An interview with:
MIKE McCULLOUGH
MIKE McCULLOUGH: Was Lietzke on this before? Lietzke,
did you put this up or down? Here we go, how is that? Man you
know you usually get paid when you get in front of people like
this. You have a podium. Did anybody pass the plate?
(Inaudible)?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: I could do that.
Q. Talk about your performance today?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: My performance? You know I don't think anybody
has ever asked me about my performance like that before. (Laughter)
I was satisfied with a 70 because the way I finished the last
nine holes which was the front 9 my ball striking was a little
less, and my control of the golf ball was little less. So I was
happy to finish with a 70. But when I started, I was a very excited
about playing. Everything was on go. All cylinders. My putting
was good, driving was good.
You don't realize you are under par in a U.S. Open and you
know at the end of the week you probably won't be. It's very difficult
to stay under par in the U.S. Open. And I think
that's what was going through my head. It was a satisfying round
but I have a lot of work to do.
Q. You went to BGSU?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: Bowling Green.
Q. Did you grow up in Ohio?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: I was born in Coshocton, Ohio, and that's
the home of Bob presently who is the manager of
the Diamondbacks. Bob and I both live in Arizona,
so the two of us grew up in Coshocton, Ohio, I went to Bowling
Green and I think he went to HOU. I'm not sure.
I was elected into the Hall of Fame of Toledo
four years ago with Byron Nelson, Frank
(ph) Stranahan. I couldn't remember who else. Bowling Green. So
I have ties in this area. I really like it here.
I play well in Detroit. We play there in two weeks. I like
Michigan. I used to teach school in Michigan. I did my student
teaching in the Swanton area, west of the airport. And I have
one student that keeps bugging me. Kelly sees me
every time. He followed me around today. It's fun to have somebody
call you coach. He kept calling me coach. I was a seventh grade
physical education teacher in Monroe, Michigan. So I not only
have ties, I lived here.
Q. When you get under par you can sing for us?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: My singing voice I leave for my daughter.
My dance I will do but not the singing.
Q. How long did you teach in Monroe?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: One year. I can honestly tell you that I
enjoyed it very much. I probably had as much satisfaction teaching
as anything that I have ever done. But it's just very difficult
to -- it's really difficult to make a living. I applaud people
that are in the teaching profession and stick with it because
it's -- they need the summers to work. It's very difficult. But
teaching is a very rewarding job and it was for me.
Q. You played well here today; does say something about
the Midwest?
MIKE McCULLOUGH: It might be the grass. We all know that
in different parts of our country we have different blades of
grass. I'm very familiar with this type of grass. It's what I
grew up with. And quite honestly when you see people every once
in a while you see people that you know. And when I am in Oklahoma
or California or Washington, I don't see anyone I know; I can
play all week. But I will go to a store and I see somebody that
I know around here. It's nice. It's a nice town. Thank you.
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