GENUITY CHAMPIONSHIP

February 27, 2002

Ty Tryon

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Ty, for spending a few minutes with us. I guess this is the first time that obviously you have played in this event. I don't know how many opportunities you have had to play this course, but --

TY TRYON: As a junior.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Talk about the course a little bit, then we'll go into some questions.

TY TRYON: Well, last time I was here actually the green and white course were actually still intact. I walked across the tunnel there, now it's the Great White Course and condos. One time I won this tournament, it was like totally different, so it's a little bit different than I am used to but I love the golf course. I have played it since I was -- I have been at Doral since I was 7, for about eight years straight 'til I was about 15. It's a little different now with the crowds and the Tour pros, but I am excited for the week.

JOAN V.T. ALEXANDER: Questions.

Q. What is the name of that thing, the tournament?

TY TRYON: Doral Junior Publix. Right before Christmas I played it for about eight straight years.

Q. What year did you win it?

TY TRYON: When I was 7 years old and I got -- then I played in the 16 to 18 division when I was like 14 and 15. I got third one year when I was 14. Kind of always played up a little bit.

Q. What are you learning every time you are out here starting with last year Honda Classic, what do you think your learning curve has been with each stop you make?

TY TRYON: Just getting more accustomed to everything going on around me - interviews, the crowds, autographs, just kind of what goes on daily here on Tour. It's the second week out so I still have got a lot to learn. I am having a great time and the free food and the buffets and the locker room is great, all the new stuff I just got like eight new pairs of shoes, so that's kind of cool.

Q. Is there a significant difference in the atmosphere competing in these events as opposed to amateurs?

TY TRYON: There was for me at Phoenix for sure but this week I have a little better mindset. I feel a lot better than I did at Phoenix. I was a little bit tense out there, let everything kind of get to my head a little bit. I feel really positive this week. I am just going to have a good time and try to compete.

Q. You might get to play in 40 degree weather tomorrow too.

TY TRYON: I know, but I am just going to try to get off to a better start than the last time. I'll do all I can.

Q. Your thinking on L.A., how did that all come about?

TY TRYON: I went out there for Callaway. I just tested a line of stuff. I actually played every club in MY bag when I played the qualifier, I thought it would be a good chance to get the rust off, just go play a little bit. It's not a big a deal, just a qualifier. Those things, you shoot 65 or make it or you don't. Got off to a bad start. I played 14 new clubs; the first day I played with them, so....

Q. What were they?

TY TRYON: That's the way it goes. Callaway.

New set of irons, new driver, new putter, new wedge. I had my 3-wood. And new ball too.

Q. (Inaudible)

TY TRYON: I am actually using the C4 ball -- driver right now. Everything else is the same.

Q. What is the difference? I have seen Charles, for example, flip back and forth.

TY TRYON: It's graphite. Graphite head and it usually means -- everybody has been using titanium the last few years, kind of like the old Deonix (phonetic) but a lot better made. Graphite design.

Q. What did you notice? The difference, how you are hitting it?

TY TRYON: A lot straighter actually. Easier to hit, and they said the sweet spot is larger, so I find it a lot more forgiving. It is a much different sound, you will hear, sounds like wood, sort of. Sort of neat. Instead of that "ping" sound it is more like a "thump."

Q. Older players on the -- SENIOR TOUR guys, some older players on Tour, reservations they have about being out here doesn't really have anything to do with golf because they appreciate that you deserve to be here for what you did in the qualifying tournament. What they talk about is can he handle the routines of travel, everything like that. You just touched on that. Are you finding the biggest adjustment outside the ropes? Do you think that will continue to be the case?

TY TRYON: For sure. If I just come out here myself -- that's what people don't understand, it's not like I am out here just travelling each week by myself trying to take care of all the burdens of being out here and trying to take care of it myself, I have a management group and my parents and people help me out. Just takes the big load off me. I am just trying to focus on playing golf. That really helps.

Q. But is it still difficult?

TY TRYON: Definitely, yeah, that's the main thing. I have had to get accustomed to all the off-the-golf-course stuff for sure. On a golf course, kind of the same thing, pretty much hit the ball.

Q. In the sense do you wish -- there's NBA players who are close to your age, but half of their events are home games. In that sense, do you kind of -- do you think it would be easier if you were a team sport athlete in that you would be home for half the time?

TY TRYON: Yeah, plus as a team sport at least you can kind of blend in with the team a little bit. Out here on a golf course, it's just you, so all eyes are on you. You don't have anyone to hide behind so it's a little different. Mistakes you make are all your mistakes. But also I only get one tournament, that's Bay Hill, that's pretty cool to have at least one tournament that's at your home course. I am lucky to have that one at least.

Q. Are there any players that you kind of asked a lot of questions more than any others, kind of taken you under their wing a little bit?

TY TRYON: I talked to John Cook again today. But you know, it's only my second week out here. Again I haven't really got to talk to that many people. I kind of tried to get to know a lot people out here. I haven't made Tiger yet so hopefully I will talk to him. I played Sergio Garcia yesterday and Charles Howell and a friend of mine Eric Compton also. That was really cool playing with Sergio, he was really helpful and a great guy.

But I am just enjoying meeting new guys and having a good time just getting to know them.

Q. Do you purposely make it a point to kind of pick their brains about things?

TY TRYON: A little bit. I try to learn some things, yeah, because especially like Charles Howell and Sergio, who have gone through it out here, I just try to learn a few things, but I am just trying to watch what they do and just try to copy them a little bit.

Q. Two-part question, if I may. Is there any one player that you would consider a rival since you have been playing golf, same age bracket, someone that you have kind of competed against ever since you started playing tournaments?

TY TRYON: A rival?

Q. Not necessarily a rival, but someone you butt heads with ever since you were 10 or 11?

TY TRYON: In my age group?

Q. Yes.

TY TRYON: Yeah, when I was playing junior golf for sure, James Vargas, Miami guy, great player, he played here last year, actually.

Another kid named Matt Rosenfeld kind of us three growing up, a lot more junior golfers nowadays. Ever since I was being here at 7 always those three kids were kind of every year moving up in the age group.

Q. Would you almost expect or maybe surprise you maybe five, six years, if it takes them that long to get on Tour, that you are still going at it, so to speak?

TY TRYON: Yeah.

Q. Charles and David Gossett, you see that?

TY TRYON: I'd love to see that. That would be cool. They are my friends. I grew up with them. I would love to see those guys out here.

Q. If you go back and look at history of the Tour seems to be every five years or so a great class of players like O'Meara, Cook and Hoch; Mickelson Leonard, that kind of stuff. Do you think this class we are at now, 22-year-olds, 23-year-olds, (A) might be with you of those classes and (B) do you think the way golf is going that we might see more good classes like that more often maybe every other year instead of every five years?

TY TRYON: I think you are seeing that for sure because you see Tiger and then came Sergio and now it's like Charles Howell David Gossett, Matt Kuchar, Luke Donald. It is getting younger and younger and a lot more. Before it was probably one or two young players. Now it's kind of got eight or nine or so. Golf has been a younger game and a lot more depth. I'd say: Depth and the quality of players, probably at a younger age.

Q. Before you decided to do this had you made any kind of decision at least within the family about where to go to college?

TY TRYON: I really didn't know. I had my favorite but I wasn't decided where I was going to go.

Q. Was it somebody though like a front-runner or a couple of three examples?

TY TRYON: It is cool to be able to say this because when you are playing junior golf as an amateur you can never say this. Yeah, I definitely -- I mean Georgia, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma State, UNLV, Florida were my Top 5.

Q. Leading into this part, is there anything about high school golf that you -- competing in high school that you miss now, is there anything about not having the college experience do you think you will miss?

TY TRYON: Yeah, we actually took a trip down here and played high school golf last just before -- about a year and a half ago John Cook was my coach and stayed at Doral. That was the last time I was here. It's pretty amazing thinking back then, that was about a year and a half ago, we were here at Doral, like a high school team, just kind of having fun and playing matches on the silver course. Now a year and a half later I am here as a professional playing in blue course PGA tournament, it's pretty -- very mind boggling.

Q. Who did you play?

TY TRYON: Columbus High and some other teams. I don't remember. James Vargas' team.

Q. Just a two-team thing?

TY TRYON: I think a tri-match, I am not sure.

Q. You miss that togetherness?

TY TRYON: Yeah, definitely. It was a lot of fun. It is kind of strange that was such a short time ago; now I am out here playing against the big boys.

Q. How many times did you try and qualify here?

TY TRYON: Three times.

Q. When?

TY TRYON: 14, 15, 16, I think I did pretty good when I was 15. But I played pretty good; didn't make it.

Q. (Inaudible)

TY TRYON: 72, 70 made it or 69. But I played pretty solid. I don't remember. It was Honda and Doral the same course, like one week it was the Honda or Doral next week it was the Honda, so it was like the same course so I kind of got mixed up with-- I mean I played it so many times.

Q. Three times you tried this one?

TY TRYON: Yeah. And Honda three times.

Q. Kind of looking at this as a gradual succession of things, like step one make cuts; step two, make better checks; step 3, crack top-30, are you looking at it as a slow ramp-up or --

TY TRYON: Not really.

Q. Crossing things off the list?

TY TRYON: No, I just try and go out play as good as I can. If the best golf I can play this week is making the cut then that's great. If it's getting Top-10 then that's even better. I am just trying to play as well as I can. I am not trying to put like a real like definite goal on anything.

Q. After Honda and Bay Hill anything that looks solid as far as where you are going to play?

TY TRYON: You know, I am thinking about going overseas. I might be going to Deutsche Bank, I am not sure yet but I am considering it. Here in the PGA TOUR in the States I don't really know yet. I am still deciding. I thought like I had a clear plan but I kind of switched and I don't really know where I am going to play yet. Still kind of contemplating what to play.

Q. Are you going to try and crank these tournaments out three out of four weeks or whatever?

TY TRYON: Probably going to play a lot. Play as much as I can.

Q. What is the most that you would play in any one stretch?

TY TRYON: I don't know. Start with three in a row, guys judge off that. If I am still pretty fresh, I think -- I really have no idea. Charles Howell played 14 in a row end of last year, so I mean, that's a lot, but I don't really know. I think four, five would probably be like the max, five, maybe. That's a lot of weeks. I mean, it's not really -- there's no stop. It is like keep going, travel, keep going, travel and keep playing.

Q. Does that compare at all when you were on the junior Tour?

TY TRYON: Not that much different. I mean, you don't have to deal with like doing interviews and autographs and you know --

Q. In terms of the travel?

TY TRYON: Travel and stuff about the same, yeah, I played 23 tournaments as a junior my last time I played one year, that's a lot of tournaments as a junior golfer, but there's so much more stuff going on now. It's just a lot more complicated.

Q. Do you get amused about the comments that people make, well, 17 is too young to come out here. To make an analogy, nobody tells a young actor that you need to go back and act for your college group; nobody told Britney Spears that she had to go sing for a college course before they started to make professional (inaudible) do you look at it that way? Do you wonder why people think that?

TY TRYON: Definitely do because no one really has done it; that's probably why that's a good reason you see actors, child actors who are 10, 13, they are gone on the set for months at a time. So yeah, it's a little strange, but I am used to it and hopefully people will accept me more as I play more.

Q. Do you think that -- you talk about the support group you have from family and your agent and your coaches and everything, do you think that's strong enough to sustain any difficulties you will have in the routine?

TY TRYON: Yeah, it takes a lot of pressure off me. I feel if I was doing it by myself I don't think I could do it. So much responsibility so quick, yeah.

There's a 12 year old playing in an LPGA tournament; isn't there?

Q. Yeah. She's taller than you?

TY TRYON: She's huge; isn't she? Is she really 12?

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