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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA DAY

June 2, 2008

PETE KOWALSKI: On behalf of our association and all of the good folks at the Broadmoor, I welcome you to the U.S. Senior Open Media Day with reigning champion, Brad Bryant. Like to thank Brad and his wife, Sue, for coming to the Broadmoor physically and making himself the lead story for Media Day today.
We extend our gratitude to all of you media folks in attendance today for taking time to visit with us, and thanks for your help in spreading the word and promoting the 29th Senior Open which is basically two months away.
In his second year as the USGA Vice President, serving his fifth year as a member of the USGA Executive Committee, in 2008, he will again chair the Championship Committee of the United States Golf Association. He has served as Chairman of the President's Council for the 1999 and 2005 U.S. Opens at Pinehurst Resort and Country Club in North Carolina; and in addition, he has helped launch a new chapter of The First Tee in Raleigh North Carolina which teaches life skills to children. Please welcome Mr. Jim Hyler.
JIM HYLER: Thank you very much, and ladies and gentlemen, welcome all of you to the Senior Open Media Day. This is a very important part of the run-up to the Senior Open and thank you for being here, and hopefully you'll have a great experience this afternoon on the course.
I want to mention one very important thing that's going on in the life of the USGA before I talk about the Broadmoor and some of the things we'll be doing here during the Senior Open and that is tomorrow, at Far Hills, New Jersey at Golf House, we will be reopening officially the USGA Museum and opening the new Arnold Palmer Center For Golf History. The history of the USGA is documented through its championships, champions and its iconic moments is actually on display at the museum and the new Palmer Center For Golf History.
As I mentioned, the grand opening will take place tomorrow at Far Hills, and certainly invite all of to you get by there and see this wonderful facility. I happened to be able to see it about ten days ago. It's a fabulous new way to showcase just incredible history.
Also we have created a new Web site, USGAmuseum.com and if you go to our home page, you can quickly click and get to this new Web site and it has a lot of exciting things in it to show what we have in the new museum.
The Senior Open will be the sixth USGA Championship that's been conducted at the Broadmoor. Cheyenne Mountain and Colorado Springs have served as a wonderful backdrop for National Championship victories by Annika Sorenstam in 1995, her first major championship; Jack Nicklaus the '59 amateur, Juli Inkster, the 82 Women's Am Champion, and Bob Dixon the '57 Amateur Champion and the 1962 Curtis Cup was also held at the Broadmoor which the USGA won.
And I would be remiss if I didn't recognize our 2008 Curtis Cup team which yesterday beat the Great Britain and Ireland team 13-8 over at St. Andrews, so we are very proud of our current Curtis Cup team. This year's Senior Open from the looks of the surroundings will be a huge success, and we certainly want to recognize and thank all of the people at the Broadmoor who have been such huge supporters of the USGA and have really worked to make these championships successful.
We will also be having the 2011 Women's Open here, and already we are beginning to sense some excitement about the women's game and the Women's Open which will return in 2011.
In particular I want to recognize Steve Bartolin, the president and CEO, who I don't think is here; Russ Miller, the director of golf, and Fred Dickman, the director of golf course maintenance, and say thank you to all of you. We truly appreciate the relationship we have with the Broadmoor, and we look forward to these two exciting championships.
A comment about Catch the Spirit Program. This was on the table when you checked in. I hope you all got this. This program began in 1991 and has been shepherded by past USGA president Judy Bell who resides right here in Colorado Springs and the USGA fellows in this program is also based here. It has been very successful at many Women's Opens and this year, this will be the first time we've introduced this program at a Senior Open.
Children are encouraged to attend, and children 17 and under receive free admission when accompanied by an adult. An adult can bring in as many as nine children. We hope that they will pick up vouchers for a free lunch or free cap and other USGA goodies, as well as take part on a kids-only putting green which will be part of the Catch the Spirit tent.
Also, the front row of every bleacher on the golf course will be reserved for children and they will have the opportunity to really see firsthand what's going on during the championship.
We are very excited about this program and feel this is a great way to introduce young people and children to the game and so we hope we'll see a lot of kids out here during Senior Open week.
Let me turn this over to Doug Habgood, the championship director of the 2008 Senior Open and, Doug will talk about outside the ropes and I will come back and talk about course setup. Doug?
DOUG HABGOOD: Brad, I guess this is what it feels like on the first tee, with everyone staring at you.
BRAD BRYANT: Can't hit it out-of-bounds.
DOUG HABGOOD: You haven't played golf with me. (Laughter).
I just want to tell you all what a thrill it is for me to work on a championship like the U.S. Senior Open. I truly feel like this is going to be something special here at the Broadmoor, and in the chair that I sit in we have a lot of indicators coming from different directions and all of those different indicators add up to success for the event. And I sort of liken it -- we have all of these little gadgets going, and so I just wanted to fill you in on a few of the indicators that we have right now.
Starting with our volunteers, we currently have 3,000 volunteers signed up from all 50 states. This is a first time in Senior Open history this has ever happened and we actually were full December of 2007. So that is quite an achievement. In fact, one of our volunteers from Hawaii has become quite a pen pal with our volunteer coordinator and we look forward to welcoming her here to Colorado Springs.
As far as our tickets go, we have ticket buyers from 44 states, and we are just getting started. We have recently sold out of our gift package that was on our Web site, and we are also getting a few more calls than normal from people that are asking us, how do I watch golf. And for us, that's exciting that we are now reaching a new audience that want to come out and see this championship.
As far as the players go, we have gotten a few phone calls from the players, too. They want extra tickets, extra hotel rooms. Their wives are calling. They have heard about the spa. They reserving their tickets on the Cog Railway. We are going to take all of the spouses up to the top of Pike's Peak which is unlike any place in the world. So the players are excited.
Our hospitality supporters are excited. We have more than a hundred companies already signed up for our hospitality program, and they are still coming in as we speak. We are sold out of 95 percent of our inventory, and they, too, have been making a number of calls to our office asking for additional tickets, because their original plans for guest return has sort of exceeded what they thought was going to happen, and that's another one of those little indicators.
Going back to the geography about all of these dates and all of that sort of thing, I did some rough math and basically by my estimation, this is the only professional golf event between here and Phoenix, and it's not going to be here next year. So we have got quite an audience to pull in here to Colorado Springs. I know we are going to welcome them with open arms. So we are excited about that.
So what is our staff doing now? A lot of what we are doing is working on all of the little details. So little things like choosing the font for the volunteer credentials, we have selected the radio station that is will go into the courtesy Lexuses so the players so that they feel at home when they get here. We have even tested the milkshakes that will be served in the locker room. Somebody has to do it, but we just want to make sure everything is covered before the best in the world get here.
And again, we are truly excited about this, and I think this is going to be a really special event for Colorado Springs and the State of Colorado. So, thank you.
JIM HYLER: I'll talk about course set up and then introduce our depending champion.
First of all, the length of the Senior Open course this year will be 7,254 yards played all the way back. That will be the longest Senior Open course since the inception of this event. We are going to actually have two par 4s that will play over 500 yards, also a first for our Senior Open. However let me tell you quickly that both of those holes play downhill and we are at altitude, so they won't play nearly as long as the yardage.
The course will play as a par 70. Holes No. 11 and 17 will play as par 4s. Typically those play as par 5s for resort and member play, but for us we want to play them as par 4s. We are going to have graduated rough here as we have been doing since 2006. The rough heights: Intermediate cut, first six feet off the fairway will be 1 1/2 inches. What we call the first primary cut will be 2 1/2 inches, and that will be about 20 feet beyond the intermediate cut, and then the second primary cut will be four inches.
Now, what you are going to experience this afternoon is 2 1/2 inches all the way, and Fred and his team will let that second primary cut grow up after today. But the rough today is very juicy and very thick. The poa annua is alive and well, and it's beginning to seed, and seed heads are beginning to show. And by the time the Senior Open gets here, we hope the rough will be a lot less dense than it is today. We actually want a very inconsistent rough that will allow players sometimes to have a great lie and be able to get the ball on the green.
The putting green speed for the championship will be 10 1/2 to 11. The fairways will be 26 to 30 yards wide.
The real defense of this golf course is the greens, and that's typical of, I think most all Donald Ross golf courses. So when you get out there on the greens you'll have an interesting time trying to find out breaks and understanding the influence of the mountain.
If we do have a playoff, it will be holes 16, 17 and 18 in, that order and then we'll keep playing that same rotation if we don't have a champion after that.
The Open setup philosophy is consistent with what we have been doing since 2005. The USGA adopted its Open Championship philosophy in the fall of 2004. We feel that we have conducted some really terrific championships since then. The golf courses are aimed to be hard but fair, and we really emphasized the fair. We know this will be the most difficult test on the Senior Tour this year, the Champions Tour, but yet it is the U.S. Open, and when the players come and see the USGA sign, they know that the golf course is going to play very difficult.
Major kudos to Fred Dickman and his team; Fred, director of golf course maintenance. The golf course is in immaculate condition, and if the rough was dialed in just right, we could actually play the championship today. The greens are perfect, and I think you'll enjoy certainly the condition of the golf course.
So that's about all of the setup. We certainly can respond to questions later if you want to ask about any of that.
Now let me have the great honor to introduce our defending champion, Brad Bryant. Brad was born in Texas, Amarillo, Texas and currently lives in Lakeland, Florida. There's a lot of information about Brad on the Champions Tour Web site, so I'm not going to get into a whole lot of his background.
Brad had one PGA TOUR victory, and he's had four Champions Tour victories. He has been a very, very consistent player since joining the Champions Tour. He's generally always in the money and generally in the Top-10.
Last year at Whistling Straits, he played a super round of golf in the fourth round and shot 68. And for those of us who were up there, will recall it was incredibly windy and also a very, very warm, very unusual weather pattern for Whistling Straits but the wind was probably blowing 20, 25 miles an hour and Brad's 68 was a tremendous round of golf. He played very steady and he was certainly a very deserving winner.
One thing that I'll share with you about Brad that's not in his bio, and that is he is involved greatly in his community. He helps junior golf activities in his community and also is very helpful and supportive of the First Tee Chapter in Lakeland, Florida, and Brad for that we certainly recognize you and commend you for that.
So ladies and gentlemen, let me recognize a most worthy defending champion for a few remarks, Mr. Brad Bryant.
BRAD BRYANT: Thank you very much, Jim.
First of all let me say thank you to all of you all. Jim, your staff, all of your people, it's been a wonderful year being your defending champion. You all have made it very great for me and my family. Pete and I, we talk on the phone about once a week now, so we have just really, really enjoyed it.
1976, my wife and I were planning our wedding, and I said, wow, you know, we've picked a date where they have invited me to play in the Broadmoor Invitational and I said, "We can go for our honeymoon to the Broadmoor."
And my wife said, "Uh-uh."
And I said, "It's the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs." And she said no. And I said, "It's the Broadmoor."
And she said, "I'm going to have to go to golf tournaments the rest of my life. And on our honeymoon, I don't want to go to a golf tournament."
So in the year 2000, we came on a vacation and came up through Colorado Springs rebound spent a couple days out here and one of the things we did is I drove my family out here and showed them the Broadmoor and as we pulled in my wife looked at me and said, "I'm sorry." (Laughter).
So sweet Sue is coming to the Broadmoor this year, folks. What a special place. I just appreciate everything that has been done in preparation for us already.
You know it's really funny, we come to one of these tournaments and we show up and get most of the press and accolades and everything because we play golf, but it's people like Russ and his staff, and all of the greens people, all of the guys that are out there every day mowing greens and getting the golf course ready for us; all of the guys that make all of the decisions back in Far Hills make it really tough on us because as they said, they have got, what is it, 1 1/2-inch rough and then you have got the 2 1/2-inch and the 4-inch Bradley cut way out there somewhere, where I spend a lot of my time. And it is -- let me tell you, the guys on our tour are excited about coming here, and that says a lot about not only where we're going coming to the Broadmoor, but about the type of golf that they expect.
Our tour has come to really embrace the U.S. Senior Open. The guys love it, and they talk about the U.S. Senior Open differently than they talk about our other majors. To us, it's really a major. This is it. This is the biggest tournament that us old guys get to play in, and we appreciate all that you all do. Thank you so much for what you do so that we can have such a great week and please, give my thank-you to all of the people here at the Broadmoor. I know that everyone is working hard and the golf course will just be incredible.
I haven't played this golf course in about 30 years, so it's been a while. There's a lot of guys on the regular tour that aren't even 30. In fact, when was it, '97, I actually shaved off my mustache for a little while because I realized my mustache was older than Tiger and then realized that, no, I probably needed that.
But you know, we look forward -- the guys on our tour really are looking forward to coming to this event. And we hope that you all, as the press, the press corps, that you all will help us make it a great event. They have already sold out the tickets pretty much. I don't know what else can be done except to get out there and let the people know that the players are truly excited about coming to Colorado Springs.
I would not say that if it weren't true, but even last week we were all talking about how they were glad to be out of Rochester and looking forward to going to Colorado Springs. These guys know what I'm talking about. Thank you. It has been a wonderful year being the defending champion for the U.S. Senior Open.
You know, when I was 16, 17, 18 years old, I got out on the putting green, I putted and I said, "Okay, this one is to win the Open to beat Jack Nicklaus." When I was a little older: "Well, I'm going to 2-putt this one to beat Tom Watson, Arnold Palmer," whatever. And having the type of career that I had where I didn't really win many golf tournaments, I only won one tournament on the regular tour, and it was only three rounds and so a lot of guys called that one a fluke. But I still take it; I claim it.
Having the type of career that I had, it was very, very special to walk up on the last green and have a 2-putt to beat Tom Watson because as a kid, I did that a 100,000 times. You know, man, I was out there and I'm going to do this, and what a special thing to actually have it happen at such a late date in my life.
The guys at the USGA have been absolutely wonderful to me this year. It has been really great, and I know, because I'm part of the game, that there are a lot of people in this world that would have loved to have had Tom Watson as the defending champion. He was playing great and it was really tough to have to watch Tom go through what he went through last year on those last eight holes. We have all been there.
In fact, just a few weeks ago, Tom and I were playing together at the Ginn tournament, and I took a 7 on the 17th hole, which is a par 3, after actually landing my tee shot on the green. I sort of chipped it over the green and I chipped it over the green and then I chipped it over the green and finally I got my chip up on the green, and got my 2-putt and made my 7 and finished up.
Tom, with much graciousness in the scoring tent looked at me and he says, "We all have tough days." And I felt that was so apropos. It's just wonderful that he plays such incredible golf at his age, and I know that he doesn't feel old, but he's older than me and if he feels worse than me, boy, is it tough.
I want to say thank you, not only to all of the volunteers that we will have this year, but because whoever wins the tournament this year will have the opportunity as I did last year to stand on the 18th green and say thank you to all of the people that make this event happen.
And I also want to say thank you to all of the people who made what my dream was last year come true because it really was a dream come true for me. You know there has been very few fathers who have gotten to take that walk up the hill from the 18th green as a victor in the U.S. Senior Open or U.S. Open or any USGA event and be able to put their arms around their sons. That was very special. Guys, thank you so much for that opportunity.
You know, these guys make golf a great game. The USGA, they run the rules and they take a lot of flak about a lot of things, but let me tell you, they love the game of golf. They stand behind it, and you can know just from what they have said already today, the first row of every stadium seating out here will be for children; what a thing. My kids will be right there in the front row -- looking for free stuff. (Laughter) So get ready.
But I just want to say thank you to all of you all. You know if it weren't for the press, people wouldn't know what we are doing and we really appreciate what you all do. Thank you so much for getting the word out, and just thank you. We are looking forward to being here. Everyone on our tour is excited. I thank you so much, and I hope that this time next year I get to stand here again. I doubt it, but what a privilege it has been to have at least stood here for a year.
You know, one thing I do have to say here though is that in my line of work and in your line of work and in all of our lines of work, when we stand in places like this, really we stand on the shoulders of giants. We don't stand here alone. If it weren't for David Leadbetter and his teaching me the game of golf, I would be flipping burgers somewhere. If it weren't for my wife standing behind and beside me all these years, I wouldn't have much of a life. My life would be very unhappy. If it weren't for my kids, I wouldn't know that I was stupid. So thank you very much, I appreciate it.
PETE KOWALSKI: Thank you, Brad.

Q. Mention was made regarding the length of the course and the fact that it not going to play as long as it is because of elevation. What kind of adjustments are you going to be making, not on your drives because they are going to carry like crazy but getting to the green, your approach shots where normally you might use a full 7 and here you might have to pull out a full 8; is the adjustment tough for you?
BRAD BRYANT: My caddie and I go by numbers. Thank goodness he knows how to add and subtract or we would be in big trouble. Here it's ten percent of this altitude. You adjust if we have a 160 yard shot we'll adjust it back to 146 and use that.
And then if you have the wind, say that you're downwind eight percent, then you have to adjust that back to about -- now I'm starting to get in over my head. (Laughter).
So if you're downhill, you have to take that into consideration. Finally after doing all of the calculation, I look at Tony and say what do you think and he says, just hit a smooth iron. Yes, there is but the elevation, you can count on a ten percent difference and 12 percent for the guys that hit the ball very high.

Q. Do you have the purse?
PETE KOWALSKI: We don't have the purse amounts and we won't until the Senior Open. Last year's purse was 2.6 and the winner's was 470.
BRAD BRYANT: It's a lot of money.
PETE KOWALSKI: We're not going to release the information until after the second day of play.

Q. Mr. Hyler, coming off the Senior PGA and how tough it was and the rough, the USGA is sort of known for the rough and toughness; is it possible it might be a relief, as Brad mentioned to you, from what they saw at Oak Hill?
JIM HYLER: Could be. Oak Hill is a tough golf course. It was soft and wet.
So here, the first primary cut is going to be 2 1/2. It won't be nearly as thick as it is today. The second primary at four inches, we think is a fair rough; hard, you get your ball particularly in the second primary cut it's a stroke penalty, or half a stroke at least, and that's where we think the rough should be.
In 2006 at Winged Foot, we adopted the philosophy of the graduated rough; meaning the further off-line you hit it, the more penalty you should pay; and thus we have the step cut. What we think we have here is the right rough for this golf course.
BRAD BRYANT: As the players, we were talking about this last week in the locker room. The players all feel like the U.S. Senior Open is probably the fairest event that we play all year. That speaks a lot to both the course preparation and the decisions that these guys have made. The players really like the way that they set the course up here.
JIM HYLER: Just to tag on, we are not out to embarrass anybody. We don't want to do that. We don't want to have any goofy hole locations. We want to have fair hole locations. We have no target score in mind. People that say we are trying to protect par; that's not the case. Hard and fair, whatever the winning score turns out to be, it turns out to be.
Since we've gone to this concept, and another very subtle change we made in 2006 but one that's very important to the players, and that is we want to give them the same course on Sunday afternoon that they experienced on Monday morning first day of practice. We are not letting the course get harder throughout the week as has been done in the past.
So as much as the weather and Mother Nature will let us, we want to try to keep those green speeds the same throughout the week. We mow the rough. We mowed the first primary cut every single day and we'll probably mow the second primary cut every other day but we want that golf course to be consistent throughout the week. That's a subtle change, but a very significant change to the players.

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