CHAMPIONS TOUR MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 26, 2005

Curtis Strange

CURTIS STRANGE: You're supposed to start off with an easy one. Well, I don't know. I'm very cautious in my expectations. I've been out of it for a while competitively, and so I'm not quite sure what to expect. I'm just kind of doing some work and hopefully as I get into the swing of things, enjoy it. I don't know what else to say. This is a different field for me, because I haven't gone through getting ready for something in actually quite a while now, probably, oh, five or six years, seven years maybe. So, I'm anxious. I'm very anxious to get started. I'm anxious to find out what I have, and I'm a little leery about finding out that. You know, I remember, it wasn't long ago, I remember why I took a position with ABC. There was a reason for that. And so there's really -- things haven't gotten better by sitting in the booth, put it that way. But hopefully, I've been working and just kind of -- I don't know. Next question. (Laughter.)

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, right now I have 18 events on the schedule, quite frankly, I don't remember if that includes the UBS Cup and the Father/Son at the end of the year or not. But I'm going to play -- I'm not going to play all of them. I think that's fair to say that I've got that on the schedule. I can't imagine it being any less, but I can imagine it being more than that.

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I don't -- I can look that up right now. As I said I'm going it take each week as it comes. What's the date of that?

CURTIS STRANGE: Right now it looks like it would be, but I can't swear to it. I have some kind of tentative schedule there, but I'm going to take it as it goes. I don't know. I'm going to take it as it goes physically, how I do, how I get back. You have to remember, that when you get back into these things, not only is it physical, but if you've got to mentally get ready back into it, too. And if I play kind of half-crappy and kind of wear myself out, then I'll have to take a break. It's the same thing I did when I played a full schedule on the regular tour. I was never one to set a schedule, you know, because I never knew how I was going to feel, and that's the way I'll take this. But right now, you know, I would say I probably would be there, yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: I have. I have. Beautiful place.

CURTIS STRANGE: What's the status of it? We had our last year there a couple of years ago. The last one was 11 years ago. It ran its course and we had a lot of fun and that was it.

CURTIS STRANGE: I started -- I turned pro in '76 and started? June of '77.

CURTIS STRANGE: No.

CURTIS STRANGE: Oh, I think it's been an incredible opportunity to continue to compete. Basically that's it, for those who have stayed healthy, those who have stayed competitive and those who have stayed willing to put out the effort and play and work. I think it's been wonderful. You know, what else would we do? We'd all be scrambling probably. I'd still be in TV hopefully and we would -- a lot of us would be getting jobs I guess. But it's great. It's in a niche and a market. They have been very successful.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yes, but it's the same type of practice I did up in Virginia when I was there for 28 years. You more or less go out and exercise. You can't really, really work at your game. You know, you don't go very long, but you can get out there and that's what I've been doing in Carolina. We've actually had a couple of nice days, but even then, you haven't played in three or four days. So, to answer your question, yes, I've been able to get out and hit some balls yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yes, I will.

CURTIS STRANGE: Not that early. But a lot depends on how the weather is back at home in the next two weeks. But I will be back down here for at least a couple of days before I go over to Naples.

CURTIS STRANGE: I have never been to Naples. And they surprised me Saturday night and they did that early because they knew I didn't want anything else and I would probably get the hell out of dodge on the 30th. But they all surprised me at home. I made my wife promise, and she was surprised, too. So it's kind of one of those things. It's not the 50 thing, it's just I'm not a big birthday guy, never have been. Birthdays in my wife's family last a week. I've just never been a big birthday guy. That's just the way I am. But anyway, we had a cocktail and we sat around and told jokes and we had fun. It was very nice.

CURTIS STRANGE: A lot of friends in Moorhead, just all the friends we've gotten to know there and guys I fish with, friends of Sarah and stuff like that. We didn't have a big bash, no.

CURTIS STRANGE: I can't imagine missing it, put it that way. It's certainly on my schedule now, that and the Raleigh event, but once again, I'll answer that one just like I did earlier. You know, I take it as it comes and as we get toward the end of the year, it depends on how you've played and what you do from then. But I can't imagine missing anything in North Carolina, no. Where the hell is Hickory? As much as I know about that area, it's near Charlotte, is it?

CURTIS STRANGE: Okay. Okay.

CURTIS STRANGE: It's just fair to say I've been down here hitting some balls with some friends of mine in a nice place. I've actually been up in Stewart. I'm not working with anybody, just kind of getting down and practicing. You know, I haven't been able to really -- well, you know, it's one thing when you've got six months to go to 50, or six months to go to an event that hitting balls will bore the paint right off of you, you know, but as you get closer there's some motivation. I've been in panic mode for about two weeks now, and Sarah can verify that, as I always got come near January 1. So I just come down here and really get to work and get by yourself and do the things that you know that you have to do and work on. I wish I could have spent a couple more days down here but like I said I will go home and piddle around a little bit and then come back down and get serious again.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I mean, oozing with confidence is something that comes from playing well and, you know, competing and doing it. I had not done it. So I'm not -- I will expect a lot out of myself but I'm trying to be very patient because I know -- I know for certain one thing is it's going to take a while. And I'm trying to downplay this whole thing, to be quite honest with you, because if I come out talking trash, then, you know, that's not going to do anybody any good, nor did I ever do that. I always believed in myself, but it's got to be patient, because I haven't done this really competitively for five or six years. And that, you know -- I expect to hit some good golf shots, but I also expect to do some of the most stupid things that are the things that irritated the hell out of me before. But I've just kind of got to say, it will come, it will come. I'm looking at six months. I don't know. It might be a year; it might be a month. I don't know. All I can tell you and all I can promise you is I will put in the effort, and that's what I'm trying to do now. You know, I'm actually getting -- I'm anxious because I want to get this thing going. You know, when you're on Tour and you start from January 1, you're kind of nothing, and then you're kind of starting with everybody else. But the Senior Tour thing is a little different from the standpoint in that everybody who turns 50 is kind of the new -- and I don't mean to say this, I guess I'm the guy by default because Norman is not going to play any until the Senior PGA I hear now. So I'm the so-called, whatever you want to call me, and that in itself is some pressure, too. So I'm trying to be somewhat ready, knowing that full well, it's going to take some time. I'm trying to be very realistic about that. You know, am I expecting too little of myself? I wouldn't think so. But if it seems that way, maybe. But, you know I'm just trying to really downplay this thing and really do my own thing and work and go play golf, and that's what I need more than anything else right now is just to play competitive golf. Does that answer your question? Because it's a different situation for me than I've ever been in.

CURTIS STRANGE: I've got it. It is on my schedule. You know, I've never done this, going up in a jet, but I'm doing that the week before with the Blue Angels. They come to the place right there in Moorhead right outside of Moorhead. It is on my schedule. It seems like it was yesterday to be quite honest with you. I guess everybody who is turning 50 would say that. I think I won $36,500. I got out of debt. I was excited and didn't sleep all the next two nights. It was the biggest thing in the world at that time. And still to this day as you go through your career, there are certain things and certain events that you don't ever forget and that's one of them, winning at Pensacola.

CURTIS STRANGE: I don't know, I shot a real low score, I think the third round, second or third round and obviously was thrown in contention and just kind of hung on last day and played a pretty decent last round. But boy, was I nervous. Oh, my gosh. I had a couple of other chances to win before that and I didn't and I was very nervous. Played with Mahaffey the last day, I remember that and came to the last hole just needing bogey to win and, you know, made bogey. I was different. You know, Jay and I and some of the other guys that came out, we weren't so confident. Now the young guys are so hardened by so much competitive play, they seem to look at things differently than I did. I was frightened trying to win my first tournament. I didn't utter a word for the first year on Tour just watching and listening and keeping my eyes and ears open and my mouth shut, and that's the way I was taught to learn and just practicing. It's a whole lot different now, they are more confident and stronger. They are everything.

CURTIS STRANGE: I semi-shanked a 2-iron off the last tee trying to lay up and then I had a 5-iron in the bunker and 2-putted for bogey.

CURTIS STRANGE: I haven't heard that one before. That's the first I ever thought of it like that. You know, I'm playing -- I'm playing full-time simply because I have nothing else to do. (Laughing). I haven't thought of it like that the other way. You know I think we play because we enjoy playing and you enjoy competing and enjoy getting that feeling of throwing up on your shoes and knots in your stomach and palms sweating and all that kind of good stuff. I have not thought of it like that but, nor have I -- I don't know how to answer that one. But my reason to play a full schedule or somewhat of a full schedule is because I don't work TV anymore, and I had an option to do this. And what better thing to do is continue to play golf that you've done since, you know, you took off the diapers, basically. Travel has never been a problem for me. You know, the kids are going out of the house now, so Sarah and I are looking forward to, as I say, kidding her, stay at some nicer places than we used to stay 25 years ago. Just enjoy playing golf. Everybody I hear from, it's not as much pressure as the regular tour. I think that depends on the individual. But, you know, kind of enjoy seeing some new places and travel a little bit and, you know, playing some golf.

CURTIS STRANGE: I think that's part of learning after all of the years is learning how to budget your time and handle the outside -- well, I don't think it's distraction is the wrong word, but maybe some of the time-consuming things. I can't imagine, other than talking to you guys once in awhile, I can't imagine anything else going on. I forgot the first part of your question.

CURTIS STRANGE: What do you mean by "obligation"? To do things on the Senior Tour versus the regular Tour or both Tours? What do you mean by that?

CURTIS STRANGE: To be honest with you, I haven't been out there, so I don't really know what we do, what we, the seniors do. I don't know what the dinners are. I don't know any of that situation so I really, unfortunately, I can't answer your question. Only thing I know is I have two Pro-Ams starting out, and then obviously the three-day tournament, and as far as the other stuff, I have to get out there first and find out. I have not talked to anyone.

CURTIS STRANGE: Thank you, Jeff, now that you bored everybody on this phone but go ahead and ask the next question. (Laughing.)

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I heard some guy say that and I never quite understood what they meant, because, you know, the way I learned how to play is go hit 5-irons and dig them out of the dirt and practice and play and play and play and play. To answer your question, no. I think if -- this is an observation. This is something I learned. I think you can see that when you do TV, you see -- well, they televise every shot now, but you see that you don't have to play perfect golf to win a golf tournament or to finish well. But other than that, my gosh, I never could understand what they were talking about, so no, I think the only way I'm going to learn how to get better is to go practice.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I don't think I'll ever know. You can speculate. It wasn't really after the second Open; it was after going for the three that I kind of lost, you know, a lot of drive. I kind of burned out almost. I think burnout would probably be as close to describing my feeling as anything else. And at the same time, which was unfortunate, I wasn't playing well, so, you know, when you play well, you can fight yourself through anything, so I just never played well after that. I really didn't. I never played well and I fought my swing. I changed things. Basically, that was it. I just never got quite the enthusiasm back, and looking back on it, I played with a lot of enthusiasm. If I was not on edge, then I didn't play very well.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah, I think that's kind of what I meant by burnout. Letdown, burnout, everything accumulated at one time and everything kind of collapsed at one time. I could have fought through it and then I could have fought through it forever. If the TV opportunity didn't come along eight years ago, I could have fought through it. But I had an opportunity, and so I took it. I don't look at it like that and I don't regret the first thing. You do what you think is best at that time at the time. But yeah, burnout, letdown, all of the above, yeah.

CURTIS STRANGE: No, it's not Seymour Johnson. This is right in Havelock. I just drew a blank. I drive by it every week. Anyway, go ahead.

CURTIS STRANGE: The response from my work on TV from the players were always extremely nice. I always felt like I was a players' analyst. Some people -- some of the critics in the TV world, press, thought that that was not good, but, you know, if I erred, I erred on the players' side. I continued to play and I continued to play for a lot of reasons. One was to remind myself every day how hard this game was. The response from the players was extremely positive, extremely positive. You know, I was a players' analyst and I was proud of that. You know, if I had to call a spade a spade and it wasn't pretty, then I did. I never had a problem with a player. But if I -- I felt like a couple of times I went over the line and I went right to those players and told them what I said, and if I offended them, I apologized, and both players said "you were right." Anyway, I was okay with that. I have no problem at all with that kind of stuff. The Lehman situation, no, I wasn't -- you know, they picked the best guy they have at the time. I think as Tiger had a lot of sentiments toward O'Meara, but, you know, it's just friendship coming out, that's all. I think Lehman will be a good captain. He's a spirited guy. It looks like they are playing up the Brookline thing again and if you all know Julius Mason, he likes this. (Laughter.) It will be fine. Everybody does a good job. My gosh, I actually thought, if you want my opinion, I actually thought they would give Larry Nelson -- now they might have given him a lot of thought. I actually thought he might get it, but he didn't, and then it opened it up and so Tom got it. Anyway, being a Ryder Cup captain is one of the wonderful things that happened in my life. It didn't take two years out of my life; it enhanced it. I enjoyed every minute of it. Sarah and I had the greatest week of our life over there, and hopefully it will be the same for Tom and Melissa and hopefully the rest of the players will get off heir behinds and play.

CURTIS STRANGE: That's it.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I don't know other than -- I have talked to Tom a little bit. I played with him in the Father/Son event, and just reading some of the comments he's made, I think he says he's putting much better now. So he wants to try his hand with the young guys, and, you know, there's such a tremendous amount of money out there, but money doesn't drive Tom Kite, or hopefully it doesn't. I think he wants to see how he can do out there. I think he's made a lot of cuts in a row when he goes on the regular Tour from the Senior Tour, and he wants to try it. I think Jay Haas has had an inspiration to him and I think Craig Stadler has been an inspiration. You know, Tom still plays very, very well. He stays in shape. I think he can do okay. But when you go back and forth, you never really do as well on one tour as you would like. So I don't know how many he's actually going to play, but I think he'll make cuts. I think he'll be okay.

CURTIS STRANGE: No. You go out and play. When it comes down to it, you do your best on every shot you stand over, and I don't care if it's 18 holes, 36, 54, 72. How you do is how you end up in the field, that's all. I don't think anything much at all about that.