MARCONI PENNSYLVANIA CLASSIC

September 19, 2001

Curtis Strange

CURTIS STRANGE: That's a lot of weight. Everybody is 100% behind the postponement. I think it's been a very wise, appropriate decision, and especially after having a day and a half now to think about it and talk about it and explain it to everyone, what little I can explain, I think the more I get to think about it, how right it was to do what is appropriate with what's happened in D.C. and New York. As far as all of the players, that's really it. Once again, as I saw some of you yesterday, it was not a decision from the players or me. It was a decision by the PGA of America to do what was right and appropriate. Security was an issue, but just a concern. It was not a large part of the decision, but it was a part of the decision. Most of it was just to do what you think is right, and I think they did that.

CURTIS STRANGE: My life will be the same no matter what. I guess -- I don't know. I can't really answer your question, but I guess it's not going to be as time consuming as it's been because everything is in place. I think, you know, for probably the next eight months, I go about my business, and then as we get closer to the Ryder Cup, I will bear down again for logistics and travel arrangements and getting with players again and things -- whatever might come up. Basically, just kind of getting the players together. But I can't imagine doing anything for the next -- I'm done. I'm not changing anything. As I said to some of you yesterday, it's the same clothes, same bag, same everything, same number on the hats and bags, 2001. It's always going to be that. It means a lot to me that it's not going to be 2002. Don't want to forget why we are moving it to the year 2002. So everything is in place.

CURTIS STRANGE: That's always part of the equation to start with. Somebody could be injured after the team is put together, after the PGA, and then can't travel. No, we're not going to do that. If somebody does get injured where they can't play -- I guess you all know -- if it's one of the ten players who qualify, it immediately goes to No. 11, if it's two, it goes to 12 and so on. If it's one of the picks, I can pick the next guy. So that's how that works. But I don't anticipate -- you know, you never know what's going to happen as far as injury or illness. I guess you're always concerned about how they are going to be playing but that happens on both sides of the Atlantic. That's something I haven't even thought about yet. If that happens, somebody's not playing, they are a member of the 2001 Ryder Cup team and they are going to play a year later. That's just the way it's going to be.

CURTIS STRANGE: No. I wasn't privy to that information. That was between the PGA of America and the European Tour and the PGA over there. I guess what you say, it's common sense. Yeah, it's right. Everything was going to be beefed up. But you have to remember that this disaster last Tuesday happened in the U.S., so we have to start our travels in the U.S., so security was a concern from the time you leave your house, or the time you get to D.C. if we were going to continue to have dinner with the President, which I don't know if that would have happened or not. But it's been proven that can happen anywhere in the world.

CURTIS STRANGE: I've got to tell you what happened to me yesterday. As I was driving cross-country last week and as I was driving over here the other day and listening to talk radio and all of the guys on the radio about how we must move on, we've got to play games, we've got to go back to work, and not just sports. I don't know if I ever bought into that idea. I kind of liked everybody sitting back for the weekend. And then I got thinking, I'm out here yesterday just for that very reason, to get away from home, get out and see my guys -- my guys; my friends. To get off the phone. So I guess I bought into it and I want to get caring on get on with my life what I do for a living and I think you see that with the guys out here. You know, it's a terrible, terrible thing that happened, but, you know, unfortunately, life does move on. It has to. And with that, when you talk about the Ryder Cup over this last week, you feel very selfish in a way that you're talking about really an insignificant event compared to what happened on Tuesday. But you have to discuss you know, what you're going to do. You have to discuss the procedure of what's going to happen. So life does go on, yeah.

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, guys are all professionals. They will get back to work and they will play, yeah. I come in here a little bit differently, because I had not planned on playing for another couple of weeks so I have not done a whole lot of practicing or anything. I'm up here I think in support of the tournament to start with. I'm up here to get away from home, like I said. I told Sarah, I said last night on the phone, I said, "I still love you, Honey, but I'm glad to get the hell out of the house." Also, to just carry on. I mean, that's what the president has told all of America is that we should carry on. But each party, each individual should to do whether they think it's right, and so I just thought by coming up here and by a couple other Ryder Cup players playing, it shows that we are, you know, moving on.

CURTIS STRANGE: That's right, I am, yeah. I don't know, you just go play. We're never going to forget what happened. Nor should we. But just go play, you know.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, it's been up-and-down, the scale. I was asked that the other day. I had not really given it much thought until I was asked the question, and, yeah. I mean, the first day was an emotional day for one of the most exciting days of my life, and then in a matter of seconds, was a terrible disaster in itself, of Payne. And now this. I don't know, it's been all over. You know, the Ryder Cup captaincy, or being part of a team is supposed to be a wonderful experience, and it has been a wonderful experience, with a lot of kind of dark moments in there.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, if you didn't show up late, we already answered that question, Dougie. What's the President guy say? "I've already answered that one, thank you." Thanks. (Laughter.) I'm not going to do anything probably for -- everything is in place. My gosh, I think for the next, I would guess, eight months, I don't do much, other than, you know -- I don't see much of anything to do. Because, you know, through the public anticipation of the Ryder Cup won't get exciting until the end of the summer, and then through the media, it won't get much written about until the end of the summer, I guess, so there's not so much going on really.

CURTIS STRANGE: It has not yet to be decided. I just talked to Tim, and I don't think they have decided on when the points for the next Ryder Cup are going to start and if they are going to do a year and a half like they have been doing or a little under a year or go for the duration. I don't think they know yet. They don't know. That has not been decided yet. In fact, for the Presidents Cup, it has not been decided, either.

CURTIS STRANGE: We have not started points for the next Ryder Cup yet, so they can do anything they want. Presidents Cup is a different situation because they have started with Money List, so you can't take that away. So I personally think -- I mean -- this is my own opinion, but I've thought about it because I've been involved in all this, is that they should just carry on and each year continues to have more weight like they do ordinarily. The Ryder Cup, I don't know. I hate to see next year not mean anything, so hopefully, they will have something, some points, and then the next two years have normally what they would have. I'm of the -- well, I don't know what they are going to do, but I would like to see next year they get something.

CURTIS STRANGE: I'm of the they are that I every shot should count, and we have a dead time now from PGA to January 1 in the current year of the Ryder Cup. I'd like to see guys get a little bit of points during that period.

CURTIS STRANGE: I haven't yet but it's one of those things; it's kind of a personal thing. I'm not going to ask somebody I don't know. So far -- I heard a marshal the other day talking that he had -- who was it I was talking to? It was Dan Patrick. He has two brother-in-laws that are firemen working right in the city as we speak. Some marshal was talking about how he had somebody real close to him who was gone. I'm sure there's plenty of people. Gosh, I heard last night, there's still 5,000 unaccounted for.

CURTIS STRANGE: No. No.

CURTIS STRANGE: Who is here? Jim Furyk, Hoch, Verplank, sink -- I haven't seen Stewart yet. Calcavecchia I've seen. Azinger. I've seen everybody but Stewart, yeah, and just to speak, whatever.

CURTIS STRANGE: (Shakes head. )

CURTIS STRANGE: I think it's going to be a little different next year. Because I don't think you forget why you moved back a year. I mean, it's very simple. I think it's going to be a -- I think any time we hear the anthem or see the flag or see jets fly over, it's going to be hard not to be emotional for the next, you know, period of time. Especially when you come from the U.S. . I think next year will be a little different, yeah.

CURTIS STRANGE: I don't think at this particular time, that's the proper thing to be talking about, I really don't.

CURTIS STRANGE: I love this golf course. I always have. I've always enjoyed it. It's a harder golf course than it was before.

CURTIS STRANGE: I played in the westing house, one or two times -- two. Twice. A played with Arnold here a couple of times, but it's a good golf course. It always has been. Good golf course. Good shape. It's a good test.

CURTIS STRANGE: (Laughter.) Yeah, really. Hook him. Get him. I'm trying to think of something to say back to you, but I haven't.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah, a little bit.

CURTIS STRANGE: Now, I don't think that's right. I think the pressure of keeping your game solid is every day out here. You know, that doesn't bother me a bit. I think the anticipation and the excitement for me and through the media and through the players that are trying to make the team -- look at the PGA. It was great excitement because just about everybody was playing well and nobody knew what the hell I was going to do. So that will be lost. But that's the only thing that will be lost, because I think as the Ryder Cup gets closer, we'll get excited again. We really well. I really believe that. Especially for the first -timers, well be nice.

CURTIS STRANGE: "I'm on the team".

CURTIS STRANGE: Again, they are professionals and they have to go out there every day ready. So the 12 guys that there go over there, which are the team now, they will all -- who knows how they will be playing at the time, but they will you will all be prepared because they will have been working on their games, for the whole year.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, there was alternatives to play.

CURTIS STRANGE: Pushing them back?

CURTIS STRANGE: That was a decision for them, the two Tours and their scheduling and the PGA of America. The other alternative was to play the Presidents Cup next year and to keep it in the same years, play two back-to-back Ryder Cups in two back-to-back years. It could have been done. I mean, we are in the middle of just unbelievable -- just beyond belief circumstances here. So whatever they choose to do, it's going to be a little out of the ordinary. But you adapt and you move on. It's just what's going to have to be done. It will get back and so they decided to push it all back; I guess it's the best decision. I really haven't given it much thought, to be honest with you.

CURTIS STRANGE: I thought about that, and probably, no. I don't think since it's always been in odd years that it really added a whole lot to the atmosphere. (Laughter.) I'm serious. (Laughs).

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah, I'm serious.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I don't want to offend the people that live in some of the states that I drove through -- (Laughter.) -- the state trooper that pulled me in West Virginia was extremely nice.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah, he was really nice.

CURTIS STRANGE: No. 64. You think this was a tough drive? 15 minutes after Colorado Springs, I get on 70 and I stay on 70, until just outside of St. Louis and I get off at 64, three miles from my house. Couldn't get lost, no.

CURTIS STRANGE: I was not speeding. That's what I told him.

CURTIS STRANGE: He's got 12 of the nicest Pro V1s in the mail to him right now, I'll tell ya. (Laughter.)