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DAVE SENKO: Stephen, congratulations. Maybe you could just talk about your day today.

Stephen Ames and wife Jodie celebrated after he won the LG Skins Game Sunday. (Carlson/AP)

• Stephen Ames' player page

• Fred Couples' player page

• Bret Wetterich's player page

• Zach Johnson's player page

STEPHEN AMES: Well I only played two holes, didn't I? Sixteen and eighteen. (Laughter). That's a SKINS Game -- that's the beauty of it. It's always been the way you play at the SKINS Game. You kind of let the other guys beat themselves up and then you just sneak in there when you need to. I realized that last year, and I did it again this year, which is nice. Standing over the putt (on 18), I felt a little nervous, so I had to go back to some of the things I've done in the past -- focus on my breathing and stuff. Yeah, I made a great putt, and it went right in the middle of the hole, exactly where I saw it. So that was the fun part. It's not quite the Masters, but it's $675,000 -- thank you. (Laughter).

QUESTION: It is the SKINS Game and it is $675,000 -- how does that compare to winning at the Children's Miracle Network Classic or THE PLAYERS Championship? Because the money's pretty big for one putt.

STEPHEN AMES: Yeah, without a doubt. I think it's actually the same. A victory's a victory; a win is a win. I think the idea of getting over a shot, a putt or a drive -- you need to get into your golf mode and work on those things mentally. If you're standing over a putt to win the SKINS Game or standing over a putt to win the Masters or one of the other majors, it's the same thought process and the same mental toughness that you have to have. It was nice that I was able to buckle down and focus on what I needed to do the last three shots that I hit on 18.

QUESTION: Fred (Couples) goes out and wins the very first hole (today) and takes a huge lead -- did you think, 'Here we go again' or did you think, 'Well, there's a lot of money still left out there'?

STEPHEN AMES: No, there was still a lot of money left out there. He hit a great shot. It wasn't a great drive, but he hit a great second shot and made a great putt. Hey, off we go. We've got eight more holes to go and eight more skins. And then I buckled down a bit on 16 after having a bit of a relax there on 15. On 16, I said, 'Let's see if I can hit a good shot here and get the kitchen set,' and that was nice. All these wonderful bonuses, it's funny, it sends you back to the same thing. You're standing over a putt trying to win the Masters, and here you are standing over a tee shot of 187 yards and you're trying to hit a perfect shot. You want to get it inside of Freddie, who just hit it to 10 feet, to try to win the prize. It's a wonderful added bonus from LG, which was very nice. Thanks.

QUESTION: Interesting tournament for you. You win the first hole and the last hole. An interesting in-between, yes?

STEPHEN AMES: I would say so, definitely. That's the nature of the SKINS Game. The front nine yesterday, Freddie took four or five skins away from me. The fourth hole on the bunker shot that he rolled in and then the eighth hole he sank that 30-footer and had only four feet left for birdie. He did it to me yesterday, so I thought it was nice that I gave it to him back.(Laughter)

QUESTION: The putt on 16 -- was that just a push?

STEPHEN AMES: No, it was a mis-read. We thought it was going to go right to left, and it actually went up the hill at the beginning and then came back too late. By then, it had missed the hole.

QUESTION: Were you thinking about that thought process on 16?

STEPHEN AMES: Yes, I hit the putt exactly where I saw it. It was a good putt, good stroke. Solid.

QUESTION: On 15, Fred said 'Perfect' when you hit the drive. Do you think he was kidding with you?

STEPHEN AMES: No. You look at the hole and the way it is ... if you fly the trap, which I did, it might have been a bit too far left on that line. But if it had flown the trap just on the corner there, it would have kicked back into the fairway. So the thought it was perfect.

QUESTION: Stephen. Fred just said that his strategy is to not try to win the event -- just to try to win skins. You've won two in a row. What do you think about that strategy for trying to win?

STEPHEN AMES: I guess the strategy is to be able to compete. If you're out of a hole, you've got three other players there that are still in it. So the percentages for you going on to the next hole with the skin being equaled or a carry over are very high. That is the strategy of how we play the SKINS Game -- don't work yourself up about the fact that you're out of a hole or not involved. You have to be patient. Coming down to the end, all four of us hit great shots -- mine just happened to be the right number with my 9-iron. 142 yards and I hit it strong. I hit a great shot.

QUESTION: On 18, watching the other guys putt, what were you thinking?

STEPHEN AMES: That somebody was going to hole it. I thought if it wasn't Freddy it was going to be Brett (Wetterich). Freddy was short left and Brett was too long. And when they both missed, I was like, 'Oh, wow, that's to me.' Which was nice. I made a very good putt, in the middle of the hole, so it was perfect.

QUESTION: Zach (Johnson) was saying the way he plays the game isn't necessarily suited for a SKINS Game. Do you feel like your game is suited for it now that you've won this twice, or is there such a thing as a game suited for it?

STEPHEN AMES: I don't think there is a game suited for it. A guy who makes a lot of birdies is going to be the guy suited for it. Freddy's a classic example of that. He's suited for this and makes a lot of birdies. My birdies came at the right time more than anything else. It's just a relaxed atmosphere. I tend to be a little bit toward that rather than be so serious and beat myself up every week. I'm out there to enjoy the game and enjoy the company I'm with while I'm playing it, and to entertain.

QUESTION: Are you going to go out and play the other course so you're ready for it next year?

STEPHEN AMES: Oh is that where we're playing next year, the (Players Course at Indian Wells Golf Resort)? I didn't know that. No, I'll let Freddy do that, since he lives here.

QUESTION: Can you tell us a little bit about your foundation?

STEPHEN AMES: The foundation is pretty much geared toward junior golf. In the past, my wife and I have also donated to a lot of kids' foundations in Calgary. Anything in particular that's geared toward kids. We have two kids, and we're in a situation where they're healthy, thank God. The foundation is also geared toward junior golf in Trinidad. I've got a lot of Nike stuff and send it down every year. This year I have $135,000 worth of Nike stuff to send down. Also, it's geared toward Canadian golfers who are trying to get to that next level. My coach had a golf school down in Florida at Orange County National, and what he does is teaches kids at 10, 11 and 12 -- they go to school in the morning and then work with him in the afternoon. He does that in the winter in Orlando. So we're probably going to start sponsoring some kids who can't afford it to go down there.