VALERO TEXAS OPEN MEDIA DAY

August 23, 2004

Tommy Armour III

Bill Greehey

Tony Piazzi

TONY PIAZZI: Good afternoon. I hope you all have enjoyed the meal today, and welcome back. I did receive a phone call a few minutes ago from Brad Hines. He's the ergonomist here. He's asking if we have any volunteers to do divot repair out on the golf course. Apparently there was a little digging on. Tommy, thanks for coming today. If you all remember back almost a year ago, Tommy set the PGA scoring record by making, among other things, 49 of 51 putts with inside 10 feet. Tommy was out with Craig Smith our tournament director, and he assured me that the statistic was reversed for today. You all missed 49 of 51 easily. Before introducing some of our special guests, I want to thank Carl and the staff at LaCantera for an incredible golf course. Carl and your crew, thank you very much. And Mother Nature cooperated because the tour is trying to get the rough up a little bit, and I can assure you after yesterday's rain, and like when Tommy and his friends are back in a few weeks, I think we're going to see really great rough. Speaking of Tommy and some of his friends, we're really pleased where the field is to this point in time today. The fact is we have a little competition from the Ryder Cup, and we don't think we're going to hurt them too much. A little bit, but not too much. We've got a great field led by some early commitments and three names that come up are Justin Leonard, two-time champion, Steve Flesch and Jerry Kelly. I tell you what, it's really a tribute to Steve and Jerry especially, because they were right there in 11th and 13th spot on that list. Didn't get picked by Hal Sutton, one of our other past champions, but we're thrilled they're coming to San Antonio. Sean and Rich, two of the last three winners of the PGA championship, we're also thrilled to have a player who was supposed to be here in 2001 but was affected, like we all were, by 9/11, which is Jose Maria Olazabal. In addition to Tommy, we have great past champion Duffy Waldor also. And although we aren't officially announcing these, we have hotel reservations for Jesper Parnovic, and someone commonly referred to as Boom Boom. You can't talk about those. We haven't officially announced these names yet. We want to thank Tony and the team at the LaCantera resort for what you all are going to experience during tournament week. Tony and his team, thank you very much. It's hard to believe that this year marks the 10th year that the Valero Texas Open is being held at LaCantera, and we want to acknowledge and thanks Robert Cramer and the ownership of this beautiful resort for everything they have done to grow this site to make it arguably one of the best places on the PGA tour for people like Tommy to come. It's partners like these and you that have made this such a great success. We couldn't ask for a better partner than we have today than Valero Energy Corporation. There is no doubt that they have energized our organization. They have energized all of you. They have energized their business partners who have stepped up and become a significant part of our event. They've also energized our friends down in Florida. I know you'll hear a little more about that. It's my privilege now to introduce our host and your host today and the catalyst behind the rebirth of the fourth oldest tournament on the PGA tour. Please join me in welcoming and thanking Mr. Bill Greehey.

BILL GREEHEY: I want to thank all of you for joining us today for a special fun event. I think all of you know the Texas Open has been a great success because of all of you. The media coverage has really been outstanding, which is critical to success. Without sponsors, we wouldn't have any tournament at all. I would like for the sponsors to stand up and be recognized. (Applause.) You know, for the last two years, I've stood up here and I've talked about how our tournament was going to be a record year again. I'm not going to change my story. This will be a record year this year. The Texas Open is better than it ever has been before. If you look at this tournament three years ago, it's a success story of the PGA tour. We didn't have a sponsor for the tournament. There was a lot of concern as to whether or not San Antonio could support a tournament. I think this has turned out to be a great success story. Tony talked about the outstanding field that we're having this year. We're also having a lot of other success stories. Talking about sponsorships, our sales have increased 400 percent, and we have ten times more sponsors than we did three years ago. I think what we're most proud of this, and the reason we have these tournaments is the amount we give to charity, and we're also having a record year. In the last three years, we have increased 460 percent. The first year was 1.8 million, and the second year was 2.8. Last year, we were in the top five. We were honored in the last two years for having the largest increase. This year we set a goal at 3 million, and it now looks like we will beat that. As a result of that, we have been funding something like 250 charities. This increase means more money to more charities. One of the success stories we have had is what we call our Children's Classic Tournament. Next year we're all sold out. That's where a majority of the money goes that's been raised. The money goes to children's charts, but there is a lot of other organizations in San Antonio that serve the community. They're going to give out four grants this year at $100,000 a piece. (Inaudible). The Texas Open has been a great success story, and it really is a come-back story, which is true of our defending champion, Tommy Armour. He surprised the golf world with the 254 round he had. Now we realize how incredible he is. He drove the PGA tour record and gained the respected of the entire golfing community. His grandfather is well known, won three major golf tournaments and played in this Texas Open three different times and never had the score of his grandson. Last year it was kind of an interesting story for the ones that have been around a while. We have a great champion, fun champion, Tommy Armour. Tommy.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: (Inaudible.)

TOMMY ARMOUR III: I have always played well on this course. I have had some opportunities to win this tournament as well.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: Well, it was kind of surprising, because nobody has ever shot that score before, but, you know, when they changed the course to par 70, we had shot some low scores here, but I didn't think it was going to be -- it is a little surprising. It's a hard question to answer, because the lowest -- I think the lowest (Inaudible); am I right? Yeah, so I guess the Texas Open breeds low scores on the tour.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: There is some putters made by TP Mills that are. I think I saw one here earlier. There is one right there. So, they are available.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: My grandfather died when I was 9. I really didn't get to know him that well. I grew up on the West Coast. He grew up on the East Coast. We had very little time together. My dad shared a lot of stories with me, and my dad passed away a couple months before this tournament last year. He was a doctor. He won the club championship three times, and he said that was his masters. He said he had longevity. He won it in the three different decades. He lost in the finals four times. He was a good player.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: You know, like I said, I have had a lot of fun with it last year. It's meant a lot to me. It was kind of to the point the last couple years where I had been injured, had some foot injuries. You don't appreciate how important your feet are until you can't walk. And it really came at a great time for me, and they say timing is everything. It really for me was an unbelievable time, because it put a lot of comfort in my life, so I didn't have to worry where I was going to play the next few years. When you're a professional golfer, it's nice to have that comfort. I have been coming here since I was 10 years old. It was special to win it and set the tour record. Everything was good.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: Ryder Cup. I think you have contrasting captains this year. Bernard is kind of a quiet loner-type individual who has a young team, and then you have Hal Sutton, who is a dominating individual who is powerful and strong. And so I think it's going to be an interesting mix, because our players -- actually, I had lunch and dinner twice with Hal at the PGA a couple weeks ago. We talked Ryder Cup stuff. I thought he was going to -- (Inaudible) I think that might have scared him away for a little bit. Two days, you have 36 holes where you play. Most of the guys they come in and say "I want to play with my buddy." Hal said, "We're not going to do that this year, be ready to play with whoever you're going to play it." I think he's going to run it more like a captain than a playground organizer, which is I think why the Europeans had dominated the last few times. They're there to win, and our team is there to play with our buddies. So, I think it's going -- it's on a great venue. It's a demanding course. It's tight. I'm looking forward to it actually. I think it's going to be interesting.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: I'm actually pretty close to form, because at the PGA, I played pretty well. The last three tournaments I'll play good golf and make a triple, and then play some more good golf and make a double. At the PGA, I lost the tournament by 9 shots. 9 shots won the tournament. I had a triple and two doubles out there. It was a pretty demanding course, so, I'm looking forward to -- I've got a couple more tournaments before I even get here, so I'm focusing on them. I always look forward to coming here, because I've always enjoyed it here. I have been in Dallas for a long time, and I always drive down here from Dallas, and I've always enjoyed it. I always look forward to

San Antonio. There is only one way I wouldn't be here, and it was if I was on the Ryder Cup team.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: That's when I meant by you've got to have more questions.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: Tiger Woods is working with a guy I used to work with on my game for about seven or eight years. He keeps saying that Tiger can hit more shots and is playing the best he's ever seen. Hank's kind of helped Tiger for the last four years, but it wasn't really public. I've noticed just watching him, and I've always been kind of a golf swing studier. A lot of guys ask me what I think about their swings, and so I've kind of gotten that people respect my opinion for some reason. I guess because I've studied a lot and know at lot about it. His golf swing, picture frame by frame-wise is the best it's ever looked to me. It's different than it was. I think he's getting his body accustomed to it. That's why he's hitting all these crazy shots. Physically, he's stronger than he's ever been. I think he's gotten a little phobic on the golf course. He's not completely 100 percent confident on what he's doing. On top of all this, he's still finishes second, third. A lot of guys don't really want him to get his game back, frankly. I'm sure everybody has been watching this year where he's been hitting in it in some of these courses, and he loses a tournament by three shots. If you put most of the other players on tour in these places, they would be losing their card. They wouldn't be playing on tour. That shows you the ability Tiger Woods had to scramble, get it done, get it in the hole. He's an unique individual, and you always have unique individuals in sports, and Tiger Woods is one of those individuals. I'm really not worried about Tiger. I think he'll be all right. I mean like next year he could be coming back and win all four majors. He could win the Grand Slam next year. He's very capable, and he's an unique -- playing with him, his game is a little different than everybody else's. The speed he hits the ball at, the height he hits the ball at. There is guys who hit it far, but not like him. He's an unique individual, obviously by what he's done in the game of golf, and he's only 27 I think. So, they say you peak at golf at 31, 30, 32. It will be interesting to see what he does the next few years.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: There is definitely a state of urgency. Everybody is trying to reach a certain level. The top 30 on tour gets you into everything in the world, majors, all the world championships, all the world championships tournaments. The top 70 gets you into all the invitationals. The top 120 gets you exempt for everything but the majors and the invitationals. The top 150 you retain your card but not in the complete exempt status. There is all different levels of people trying to get somewhere. You know, guys that are trying to get in the top 30, it's a different mind-set than the guy trying to keep his job.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: Well, David Duvall happens to be working with Hank. He started about a week and a half ago, and Hank said, "Come here and give me an hour. If I can't fix you in an hour, nobody can fix you."

TOMMY ARMOUR III: One time I was in the locker room, it was the Honda at Coral Springs, our TPC course there, and an interviewer walks up to Curtis and said, "Why don't you start playing with some confidence?" And he said, "When I start hitting the ball where I'm looking, I'll have all the confidence in the word." There is a lot of truth to that. It's hard to be confident about it when you hit it this way and that way. It's simple. That's kind of what happens to guys. You see it happen out there on tour. You know, my first year was 1982, so I've seen a lot of guys come and go. And fortunately, my game has never gotten to that point to where -- I can always keep my ball in play and get it done, but I've seen some really sad cases. (Inaudible). You see guys -- it's funny over the years, I've looked at guys. You can see if they're confidence is real high or low by how they walk on the driving range. It's an interesting phenomena. You see a young kid come out and have a real good first year, and the next year is not so good, and then the fourth year, he's selling golf balls somewhere. I mean, I've seen it over and over again. It's kind of sad, but you can see the guys that it might happen to, because just by their mannerisms, by the way they first come out, you look at them. I think David will come back, because anybody that's No. 1 in the world -- he might not regain the No. 1 player of the world, but he went to the PGA championship, and I was three people over and the reporter said, "It's nice to see you here, hope you make the cut," and he looked at him like, "I didn't come here to make the cut." He was dead serious. I mean, I think if he works with Hank and gets some confidence back. He said he's going to play six or seven more tournaments this year. Let's see. I hope so. I've always liked him. I've known him for a long time. He's put a lot of effort into this game. He's worked really hard.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: I still haven't figured it out how it works. You've got a guy that sits at home and doesn't play; he gains points on a guy that played. Actually I do know how it works. I don't know -- it's kind of like a system that we're going with. It doesn't really matter what I think about it. I know if you play really good, you go up the list. That's one thing I've figured out about that world ranking that anybody that plays real good, they seem to climb up the list and get closer to the top. As far as that goes, it works that if you don't play that well, you kind of go down the list, but it's on like a two-year basis, and every year, you move on. So, that's why if Tiger has another year like this year next year, this year will catch up to him, and he will lose because Vijay has won five and Tiger has won one. That will catch up to him. That's why Tiger is still up top because of two years ago where he's won more tournaments. (Inaudible).

TOMMY ARMOUR III: I don't know. Tiger finished second, and -- maybe it was the fact that they were going to try to take Tiger's No. 1.

TOMMY ARMOUR III: You know, I would have to -- if it's not him, it's Phil or Ernie and Tiger, they've kind of spread it around right now where they're all kind of neck and neck. Vijay won the PGA and -- I mean -- but, I would say Vijay. He's won two out of his last three tournaments, and I think he's taken a week off and play a couple more. All I know is Vijay wants to be No. 1 in the world, so he's doing everything he can to accomplish that.

TONY PIAZZI: Tommy. Thanks so much. If you can stay up there for one minute, and if we can ask Mr. Greehey to join him.

BILL GREEHEY: We have a gift for Tommy, and thank you for joining us today, and we're honored to have you as our champion. Incidentally, Tony said that Tom Lehman is going to play in the tournament; just found out today.

TONY PIAZZI: Tommy, if we can stay up here a little bit more, we're going to give some hardware away. I think, as everybody saw today, the golf course is in tremendous shape. I want to thank all the sponsors and media, and let's give some hardware away. We have -- let's do the closest to the pin on number 13, Randy Stevens, if you can come up, please. And on number 6, those of you who witnessed number 6, it was within a couple feet, Mr. John Oliveri. I had the pleasure of playing with him, so I witnessed it. Longest drive, Jeff Gibbons on number 10, Jeff, monster hit. On number 18, straightest drive, Rod Farrell, Rod. And for third place, the tame of Durbin, Hurzog, Turner and McCallister, congratulations. If you could all come up, please. And second place, Patberg, Demoss, Tucker and Carnitas, if you would come up, please. First place, with a score of 55, Romero, Pollack, Conway and Duncan, could you many come up, please. Congratulations. We have a special award for somebody who endured as she does every day, endures working with a lot of guys, and our only female out here is Denita Vitti. If she could come up, we've a special award for her. I tried to hit from the red tee, but they said she had reserved the red tee. Thank you. I think that concludes our presentation today. We've got some pictures with some of our sponsors and Mr. Greehey and Tommy and certainly the trophy. So, again, Tommy thank you very much for coming down and all the media that showed up and all our wonderful sponsors that make this possible. Thank you and have a great day, and I'll see you tournament week.