significantly faster?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Yeah, they were faster. I could definitely tell the difference.

Q. You talk about shifting gears between stroke play and match play; which do you prefer?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: I love match play. You make a 3 or a 8, it doesn't matter. It could be the same result. So it's really -- match play it's easy to focus on the shot at hand and not worry about -- because you don't have to worry about the rest of the field. You just have to go out and play against one guy. You don't have to worry about shooting 60 and you're behind and you could come out and shoot 75th next day. It makes you stay in the present and not get thinking too far ahead.

CRAIG SMITH: Is it too early in years to have expectations for this week.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: No. I expect to play well. That's -- whatever that result is. If I play well tomorrow that's going to be great for the week. I'm just going to try to play well each day and hopefully keep things going.

Q. What do you call the strength of your game? What is the strongest point and does it fit this golf course? Apparently it does.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: My putting has been great. I putted extremely well. And I think that is really the key to this golf course. The greens are so difficult. If you're not rolling it well it's going to be a long day.

Q. Long putts?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: My lag putts have been phenomenal. I think I've had one 3-putt all week. And that was from 10 feet yesterday on 16, which didn't help. But I just got a new putter and I would like to thank Phil and Paul for helping me out with my putting. Because it's been just tremendous all week.

CRAIG SMITH: What are you doing for your caddy; who is your caddy.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Chris Wilkins, he's been awesome. I wouldn't have -- he was on the bag for me at the Open and I just wouldn't have anyone else here.

CRAIG SMITH: And what's your relationship there?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: We're just good friends. He's the assistant at the club that I play at. I really owe him a lot.

Q. What's the club you play out of?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: The Country Club of Colorado.

Q. And who are Phil and Paul?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Well, they work at Titleist. I just got a new putter and I had a putting lesson and that was really helpful.

Q. Were you in where you could see where your putter fairways was with the photography they use?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Yeah. We discovered I was taking a little  -- I was getting a little high in my back stroke, and that caused a few inconsistencies.

Q. Staying open a little?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: No, I was -- my face was square to the target but I was just getting a little too high. And I would have to hold on to it coming through to keep the fairways square and I would pull it a little bit if I released it. So I've been really putting well and I just want to tell them thanks.

Q. How big of an advantage is it for the rules change for you?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: It helps tremendously.

Q. You wouldn't have that access before?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: No. No. And I'm very grateful for I guess the rules change. It's really been great working with them. I wouldn't change it at all. I wouldn't go to anyone else.

CRAIG SMITH: What's it like to go home when you've had this experience and the rest of the kids are kind of playing weekend golf.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Well, my high school golf has started. I've played in two tournaments already. I think we have tomorrow, a tournament tomorrow. But I talked to them, my best friend last night and he said you know what, you're all the way out there, why don't you just win it. My friends have been awesome. They're all supportive. They understand what I'm doing here. And they know I'm just a normal guy. I just happened to get the little ball in the hole.

Q. What's your high school?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Cheyenne Mountain High School.

Q. How did your team do in those two matches?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Not quite what we anticipated. But all right.

Q. I assume you won?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: No, I didn't win either of them.

Q. Had you ever seen Oakmont before this week?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: No, I had seen a whole lot of pictures of it. First time I saw it was when I came in Saturday.

Q. Are you aware that the last guy who came through here and only 3-putted one time in a tournament was a 22-year-old pro named Jack Nicklaus and he won the '62 Open?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: '62, yeah. Well, what can I say? I just putted really well. And I'm making a lot of six- and eight-footers. And that's just great.

CRAIG SMITH: It's sort of tough to believe that you come here and play real well in the big field of the U.S. Amateur and go home and don't win a high school tournament.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: That's a funny thing. It's a funny game. I think that it's kind of strange to say but there's a lot more pressure back home in small tournaments because people are expecting me to put up a 65 or a 63 or something. And you just can't do it all the time. It's tough enough to go out and shoot a 68, 69.

My high school season last year was just unreal. I played lights out. I think in my four league matches I was 23-under or something like that. I had 63, 64, 65, 72. And following that up and in the open and then now this, there's more pressure back home in small tournaments to just clean up and you just can't do it all the time. There are a lot of great players back there and you just don't know who is, what game is going to come out today.

Q. What did you shoot in the two matches?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: 73, 74.

Q. Do you feel more pressure in those matches than you do today?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Yeah. Yeah. It's funny. The course that I shot 63, 62 on, 64 on, I guess, last year, I shot 73 this year just because everyone was expecting another 63 or 64. And it's just not going to happen. I'm -- I was trying way too hard. That was just the bottom line. Ever since The Open I've just been beating myself up over little imperfections in my game instead of just going with the old, just getting the ball in the hole.

CRAIG SMITH: When you say everyone is expecting, is it more what you expect of yourself, so you try too hard?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Yeah, I think I'm probably the one guilty of putting most of the pressure on myself. Almost too hard on myself. But to a certain extent, that's the only way to get better.

Q. Have you got any physical disabilities or have you had any problems at any time, leg, foot, arm, shoulder, neck, anything?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: No. No. I'm staying pretty healthy.

Q. Knock on wood.

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Yeah.

Q. Did you play in the junior this year?

THOMAS GLISSMEYER: Yeah, I did. I would like to forget that one. Next year will be different.

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