DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

August 28, 2003

Jeff Sluman

JEFF SLUMAN: Obviously, as I have said before, would have preferred to have made it as a player, but I had a pretty horrendous summer. I certainly didn't deserve to be considered. I think I finished 14th or something on the standings, but I knew after the summer I had that I had played my way off of the team. And it was a very nice surprise that Jack called on Sunday night and he asked me if I would consider doing this and I got the call so late I didn't call him actually on Sunday night after the PGA. I called him on Monday and told him it would be a thrill for me and a real honor to be the assistant with Jack. He's the greatest player of all time and for somebody to think highly enough of you to ask you to help him out with this, it really is quite an honor for me.

JEFF SLUMAN: That would be a dream come true obviously, but the decision is up to the PGA of America . You honestly have to ask them if they (laughs) are even leaning or thinking that way and they probably won't tell you at this point anyways. But, oh, absolutely. I think that would be, Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup, to be involved and representing your country I think is a very special thing. It would be great.

JEFF SLUMAN: At Oak Hill it was probably obviously a little different atmosphere with being a major and that, and the history of the golf course, but any time you play in front of your home crowd which those guys, they have a little bit at the CVS, there's a lot of people out there, but it's a fun deal and not a lot of pressure. This week it will -- it really counts. They are going to want to play well, and I think obviously that they will. They are great players and there's going to be a ton of people pulling for them and that. But the hardest thing sometimes to do is focus on-the-job at hand; not, hey, how are you doing, what is going on, how are you doing, and not have 80 or 100 people asking you for tickets, stuff like that, so if they can put all those things aside once the gun goes off, I mean, they will do well. If they are worried about did my buddy get the parking ticket or he got it on Thursday and did he leave it at Will-Call for this other guy (laughs), those are things that can kind of wear on you as the week goes on. But I think they are going to handle it great and it is a wonderful experience to play in front of your home crowd, although I didn't play well in Rochester, it was an experience that I will remember and cherish the rest of my life because it was nothing but positive to hear all the people pulling for you and really genuinely excited that you are there.

JEFF SLUMAN: Well, did you go, I think we used to -- we played it a few different times of year. We went from -- didn't we go mid-September and then -- didn't it go in July? Right. They flipped it to the fall. So it was kind of a little different weather-wise, it can get extremely hot at Pleasant Valley, especially in July. But it was just a little more low-key then; as the Tour, in general, was a little bit more key back then, quite frankly. This is a major event; not that Pleasant Valley wasn't, but this is a major event, because we haven't been here in such a long time and there's been a lot of build-up for us and the people are anxious to see us. You can tell by the crowd usually on a Thursday or today, or a Wednesday, normally on Tour, when there's a lot of people out there for a Pro-Am you can tell that they are really into their golf and they really want to be out there and they probably haven't had golf around there in a while.

JEFF SLUMAN: Practice round was at least five hours, wasn't it -- pro Am round. It was my practice round too. I got in late last night. It was my daughter's first day of kindergarten, so I elected to stay for that and come in late.

JEFF SLUMAN: I didn't even know what I shot, honestly. I made a lot of birdies, but I mean, the golf course is pretty wide, pretty wide open fairways, but you really don't want to venture off on them. The rough is actually pretty thick out there. The greens have a lot of humps and bumps in them as most of Arnold's greens do, and Pro-Am-wise, usually they try and put the pins in the center of the greens and in their easiest spots, easiest positions so you don't get the full flavor of maybe where some of the pins are going to be. Kind of one of those things your first tournament around there, everybody is kind of -- kind of trying to learn the ropes from the players to the caddies to the Tour officials, you know, where they need to put the pins and tees, and stuff like that. So sometimes there's some key pin placements that are talked about after the first year that won't go on in the second year and on, but all and all, we're pretty good at trying to figure out a golf course right away. Just like any golf course, you have got to drive it good. That's apparent here that you can't hit it in the rough and there's a lot of bunkers out there, but the fairways are wide enough that you should be able to hit a lot of them.

JEFF SLUMAN: Well, I don't know for sure. I think after the last two weeks PGA was a punishing week and then Firestone was pretty hot. I think some guys are maybe taking a long weekend with Labor Day with their kids going back to school. Maybe they just wanted to spend one last long weekend with them before they went to school. But honestly, I haven't looked at the field or anything, but in general in the fall it is a little bit more that way, I think, -- not tough for attracting a great field but it is a little hit-and-miss. Guys say, I really like this place or this place and I am going to take a little time off. I am taking a few weeks off in September and going on a bike trip, and I think a lot of guys kind of do that. And then they -- in October, they start again getting working on their game to get in THE TOUR Championship and try and accomplish that. And take a little time off or go out to the silly season stuff.

JEFF SLUMAN: Well, I think my wife would say Vegas. (Laughs). My daughter would say Disney. (Laughs). You know, I play a lot anyway, so there's nothing that I really shy away from. I probably play too much at my age right now, but you know, I really like Vegas. I like going there, although, it is a five-day event and it is a little bit grueling and, that but it's such a fun time, there's lots to do. I personally always like to go there.

JEFF SLUMAN: There's always a lot of reasons for me personally, I mean, take it for how it soundS, I am a capitalist just like all you guys are; if I am in between playing one tournament and another, I am going to look at the purse first and foremost and say, well, if I play well there I am probably going to make more money than if I played well here. So I look at the purse and I look at the golf course, if I think it fits my game. From there, I am not too concerned about any of the other --

JEFF SLUMAN: I think guys like to have a nice hotel as close as they can to the golf course. Unless -- sounds a little weird -- they don't like to travel 30, 40, 50 minutes and that, but that's usually what guys try and do, is they will find out what the best place is close to the golf course and they all stay there. But I don't know. I look at the purse. I look at the field -- I don't look at the field, I mean, I look how the golf course sets up for me and I go from there.

JEFF SLUMAN: If I am in between usually feel like -- I like both of the golf courses, but then usually I will make the decision to play both of them or something. (Laughs).

JEFF SLUMAN: I try and shy away from them. There's a few that I don't play and they run great tournaments and raise tremendous amounts of charity dollars for the community, but I just, you know, if I can't play well there, there's no sense in going, if I don't feel like I can play well.

JEFF SLUMAN: Sometimes they do. But in general, I think you know, there's a big purse here and people haven't been up here in a while. I know some of the wives want to go up and see Boston and do what the wives do in Boston. I don't know what they do there, but I don't think -- yeah, I don't think they really wait on a scouting report, to tell you the truth. But it does get around. If things are, which they are here, I mean, from walking in the clubhouse to the food, all the services, and what they do for you, gets right around the locker room in the next couple of weeks, man, you missed this, this was great, they did this, da-da-da, da-da -da, food, I mean, just everybody kind of talks about it and if it a positive experience, you know, the field improves.

JEFF SLUMAN: Originally from what I understand this golf course was not intended to hold a golf tournament, but certainly it is very capable of 7400 yards. Jim, the club manager, I mean, saw me walking in, ran over, grabbed my bag and ran it down to the locker room, showed me where to register and where the food is because I was running a little late this morning, things like that, really, honestly, make a difference, and come to a TPC, I mean, all -- that's what is going to happen.

JEFF SLUMAN: She was very excited about it as she left she said, dad, I wish it was tomorrow already. She really wanted to stay in there and keep reading and learning.