ENERGIZER SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 7, 1997

Gil Morgan

GIL MORGAN: Let me get my cheat sheet out here.

GIL MORGAN: General, okay, I felt like the day was a little bit - I don't know - might have been a little bit cooler obviously than yesterday from a temperature standpoint. I guess early it was about the same, but it warmed up yesterday a little bit in the afternoon. Today it was pretty overcast and stayed kind of cool. Some of the holes seemed a little bit different today, but overall, I guess the golf course was similar to what it was yesterday in most respects. For me, I got off to a little better start. Yesterday I got off to kind of a little shaky start. Today I made a few birdies. I made three in a row on the front and then I couldn't really capitalize it much and past that on the backside, it was kind of in and out and made one bogey at -- what was it, 14?

GIL MORGAN: So, and then I had a pretty good opportunity at the last hole, but I couldn't seem to make that one. It was too tricky for me, I guess.

GIL MORGAN: No. 3. Third hole, I hit a driver and a 7-iron to about within about 10 or 11 feet, I guess and made that. Next hole is a par 5. I hit driver over the bunker a little bit and then hit a 4-wood in there about, oh, over 25 feet, maybe, 20 feet, and knocked it about 4 and a half, five feet by; made it coming back for birdie. And, then 9 par 3, I hit a 5-iron in there about eight feet, I guess, and made that. At what was it -- 12, the par 3, hit 4-iron about maybe 18 feet; made that. Then the par 5, I hit 3-wood, 4-wood, pitching wedge to about four feet and made that. And then the bogey I, hit driver to the right, kind of sitting a little funny. It was sitting in between kind of some -- looked like some long grass, I guess, I don't know what happened, looked like maybe it caught the edge of my -- toe of the club caught the edge of the grass. It kind of squirted off the right and buried in the lip of the bunker there. I took a little 8-iron and since it was plugged in the lip, I didn't know exactly how hard to hit it. But, I swung at it pretty hard and it came out. But, I missed the putt from about probably 15 feet, maybe. And then the par 5, I hit driver, 3-wood just off the right edge and chipped it within about a foot, made that. And then at 16 I hit 4-wood, 9-iron about, oh, about 18 feet, I guess, 15, 18 feet, made that. And then at 17 I hit 6-iron, bad shot, hit it way on the right side; putted it by about ten feet; made it coming back for par. On the last hole I hit 3-wood, 8-iron about seven or eight feet from the hole and missed that.

GIL MORGAN: Am I playing better?

GIL MORGAN: I don't know. I think I am playing about the same overall. Golf course is a little bigger. A lot -- quite a few more shots, you know, longer-type shots, so, at the par 3s and some of the par 4s you have -- Wilshire it was a little bit shorter overall. Most of the time, I guess -- I would say you have to drive it a little bit more here. It is not quite as tight as Wilshire, I don't think, overall, but the shots into the green and the greens are little bigger. Basically I am playing about the same, I think.

GIL MORGAN: Pumping iron for about, I don't know how long -- no, not really. I have just made a little bit of both ball and driver equipment type changes and that is about it.

GIL MORGAN: I don't know, you must know more than I do. You seem to know at least, anyway. I don't know. That is the only thing I have done. I am swinging at it about three times as hard, but other than that -- that is the only thing I have done.

GIL MORGAN: Well, I don't think -- I think I score better today than I did back then. I don't know whether -- I don't think I am a better player overall as far as my ball-striking ability. I do have some attributes right now that my putting is better right now than it has been in my whole. Career, and I, right now I am able to drive the ball further, so those two things combined has enhanced my scoring ability, I think. As far as shot-making, I don't think I am as good as I was overall.

GIL MORGAN: Sure. You can kind of feel it out there today a little bit. But, you know -- I mean, I think we always do that. I mean, no matter whether it is Hale or someone else, you are going down through there and one guy is making a birdie one hole and/or the same hole, and you know, like a couple of times we made birdies on the same holes, it seemed like, and one of us would have a short one and one of us have a long one. You are probably trying a little bit harder.

GIL MORGAN: Grand Rapids.

GIL MORGAN: I think he is a long driver of the ball and so when I played with him in Grand Rapids, he drove the ball a long ways. I remember that. And, he played really well coming down the stretch, made some putts, I don't know exactly -- hadn't played with him, but maybe once or maybe twice - I can't remember now for sure - but the day I played with him, he played very well. And, it wasn't until I made a birdie at 17 up there where there was -- where I got -- where I was, you know, ahead enough. He was ahead. Then I was ahead. Then, you know, seemed like as it went along and then I -- I don't know, I made a birdie and he made a bogey. And, then later in the round, he made a birdie and I made a bogey. So, it was a couple two-shot swings couple times. And then, he made a par-saving putt at 17, I remember from about outside of me, and then I made a birdie on just inside of him. And, then we went the last hole and both made par, but it was a little suspect. I didn't play that hole well.

GIL MORGAN: I would think that might be a factor, yeah. In fact, my caddie and I talked about that today and I am sure the fact that David won The TOUR Championship, I am sure he is thinking about maybe winning the SENIOR TOUR Championship show that will be a father-and-son-duo type of win/win situation. Don't you think?

GIL MORGAN: Okay. At least we are on the right track.

GIL MORGAN: (laughs) Is that the deal? Well, I guess you could. As long as you keep it in the family, I guess, four in a row will work.

GIL MORGAN: Thank very much.