MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 12, 2001

Rocco Mediate

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yes, I do actually. I liked this course last year, but I shot seven over the first round -- no, 6-over. Then I played really good after that. I shot even, even, 4- or 5-under. I like it. I like the wind, I like the greens, I like the fairways. Got to be in shape here. I feel pretty good. My shins are a little hurting, but I think everybody's are right now.

ROCCO MEDIATE: I feel good. I worked my butt off in the off-season, lost a couple more inches in my waist. I'm ready to roll.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Hopefully, you never know. It could creep up. If I keep doing what I'm doing, it should keep it at bay.

ROCCO MEDIATE: About three months. I wasn't good until December. Actually, November-ish. It was more than people thought. People thought it was kind of funny, but it was not funny. People did think it was a funny thing. It was not funny at all. It was a bad situation, almost turned real bad. If there wouldn't have been a railing there, it would have been real bad because I would have fallen over the edge. It was four feet high, but still.

ROCCO MEDIATE: With the chair?

ROCCO MEDIATE: Just sat in it and it broke, that's it. Not even worth talking about.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Out in front of the locker room. We won't even talk about it.

ROCCO MEDIATE: I know, I know. I felt great. I felt confident about The Presidents Cup. If I would have -- I might have missed the cut, I don't know. I felt good about my chances. I like Valhalla anyway, believe it or not (laughter). Yeah, that was a bad thing. Then I wasn't right for a while. Took a lot of time. I just waited for the off-season. Tried to get in the Top 30; I didn't have it. I waited for the off-season. I played a few events. Got barbecued for that in Sports Illustrated. The rest is history (laughter).

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, I'm ready to go. I mean, when I go in the off-season, I don't sit on my butt for a month and do nothing. I practice, I work out, I hang out with my wife and kids. That's what I do. My hobbies are my wife and my kids. I have no fishing hobbies, flying hobbies. That's my hobby. It's plenty of hobby, too. Three boys are plenty of hobby. I don't like to take a lot of time off. It's my job. When I come out West, I'm hoping guys took time off, so I have an edge on them. I've always come out West prepared. I've always played reasonably well out here most of my career. If you're going to use the West Coast to warm up against these guys, you know, you're not going to be -- you could be better. We're playing for billions. I want to win more. I'm 38 now. I want to get going. I lost four years with my back so I feel like I'm 20. I really feel 20. I don't look 20 - maybe 22.

ROCCO MEDIATE: He hits it three miles and straight, putts real good. Ernie's got the whole deal. I played with him yesterday. We both played really solid. For instance, on the last hole, I hit a pretty good drive. I could have got maybe 15 more yards out of it. I was 80 yards behind him. He hit a 5-iron, I hit the 4-wood. I hit it on the green, 2-putt. He made it for an eagle. That's how he plays here. Guys that hit it three miles like that, especially guys that can work it to the right coming in, except for 17, 18. 15 is a big hole where I can't really reach. I almost reached today. I could have had a chance today if I hit it to the right. When the wind is going this way, I draw. I'm not a good fader. I don't want to be a good fader. He hits a 4-iron to the green yesterday. That's how those long guys - why Tiger has done well, why David has done well. They hit it miles. They have the whole package, but think hit it far. There's really no secret to getting around here. Good ball hitters will survive here; bad ones will not. Not that there are any bad ones. The best hitters of the ball will beat you here. It takes a lot. Once you get up on 10, 11, 12, 13, it's cooking. I enjoy it. I enjoy this week.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yes.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Physically, I don't think there's much to improve in Ernie Els' game. I think he's very content. I think he wants to win these big tournaments. I think he will win some more majors. I don't know. I don't know Ernie that well, so I can't tell you. What I think is he's got a little baby, he's enjoying himself. He's played well but happened to be on the wrong end of the stick, four or five majors in a row he finished second. I don't know what he can do to get better. I don't know. I mean, physically I don't think he can get much better. Obviously, he'll tell you he can. As far as hitting his driver and chipping and putting, irons, there's not difference between the two. Tiger is a little further maybe, but that doesn't make him win the majors. I don't know. I wish I did know. Maybe I could do a little better in those tournaments (laughter). I can't give you a good answer obviously. I just don't know the answer to that one.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Love 'em. Can't deal with it, pack it in.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Pack it in. It's changing. You're not going to stop them. I mean, it was like that before when Tiger did the deal with the hole-in-one. It was like that before he did this (lifting hands to the air). I don't mind it. Every tournament we go to, there's -- this one there isn't really. There's some fans that just get a little crazy. Have you to get rid of some of those. When we played the last two rounds at Phoenix, Tiger and I, a guy with a gun on the 6th tee. That was weird. Makes you think, anybody could walk in a with a gun. You get from me to you, who knows? I don't mind that. I love 16. They booed me on Saturday when I won, the year I won. I hit a horrible shot. I deserved to be booed that shot. I didn't care. They booed me. They boo everybody in other sports. As long as they don't go, you know, doesn't bother me. You're going to have to deal with it no matter what. If you can't deal with it, you shouldn't play.

ROCCO MEDIATE: I think they told us after. Two policemen walking with us, tackled this guy. He was huge, too. He was hammered. I don't think he had any intent. He had it on him. He didn't pull it out. The fanny pack, he had it there. I thought it was quite interesting. You know, what Tiger has brought to the game is just zillions of people. I love it. I enjoy it. I will say this, it does get a little crazy sometimes. Only the strong survive there. I remember on the 12th hole, going back to that one more time, the 12th hole on Sunday with Tiger, a guy yells across -- Tiger hits a gorgeous shot 10, 12 feet, I snuck it on the green. I'm trying to get it in, get done. I got 20 feet left to the hole, perfect, ecstatic. I walk on the green, a guy walks up, plain as day, from across the lake, "Tiger, knock that in, Mediate will fold like a lawn chair." Tiger comes across, "Relax, it's okay." I'm like, "I'm not relaxed." I putt. The guy says it again. Now I'm over on the other side of the green, looking at him. I said, "Fine, let him go." I got mad. I used it to my advantage. He was right there, plain as day, didn't care. Tiger goes, "Hey, hey, relax." That tells you a little bit about him. If you can deal with that situation, look at The Ryder Cup stuff. So I don't mind it. Yeah, it gets carried away sometimes, obviously it does. It's not going to stop. It's just going to get worse as they keep finding out that they're doing more stuff to stop it. If you go on the 16th tee at Phoenix, give them one of these (gesturing), make them mad, you don't want to come back the next day. They're going to kill you before you get to the next tee. You say, no matter what, "Thanks a lot guys. You guys are great." They leave you alone. You have to have that thing going. I don't know if Tiger is playing this year. I wish he could. They destroyed Duval last year on Saturday, absolutely killed him. I played with him on Saturday. He said something to them, and that was it. They followed him in. You just can't say anything to them.

ROCCO MEDIATE: He didn't deserve what he got. Guys had 25 beers. It was all over.

ROCCO MEDIATE: You're welcome.

ROCCO MEDIATE: No problem.