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In Their Words -- Stephen Ames / Part II

Q.: Describe your putting. Several players this week have told us they thought you putt about as well as anybody. I don't know if the general public is aware of it. Do you consider putting one of the strengths of your game?

STEPHEN AMES: One of them.

Q.: Is there a secret there?

STEPHEN AMES: No, no secret. Soft, breathe, hit the ball.

Q.: Putting is about confidence. You object obviously have expressed some lack of confidence, thus the head doctor. That doesn't seem to jibe, a wonderful guy who doubts himself?

STEPHEN AMES: No, I wouldn't say that was it. Just never felt comfortable over some of the shots. Putting-wise it's been good but technical-wise I've had to change it a little bit. I've been a very good putter now, yes.

Q.: Aggressive or more of a lag putter?

STEPHEN AMES: Depending on the situation where I was trying to get an optimum distance behind the hole, finishing 15 inches, a foot and a half behind the hole. That's the way it should finish.

Q.: What's it like to have a six-shot lead at the 17th hole on Sunday?

STEPHEN AMES: Still go for the middle of the green (laughter). That was a good two-putt, by the way. Yeah, same situation, pick your shot, pick your spot and hit it. That's all I can do. That's all I did. It didn't come off that way today because the wind switched there, but that was a good two-putt. That was basically it, get out of there with par like I did every day there and go to the 18th hole.

Q.: Does the fact that you have a three-year exemption into the Masters make a difference when you make your decision next week, and will you put it on the schedule next year?

STEPHEN AMES: Probably, yeah.

Q.: How is it possible you've never been the Sportsman of the Year in Trinidad?

STEPHEN AMES: No comment (laughing).

Q.: Do you think you have a chance this year?

STEPHEN AMES: I doubt it (laughter). I doubt that. I'm going home in two weeks. We'll see how good they're treating me when I get home (laughing).

Q.: Do you consider yourself a Trinidadian or a Canadian?

STEPHEN AMES: I'm both. I live in Canada, but I was born there, so that's where I'm going to be from.

Q.: Past the age of 40, what does a five-year exemption mean to you? Is that almost as important as money, if not more?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know, I haven't looked at it that way, in some sense. You know what, I'm working at it very vigilant in the sense of keeping myself fit as I can to continue going and keep out here as long as I can. I'm playing the game because I love the game.

Q.: Is that a big mental lift to know there's no worries in that regard for five years?

STEPHEN AMES: Somewhat, but you can't still let your guard down. You've got to keep working out, which is what I'm going to do.

Q.: Was this week a case of your game is in order, you had great ball-striking, or did you feel like you found something this week, the mental stuff you were talking about, that's really going to enable you to play better all the time?

STEPHEN AMES: It's probably that more than anything else, and the fact that Robert and myself have become better at communicating with one another and communicating about how to play a round of golf. I think that's a very big key this week. We both did a good job. Both of us had to change a lot of things in how we approach and how we communicated with each other to get the job done.

Q.: You all had a game on 17, throwing the ball to the fans trying to get them to drop it in the water?

STEPHEN AMES: No, we were just trying to throw it at them, not trying to get them to swimming.

Q.: Were you the only one to get one in the water.

STEPHEN AMES: Was I?

Q.: But everybody plays that ... is that something to do ...

STEPHEN AMES: No, that was the first time.

Q.: How many balls did you have left going into 18?

STEPHEN AMES: Robert?

ROBERT AMES: I had about eight. I overpacked. Usually I just give everything to the kids. I took everything out and I emptied it. No gloves, no balls, nothing is in the bag.

STEPHEN AMES: I've got clubs, though, right?

Q.: Which was a better final round, this one or the one at the Benson & Hedges?

STEPHEN AMES: Probably this one. Benson & Hedges was good, but I think this one was definitely a bit more class.

Q.: The number of players and courses in Trinidad and Tobago, can you give us an idea of the landscape there?

STEPHEN AMES: Two, three golf courses, three 18-hole golf courses, and probably 900 or 1,000 players. About right, Robert?

ROBERT AMES: Maybe 1,500 players max.

Q.: How many people in Trinidad and Tobago?

STEPHEN AMES: About 1.5 now, and I'm a minority.

Q.: I've never been to Trinidad or Tobago. Why are you a minority?

STEPHEN AMES: That's just the way it is.

Q.: What kind of reception do you suppose you'll get when you take your holiday there?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't know actually. That's a good question. Hopefully pretty big. I don't know.

Q.: Are they upset with you for leaving or something?

STEPHEN AMES: No. No. Somebody asked the question how come I've never won Sportsman of the Year.

Q.: It was me. That's why I was kind of wondering.

STEPHEN AMES: It's always been a very cricket and soccer-orientated country. Golf has always been a bit of a sideline and always been recognized as an old man's sport. We were very colonialized, so in that sense cricket and soccer, soccer team, we know who's playing in the World Cup, Trinidad and Tobago got there.

Q.: Does Lara win it most years?

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, him and Otto Bockus, yeah, they're the ones that won the last six or seven.

Q.: The sprinter?

STEPHEN AMES: Sprinter who finished third in the Olympics twice.

Q.: Any regrets of not taking up cricket for a living?

STEPHEN AMES: You can answer that question yourself (laughing).

Q.: How are you doing today? I just want to say congratulations on your success, winning today's game, and you and your brother, I don't know who's the cutest but we won't talk about that. But what do you think about playing in May, changing the game to playing in the month of May from the month of March here in Ponte Vedra.

STEPHEN AMES: I think it'll be a lot better for this event. Probably we're going to get a better clientele of spectators because the weather is going to be hopefully so much better, and I think the golf course, too, will probably be in better shape. Hard to believe that, but it's probably one of the best shape golf courses we play all year, but being in May it's probably going to be better.

Transcript provided by ASAP Sports