ENERGIZER SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 10, 1996

Jay Sigel

JAY SIGEL: My girls are happy about the Hawaii. They have been after me all year, "Come on Dad, come on," and, so I can't wait to get to a telephone and talk to them about that. You know, it is really nice to play well in front of your peers. I mean, having been close all year, I guess, three seconds, and, whatever, and shot off last week, you never know whether you can win again and that is, to me, the most rewarding part of today, you know, being able to get into position and, you know, manage yourself where you are able to survive. And, I was very pleased with my ball-striking, really, everything. So, I am delighted. And, Dave speaks about the money. I mean, that is really unbelievable. I really -- I think I only saw the money list once and it is kind of hard to miss the number up top, so I did see it. But, it is not something that we focus on. I don't think any of the guys do. It is such a hard game. You can't be thinking about all that.

JAY SIGEL: And no change?

JAY SIGEL: Oh. Geez, bad break again.

JAY SIGEL: Good question, Ed. No, I was nervous this morning. And, I got to the tee, I felt pretty good. Hit a pretty good drive with a 9-iron right where I wanted to. Just went over the green and made a good par and I felt pretty good. And I guess the one bad shot I hit today was off the tee at 2, but, you know, I played for bogey. I took the bogey and just went on and was patient enough. That was really the key word. It is hard to play with a lead; yet, it is better than being behind. So, it is -- you know, it is something where, when you are three or four or five or six shots ahead, you want to turn the clock ahead. You, all of a sudden, you want it to be 5 o'clock. It just doesn't happen that way.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, that is interesting. Last night was a good evening. We had a great dinner with some good friends, Dave Stockton and Cathy and Mike and Sandy Hill, and we had some good laughs, and I slept pretty well. I slept 'til about 6 o'clock and turned on my radio and went back to sleep, actually, and got up about 7:30. So I had a good night. So that so far so good, you know, but when I got out here, I got nervous, certainly, and when you haven't won in such a long time and -- you know, if I hadn't been close at all this year, maybe it would have been a little different. But, I have been close so much and people say, "well, maybe he can't get it done." So, that is what I was concerned about.

JAY SIGEL: Well, I think what I was saying was that if -- I mean, I have been close so many times and here I am close again, you know, am I going to do it or not do it. That is really what I was saying, so...

JAY SIGEL: My putting was okay. Nothing, you know, I hit a lot of really good putts. I had it close again today a number of times, and, you know, just didn't -- didn't make much. I guess the key putt of the day was, after Kermit started coming back, was the putt at 16. I had a very, very difficult 2-putt and my first putt, I thought I hit perfect. It must have gone five feet by and I made that after he made an unbelievable four, made about a 12- or 13-footer down the hill. And I hit it right dead center. So, it left me with three shots, with two holes to go and, you know, put it on the green comfortably on 17 until I hit too much club on my putt. Ran it about 15 feet by.

JAY SIGEL: Well, that wasn't it, but thanks. I mean, Kermit could have holed it the way he was going and the pin was in such a spot that you could spin it off that hill, down close. I mean, I suspect there were a number of birdies there today. Number of close shots like mine, so -- and, then, I figured, well, you know, Kermit will hole it from the edge. I told my caddy, "let us figure he is going to birdie this hole and we have got to 2-putt. Let us not relax." So that was the game plan.

JAY SIGEL: Oh, yeah.

JAY SIGEL: Well, until Kermit missed, I was focusing on 2-putts, 2-putts, 2-putts and at that point, it really was academic, you know, I didn't even go to the other side of the hole to line it up. In fact, I hit the putt. It didn't break right. I was kind of surprised. I was just trying to keep it on the green.

JAY SIGEL: Well, it was-- we talked a lot about a lot of things. We talked about our kids. Ronnie is getting ready to go through Qualifying School and my children and Hill's children, and, some, you know, financial things, we discussed. All kinds of things. There was a lot of joking going on. We talked about a friend of the Stocktons who came and visited with him -- who visited them here, the Barts from Charlotte and he is a doctor, and Frances good luck to me. Every time she showed up that one day I hit birdie or eagle; then she came around with my hole-in-one. I was disappointed that she wasn't here today. So I was teasing Kathy Stockton last night about I am going to need to call Frances and get a line, so I am superstitious for sure.

JAY SIGEL: No. Dave was real positive. He said -- I tell you what he did say which was kind of funny. He said, "You know, on your way to Hawaii, why don't you come and stay with me?" I said, "What? What is in Hawaii?" He said, "The Tournament of Champions." I said, "get the heck out of here." But I said I will think about it - (Laughter) - which is nice, you know, it is real positive.

JAY SIGEL: No regrets at all, no. No. You know, if I had turned pro - and I have said this a million times - I could have failed - a lot of guys do. It is a hard game. Instead, I got the opportunity to get married; get into a business; have children, pretty much a normal life, and then when you add to that all of the amateur victories, losses, experiences, Walker Cup, Captaincy, and The Masters' participation and the U.S. Open and all that, I mean, I wouldn't change that for any amount of money in the whole wide world.

JAY SIGEL: I don't know. Ask me that question again.

JAY SIGEL: No, I didn't -- that is a really good question. You know, it is absolutely amazing to get paid for something that you have done as a hobby all your life and had so much fun at. And, still have fun at. And, I still approach it the same way. So are you saying does that make up for not having played earlier? No, I mean, no, I don't think so because I wouldn't trade my experiences for anything. So, I don't need to have anything to make up. I mean, if it was a million dollars, it still wouldn't -- it still wouldn't -- I mean, I don't -- what I have had, I mean, no one has experienced that I know of, for that period of time, and had a business and family and I mean, I was -- I am a very, very lucky person, very lucky to have played all those Walker Cup matches and met all those people and travelled so many places - very, very fortunate.

JAY SIGEL: When I got to be 50?

JAY SIGEL: I had a hand injury in college and I just didn't think it would ever be strong enough. And it really wasn't for a number of years, I mean, it was until the mid-'70s that I started to play well nationally. I played okay on the state level.

JAY SIGEL: That is a good question. I don't know. I really haven't thought about, you know, what it means. Nothing compares to a U.S. Amateur victory, but at the time of my life U.S. Amateur victories were critical. Then when I came on the Tour, that victory was, you know, in the timeframe, was very, very, very important. You know, I don't like to compare one to another. And, it is pretty difficult to do that.

JAY SIGEL: Well, generally it is a long season. And, I think everybody was a little bit on edge this week. You know, the caddies are looking for a break. The players are looking for a break. I couldn't wait 'til this week was over. Fortunately, it is my favorite golf course. But I am still -- you know, so I was on edge. I mean, cranky for the last week or so. I hadn't been sleeping well because I probably was too tired. As the tournament gets started, I could see the tournament was going to be over soon, so I started to relax a little bit more. You follow what I am saying? I think everybody was a bit edgy. I think it is just so much travel and so many shots and there -- quite frankly, there were a lot of things on the line for me, you know, playing well in front of my peers, yearend statistics, bonuses, and those kinds of things. So, it was a special week.

JAY SIGEL: Well, my wife, who is very astute and puts me in my place quite often, she said, look, you have had a great year; don't you know, it is not -- it is no big deal, so I was -- that was really the way I started the tournament out. I have had a good year. Sure, I have had a lot of close calls, but, you know, all and all, I have made improvements in my game. I have become a better player. And I am looking forward to becoming even a better player, so..... Did I answer your question?

JAY SIGEL: I think from, probably, 50 yards in. I think I am a good putter. I am not a great putter, but as Mike Hill said last night, "God doesn't give you everything." You know, I drive it pretty straight and fairly far and I hit a lot of greens, so you can't -- you know, you can't have everything all the time, so... I am not suggesting that I would or have or could, but just what he was saying.

JAY SIGEL: No. No, Tommy. You know, chip it in on 12 and I got to get it over the water on 13, you know, that is a famous hole. So, you know, I hit probably one of the best fairway wood shots that I hit all week. I played that 13th with a 4-wood so that if I cut it, I can't reach the water and I tried. I hit a big old slice up there and then hit a 3-wood out of the fairway. So, very conservatively. But, no, I -- it is kind of difficult to play with a 5-shot lead, or whatever it was. I kept shooting at the pins. I mean, I wasn't -- you know, 10, I hit it right at the flag. 11, hit it right at the flag. 12, I played safe. But, 13, I hit at the flag. 14, I hit it at the flag. 15, I hit a pretty good shot. 16, I just hit a few feet too far, otherwise, it comes right back down the hill to the hole. 17, I played safe. And, 18, I hit it at the hole. So you can't back off. These guys can play and you don't know what is going to happen.

JAY SIGEL: The shot on 12 was obviously important. It wasn't a very easy shot, in that I had probably as much green as I had fairway and as I told my caddy at the time, the safe shot would have been to run it up there and get it up six feet, five feet. But, I said to him that is giving a half a shot away. If you play the wedge, if you play the shot properly, you are going to knock it up there, two, three, four feet - which is what happened. I am more of a chip-and-run, in other words, rather than a pitcher. Of course, getting the ball on the ground is safer from some of these sandy lies that you get. So, that was critical.

JAY SIGEL: (Laughter) Yeah, what about it? Can we go play tomorrow? I have no idea. You know, it is a question of liking the area. Of liking the golf course. Of knowing a lot of people. Of having people root for you. I mean, you just feel comfortable here. I think that is the whole deal.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, I think Philly was a question of my just runnin out of gas. It wasn't a question of, you know, I look back, did I take the pipe or did somebody beat me, or just wasn't in it? No. Good question. But, no, I don't think that -- I think that was a question I got so tired of trying to show people I can walk up and down those hills which wasn't real smart.

JAY SIGEL: Well, not really. But, you know, I can tell you, my caddie told me to get in the cart a couple of times. So, maybe he knew. You try to maintain your system just right. You don't want to eat too much. You want to have enough water in you, but not too much. You want to have just enough food, not too much. I was just on the edge of wanting to eat some more and I had a couple of bananas and was getting a little tired, cool weather helped, the adrenaline helped, but so maybe you are right. Maybe he observed it. But I wasn't losing any distance and my shots didn't reflect being tired, so maybe he thought I might have been, so... I think I rode two holes or something - tee shot, just the tee shots.

JAY SIGEL: Not really. You know, I hit a pretty good shot at 13; just missed a birdie and 14, I hit a really good shot under the conditions. The wind came up. Unfortunately, I made a bogey but I hit a good shot. I mean, all you can do is hit a good shot. And, there are times you are going to make bogeys and times you are going to make birdies. So, I mean, was it a stupid shot? Was it a bad shot - those kinds of things. And, then, you know, 15, I was pleased with my shot -- no, I stuck to my game plan. I wasn't going to try to knock it on in two on 15, with a lead, bring the water in play. You know, 16, I played conservatively. 17, conservatively. I was playing the golf course really.

JAY SIGEL: What office? I mean -- (Laughter) Well, we had planned -- I don't even know what time it is. We have a 6 o'clock flight, which I don't think we are going to make; which is just fine. We will go home tomorrow. I will probably go into the office Tuesday.

JAY SIGEL: Jerry, great question. No, it is tough. You know, I knew it was tough. I didn't know it was as tough as it might have been. But, really an awful lot of good players and there is no shortage of them. You know, I'd like to talk to them, you know, if they'd like to call me. I think that -- I mean, it is a great opportunity out here, for sure, and, you know, what game can you turn pro when your 50 and earn a living at it? I do not know of any other game, so, it is -- it is a risky situation.

JAY SIGEL: Well, if I play 32 or 33 weeks a year, I need something to do the other time, so I am -- I look forward to people in my office dealing with them and so I am involved.

JAY SIGEL: Made a few calls this week, yeah. Yeah. I think it is good for my mind. I mean, I did it as an amateur, in other words, I could play golf and if the golf was driving me crazy, I could put that down and really spend a lot more time in my business. If my business got really good, or if it got to me, I can go back to -- back and spend a lot more time with my golf. So, I have got some really good people and I enjoy being with them and I think it is good for me.

JAY SIGEL: No. I will probably do something three or four days a week, three days a week.

JAY SIGEL: For Player-of-the-Year?

JAY SIGEL: Gosh. I don't really know. Who do you think?

JAY SIGEL: Who had five wins?

JAY SIGEL: You know, yeah, exactly, and he had -- certainly had a gutty performance here. He starts out, what, three or four behind, and he finishes strong, so -- and you know, as I say, everybody is tired, so you know -- Dave is tired. Look at him. (Laughter) Right, Dave, I am sorry, did I wake you? (laughs)

JAY SIGEL: Well, I think you have got -- he got the money title. He has got more wins, you know, I think that is pretty good.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah. I think -- I think it is pretty good. I mean, I have to look at my ballot before I'd comment on it.

JAY SIGEL: Well, I turned pro because I wanted to challenge myself a little bit more. I saw an opportunity, so that was the reason. Then didn't know what to expect. Saw that I had a victory. Saw that I could win. Played pretty well. Realized that, you know, the hole was the same size. It is no different. The courses are, you know, no different than what I am used to. So, I try not to get my expectations too high. I think that is a problem. I went through a period of time where I -- and I have had it this year -- you know, I have said to my caddie, "I am sick and tired of playing well without any results" and, you know, he says "will you be patient, just be patient, be patient." And, so..... I don't know if I answered your question. Expectations can really knock you down if you are not careful. My expectations this week were to get it in the fairway; get it on the green, one at a time, and that generally adds up to pretty good results.

JAY SIGEL: Thanks, guys.