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SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 30, 2004

Kerry Haigh

LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

JULIUS MASON: Ladies and gentlemen, Managing Director Tournaments, PGA of America Kerry Haigh joins us in the media center. He'll give us an update of the current situation. With that note I'll let Kerry Haigh knock it out for you.

KERRY HAIGH: Okay. Firstly, thank you to all of you for your patience. It's been a tough day for you and a tough week for you as well as it has for us. So, but we truly appreciate your patience as well as that of the players, the volunteers, and all the committees and the people that have worked their hearts out to make this championship hopefully come to a conclusion. And our hope right now is, as you know, is for the championship to, the final round to resume play tomorrow at 8 a.m., the vans will leave at 7:40 a.m. and obviously our hope is that we do not get too much more of what is falling down on us right now. But that is our plan. We were unlucky and lucky today to, I guess, the morning cells really set us back. We were hoping that we would not, we would miss those and that we would have up until 3, 4 o'clock and manage to get it in. But those two small cells that sort of develop as they did, and threw the rain down on us, really made it a challenge. And so that's why we are here now and I guess I'll answer any questions.

JULIUS MASON: Actually, if we can start real quick, you have some information about tickets and parking for the local media.

KERRY HAIGH: Yes. For tomorrow for parking we'll be at what was formerly the BIGGS property. For all Sunday ticket holders will be accepted tomorrow, with or without a perforated ticket, Sunday ticket will be accepted tomorrow. In addition, people without tickets will be able to purchase tickets at the gate at a reduced price of $20.

JULIUS MASON: And ladies and gentlemen regarding television, CNBC will air the championship beginning at 11 o'clock and it will go until conclusion on CNBC. Questions for Mr. Haigh and thanks for using the wireless mics right here.

Q. Before you had the technology and the Doppler systems and the on-site weather what did you do when weather like this approached? Like 10, 20 years ago.

KERRY HAIGH: Well, we can all remember the days as rules of officials of sitting out on one end of the course looking in the sky for angry weather. There was never the Weather Channel there is today and all the other technologies that we have, so in all honesty, certainly 20 years ago we were looking at the sky and looking to the morning weather forecast and a lot of guess and feel.

Q. A lot of the players were saying that the conditions already are so wet with any more water that they think it's going to be unplayable tomorrow. That the course would be almost unplayable. Just comment on that and what would it take to not play tomorrow? Is that a chance, is that a possibility?

KERRY HAIGH: Well, anything's possible, as they say. We certainly -- we do not need a whole lot more rainfall, obviously. But the golf course is saturated, which is why we implemented the lift, clean and place rule again for the fourth round. Obviously that is in place for the remainder of the fourth round. And Mark Wilson and his crew have performed seven days of miracles and I just hope that we don't get too much more rain so we can get it playable again tomorrow.

Q. Some players have said they won't play tomorrow. John Jacobs said he won't be back tomorrow. What's the sense you're getting from the players out there?

KERRY HAIGH: Sorry, could you repeat the question?

Q. What are the players saying to you? What kind of sense and feeling do you get from the players out here?

KERRY HAIGH: Well, obviously there's -- it's frustrating, it's always frustrating for anyone and for all of you and for all of us. None of us like stopping and starting and having an inch of rain every night and having wet feet and wet pants. That's human nature. But we're keeping certainly a positive attitude on it. We have a great leader board, we have a great championship, and if Mother Nature does give us a break, we're looking forward to a really exciting day. We have got -- I think it's going to be a great championship tomorrow.

Q. How much consideration, if any, was there given to ending the tournament right now and declaring Hale Irwin the champ, and if you cannot play tomorrow, would you play Tuesday? What would be the plan from there?

KERRY HAIGH: We have stated all along that we would play into Monday. And that is our intent. And as a Major championship to play 72 holes. Both of those remain the issues or our goal. I do not anticipate we would go into Tuesday at this point. So we would intend to finish the championship tomorrow.

Q. Have you ever in your time remember a day when you had 7 straight days of rain?

KERRY HAIGH: Unfortunately we probably have, but I'm not sure we have had them quite to the extent and the amount and the volume of these 7 days. Most normal rains may be a passing shower with no suspension. But it is rare, certainly, to be using the evacuation advance and for 7 days in a row. I'm not sure we have ever had that. Certainly I know I haven't.

Q. Just, what was the procedure and what did you do with the fans when that first wave when it kind of started, when the tornado warning came? Did you try to get all the fans into the tents and things like that?

KERRY HAIGH: Yeah, we were, obviously, very concerned with the warning and warnings that have been taking place. Evacuated the course, through our security channels told every one to leave the property. And that's indeed what they have been doing, hopefully safely.

Q. Do you have any idea when that warning went out to fans and exactly how does it, how do you disseminate that word to people all over a golf course? As far as getting them off the course?

KERRY HAIGH: Well, the information given to all spectators throughout the week is that if and when play is suspended they should leave the property and take shelter. In this case for those that didn't we had all the security people on-site go around and instruct and tell people they needed to leave because of the imminent warnings that were given. Prior to that we obviously post the weather warning signs, but that was before there was certainly a tornado warning in the area. That was for the threat of lightning.

JULIUS MASON: Questions, folks? Questions twice. We good? Thanks, Kerry, for coming down.

KERRY HAIGH: Thank you all again.

End of FastScripts.

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