PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 15, 2001

Curtis Strange

CURTIS STRANGE: It's long. I was probably the first guy to say that, too, right? It's long. I'm hitting about the same clubs, or the guys my length are probably hitting about the same clubs we hit into these greens in '81. The golf course is longer. It's wet out there. But I guess with the technology advancements that we've had in the last 20 years, it all evens out. I think No. 8 is extremely tough. I don't know, 270 carry over water off a tee shot would that be tough for y'all? It is for me. 18: Long. I just hope we don't see the leader have to lay up on Sunday. But it's a good golf course. It's a pretty golf course. It's very nice. It's in wonderful shape. I enjoyed it before. I enjoy it now. It's just a very, very hard golf course -- long golf course, I should say. It eliminates some of the players in the field. I think it eliminates some of the shorter hitters, who are very, very good. The guys who are average hitters have to be very much on their game if they think they are going to contend against some of the big hitters on this type of golf course. But we already know that. Soft greens help the average hitter, the shorter hitter, but they will firm up, I suspect, the next couple days. Supposed to get rain this weekend, so they will probably stay soft. Enough about that. I know what you want to talk about that. (Laughs). But it's good. It's a hell of a test, it really is.

CURTIS STRANGE: It hasn't changed, really, at all. It's still -- everybody is still on the list and I honestly can say that because somebody who is -- you wouldn't think would be in the picture right now could win this golf tournament. There's still a lot of points out there, and double points in a major. Somebody could jump from well back up. A lot of things could change, though. As much as I have to -- as much as I want to kind of really think hard and long about it, I'm trying not to, yet, because there's still a lot of changes that are going to happen. I mean, I certainly have my gut feelings, yes, don't get me wrong, but it can really change. And another reason it can change, there's guys back there playing well. You've got DiMarco who is playing very, very well. All of the guys from 11 -- I'm looking at the list. All of the guys from 11, you know, to 20 are playing well. And I only stop at 20 because I did. Everybody seems to be playing well. Sluman is playing very well. Verplank is playing solid golf. Mediate is playing well. All of them.

CURTIS STRANGE: I don't know. I've done a lot of -- we've televised a lot of his events, but I haven't talked to him too much about his game. He just doesn't look like he's really been into it completely like we've seen him in the past, and why, I don't know. That's just my own assessment, that's all. He seems probably a bit tired, but I think he's fine. It sounds like he's ready to go this week. I don't think we ought to be too quick to judge that he's in a major slump again or not doing real well. I think he'll pop out of it in a hurry.

CURTIS STRANGE: He has a problem like most good players do that. When they start hitting both right and left, they get on the inside coming down on the downswing. When that happens, you can go right or left. And he fights that -- because I've talked to him about that in the past, you know, a couple of years. But most good players have that. I also see that, when he practice swings, you know, after he hits a shot, he does all this stuff. That's what he's practicing is trying to get the club back on line. So you can tell what he's working on. Obviously, he didn't play great at Bighorn, but he didn't play great at the British Open, either.

CURTIS STRANGE: Possibly. If he misses, you certainly give him a lot of thought to being a pick. If he makes it, then it would -- if you in your own mind think that Tom Lehman would be a pick, then certainly it would open up two other options if he made the team. But that all depends on how you look at it. But possibly, yeah, to answer your question.

CURTIS STRANGE: It all depends on who it is. I've never been -- experience to me only means so much. I think going over there, possibly a little bit more, just because of the atmosphere that you are going to face, versus the atmosphere over here. But I was talking to Jay at length on the phone last week, Jay Haas, and we were both on the '83 team together, our first team, and we were talking about -- I would rather have a guy young whose ready to go, chomping at the bit, versus a guy who has been around for many years saying, "This is okay." I'm serious. So it depends on who it is, the personality, how they may mix in pairings. I'll think about all that more in depth this weekend as things really evolve in this tournament and I can get closer to think about who I might want as opposed to who is going to make and miss or whatever. I don't mean to be so vague in your question and everyone's, but there's still -- in my mind, there's still so much that can happen. I've tried to go through a lot of those scenarios just from my own well being. But whatever I go through and however I try to figure it out, it's probably going to be completely different. So I have a gut feeling on what's going to happen in most cases, but I just -- it's just hard for me to really etch in stone anything yet until the weekend comes and I can see who has made the cut, who passed the cut, how they are playing, if they are going to finish in the Top-10. You have to remember, they have to finish Top-10 to make a point. I just have to wait until Saturday and Sunday to really get down and think about this.

CURTIS STRANGE: I didn't watch. No, I did not watch and I don't know. I can't comment. No, I didn't watch. No, I don't know who was on either team, to be honest with you. I wish I did, but I was busy at home, practicing and playing every day, on Saturday and Sunday.

CURTIS STRANGE: Oh, you won. I don't know the score.

CURTIS STRANGE: I don't know, because I don't know who was on the teams. I don't know who was favored. I suspect maybe -- I don't know who was favored. Were you favored or were we favored?

CURTIS STRANGE: Okay, well -- I don't know what the score was.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, you whipped us good. (Laughter.)

CURTIS STRANGE: (Laughs). No, I have not. And it's been quite disappointing, too. (Laughter.) The guys have been -- I have to say, every one of the guys have been more than professional in this. I've been in this situation three times, and it is really tough, because you know that you have a job to do, and that's play golf. That's your profession; that's your livelihood. And on the other hand, you have a very important event that's coming up; that if you play or not dictates on how you play in those remaining events. So you have to keep your concentration on what's at hand and that's what I try to tell every one of these guys. Do your job on the golf course today and everything else will take care of itself. The Ryder Cup to me is like an award at the end of the year; it's a reward of good play over 18 or 20 months. Just do your best. And everybody has been great. I've talked to every one of them. I think that's part of my responsibility is to talk to them, let them know that I'm watching, but I won't say anything else to you because I don't want to put any undo pressure on you. I'll be watching. You know I'll have a tough pick, a tough decision Sunday night. Just remember that. And I've talked to every one of these guys and they completely understand. They appreciate me coming to them. There has been one -- no. (Laughs). But it's been fun. It's been great. I see the pressure on their faces. I was beside Scott Verplank on the practice tee a few minutes ago and I went up to say hello to David Toms. They were avoiding me a little bit. Just do what you normally do, but it's tough. It's a very awkward position for them to -- for some of them to be in and for me to be in, too, because I get along with all of them and they are good guys. And your first question was about the European Tour and their selection process. My opinion is worth zippo, but I think that for the sake of the Ryder Cup and for the sake of the matches is that they should -- hopefully they will revamp their entire system to where they have the 12 best players every Ryder Cup Matches in the future. Because as long as they have their best 12, they have their best 12. The Matches will be the best Matches we can possibly have. We never want anything said about somebody not on one of the teams. I expect maybe that might happen in the future. Maybe not this next time, but hopefully. You know, they have so many players coming over here and playing now, and you want them to have their best team.

CURTIS STRANGE: No, no, I wouldn't dare do that. You're insinuating that I'm going to have a free weekend. (Laughter.) Oh, okay. Nice guy. I'm really going to work my ass off for you. Personalities really have no bearing on this whatsoever. Strictly the best two players that I can find: Talent, heart, guts, all of the above. That said, come this weekend when I look at the Top-10 and where I think the cutoff is going to be, and I think it is solid the way it is now, then I think it might be on what could come into play on how they match up. Okay, I have four or five good best-ball teams; this guy might be a great alternate-shot player, so he might get an eye. Might be some of that. Certainly, I have to weigh that into the equation. But basically, the two best players I can find.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, he's up there. He's 19. He's certainly one of the guys that are being considered. He's played well this year. Hasn't played a lot this summer. I've talked to him. He's one of the guys I'm considering, yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: I did not mean to insinuate that at all. I think your team is coming together, with Langer making the team, pretty much winning. I say that because he's played so well on both sides of the Atlantic this whole year. That puts Sam in a -- possibly in a tough decision because of, you know, Jesper and Sergio. No, I didn't mean to insinuate that at all. I just meant for the good of the Matches in the future. It seems like more and more good players are coming to the U.S. and wanting to play over here full-time and that will make it tougher for them to make the European Team.

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I really think everybody will be very well behaved, like they have in the past, at The Belfry. Obviously, it will be a very partisan crowd, which it has been like in '85 and '89 when I played at The Belfry. I think it will be fine. I really do. That's something you more or less have to ask the PGA organizations, because I'm concerned inside the ropes and my players. Something has been brought up to both of the organizations, and I think they are looking at it very seriously.

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I have never seen those galleries not support the champion golfer of the year. They have always been fantastic coming up the last hole, the last number of holes. I've done five or six British Opens now, and played in a number, and I think it's wonderful. I mean, it's one of the -- I wish in my career I had had that opportunity at one time, to play well enough to come up the last couple groups of the Open Championship, if not winning, but near the lead. But I never played well enough to do that. It's got to be very exciting. And David showed a lot of warmth afterwards. I think his speech was very well thought out and very much from the heart. I think everybody realizes that David will represent the Open Championship the way they expected it to be represented. I think he's a good guy.

CURTIS STRANGE: Same guys you think are suited for this golf course. Tiger Woods, David Duval, Davis Love, Phil Mickelson. We haven't heard much from Ernie Els, but you certainly expect him to play well because he has the length and all of the talent in the world. The big hitters. It's very much a big hitters' golf course. There's plenty of rough out there. You'd better drive it straight. But strength and length on this golf course is such an advantage, very much an advantage.

CURTIS STRANGE: I can't speak for Tiger, but I think you can honestly say that you have to have some kind of letdown some time, don't you. When you've reached some almost impossible goal, and you do have a letdown, especially -- I don't care how old he is. I think being so young, he'll come back much faster. You almost have to. You know, it's tough to keep going and keep going and keep going time and time again. Once in awhile, you have to sit back and just take a deep breath. So maybe that's it. I don't know. I have seen a little bit of that in him at both the Open Championships, but he certainly didn't show that earlier in the year when he played so well. You know, it's like -- if we go back and look -- I don't know. I'm not a great historian as far as through the history of Nicklaus and Palmer and those guys. But the ones that truly dominated, I'm sure they had tremendous highs and tremendous lows where they did not play well for a stretch. You know, I think it's kind of humorous that, you know, Tiger -- it shows you how much we expect out of him, doesn't it, when he doesn't win three times playing or four times playing, that all of the sudden it's another slump. I think it's a back-handed compliment, really, because it's how much we do appreciate his game and how good he really is, and how much we expect out of him. But he's human like everybody else, and it goes to show you, there is some depth and the guys are not that far behind that if he does slip a little bit, he can be beat. Because in stretches during a short career already, it looks like he cannot be beat at times. It looks like he might be a little tired, beat up.

CURTIS STRANGE: You just said it wasn't a question. That wasn't your question. (Laughter.)

CURTIS STRANGE: Please.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I think it's fair to say that you certainly want to take advantage of your top players, and you want to -- you have your best player play most of the matches. (Smiles). I hope that didn't answer your question. (Laughter.)

CURTIS STRANGE: (Laughs.)

CURTIS STRANGE: If we didn't play this golf tournament this week, right now?

CURTIS STRANGE: Oh, yeah. (Laughter.) (Smiles.) Don't even try to follow-up with the next one. Certainly, I have to. I'm scratching too much on this, making too many marks by names. I will say this, too, and I've said this all along this two-year stretch. I don't think this one week will have that big an effect on it, either, unless there's great playing from somebody. I don't like to say to these eight or ten guys that I've been talking about that, hey, the PGA Championship is so important. You know, it's over a long haul. This is not one week of qualifying. I mean, it will have some type of an effect, but it won't have a huge effect.

CURTIS STRANGE: I listen to -- I've asked half -- I've asked some of the guys, yes. They watch as closely as I do. They might have played with one player more than I have recently or something like that, so I've asked, yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: I have not, from anybody. Honestly. But I have asked. I'd be crazy not to, because it's a wonderful resource out there.

CURTIS STRANGE: I've survived this guy right here. This week is tough, but I've been fine, I really have. I'm out all the time. I haven't played a whole lot, but I'm out with TV. I've seen the guys all the time and just talked to them, just about whatever. Sarah has been a huge help with all of this. I'm ready to go, though. I'm ready to get on the airplane and go play. You know, there's so much leading up to this for two years and eventually, Monday, I want to go play -- when I get my team Sunday night, I want to go play, and it will be -- we have a solid 12 individuals and I can start thinking about pairings and things like that and talk to the different players. See, right now, I don't have 12 players solid. But let's go play. We're ready to go.

CURTIS STRANGE: Good question. I don't think so at all. I've thought about -- yes, there is, I think a little more pressure on the Captain's pick to perform, to justify his selection. But I don't see anybody in here that is what you might call a questionable selection. I think any two guys I pick in this whole list are going to be fine. They are all playing reasonably well. They are all the same type of players. But I think just knowing what they are going to go through, knowing what they are going through right now, it's part of my job, making sure that they really feel like they belong once we get on the airplane to go over there.

CURTIS STRANGE: No, not really. I've thought about it, but I don't think so at all. I think just me making sure they feel like they belong because they have been selected and not actually made the team. Trying to -- and hopefully everybody understands this is a tough decision, but hopefully everybody will understand it without trying to justify my two picks Monday morning. The only people I'm going to justify it to or the people I hope to justify it to are the players themselves, because they are the ones that will either make the team or will be left out. '95 in Oak Hill, that didn't work out for me but that was nobody's fault but my own. That could happen to anybody on this team. That could happen to one of the two selections. Anybody that was on this team has to be ready for something like that.

CURTIS STRANGE: I can handle him.

CURTIS STRANGE: No, he just -- I've known Scott Hoch for a long, long time. I can handle Scott. I know, I've read his comments. They don't bother me one bit. He will be ready to go. Scott Hoch can play. Scott Hoch has a lot of intestinal fortitude. Scott Hoch is the kind of guy that you want on your team -- with a muzzle once in awhile. (Laughter.) He might be in the locker room listening to this. I hope so. (Laughter.) I understand what you're saying. He is not blase about the Ryder Cup. You read it, but he's fine.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I don't know what his -- how his matches turned out before the singles. He could have -- 1-1. Okay. I remember what happened there. I'm sure he's been dying to make another team since then. And not to make it right, but I think he just wants to do it again. I mean, I'm sure he enjoyed it. It's a wonderful week. You know, if you play this game long enough and if you play enough Ryder Cup Matches, you're going to do something like that. But you have to come back, and I think Mark Calcavecchia in the last couple years has shown a tremendous amount of, you know, heart, really, to come back from not playing him as well as we expected him to play some of those years. He's played really well. I'm glad he's on the team. He's an explosive player, the kind of guy you want on your team. He makes a lot of birdies in best ball. He's the kind of guy you can put with Tiger Woods. You can't put everybody with Tiger Woods and David Duval. There's matches that work and matches that don't work. But Calcavecchia is a guy that can go with most anybody because of his personality.

CURTIS STRANGE: To answer your questions, there are a bunch of veterans. The only guy I see is Stewart Cink that has not been on the Ryder Cup, but he's played on the Presidents Cup. That helps. It makes for my two picks, I think, easier. Easier in the respect that I don't have to look for -- I have a bunch of veterans. So it doesn't weigh heavily on me picking veteran versus rookie. It doesn't make a whole lot of difference. These guys can play. They are qualified. They can play. They have done this. They are all world-class players, even though it might be their first match. I'm tickled to death with the team the way it is shaping up.

CURTIS STRANGE: Was your question that I won't worry about taking a rookie?

CURTIS STRANGE: I don't know. Have to wait and see. Sorry.

CURTIS STRANGE: First of all, it's Captain's prerogative if he wants to do that. I was over at the Benson and Hedges, and they are going to play the same tee they always play, the left tee -- but if they will play up there everybody, will go for it if they so choose in the Matches. Sam said that. The officials said that. If they play back, everybody lays up. Because of the angle, you can't go from the back right tee so they will go up left and play it where it's a 240 carry or something like that, 235, 240, 250 carry. It's not oneupmanship or gamesmanship or whatever. But 10 and 18 are two wonderful match-play holes. I don't think it is going to play as tough as it has in the past because the guys hit it farther. So the dogleg will be easier to carry, but it's still a heck of a hole with a heck of a green.

CURTIS STRANGE: They have -- the issue has been brought up -- (laughter) -- and discussed, and they have been reminded that I am the Captain and that I make the final selections on who is playing with who. That's the truth. Write it. (Laughter.) No, they have. We discussed it. It just depend on how -- first of all, you've got to go back. It depends on who is the 12 players, and then I have to go back on if we are talking best fall or alternate-shot and how the rest of the team gets out on the field versus just two players. So if I have three other great teams out there or very solid teams, it could happen, but I'm not going to put them out there and have a weaker fourth team. It just depends on how you mix and match the team. I think it's part of the fun of it. It's the same thing that Sam is doing. You've got to get four of the best teams that you can get out there in the morning and afternoon and you cannot make one too strong or one too weak.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yes, sir.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yes, I do. I've thought about that. And the comment from them was, "We won't lose." I said, "You have before." (Laughter.) Anyway, all of those things are considered, yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: I think it's what makes the event so exciting for the viewers or for you guys and women, for those of us who are involved in that week to watch, because you know these guys are into it, for whatever reason. They are playing with a great deal of emotion, which normally you don't see in a player. They are playing for their flag, which is different. They are playing for a team, which is different. And they all know down deep inside if you don't perform, you know, people will scrutinize you, and possibly criticize you, rightly or wrongly. It could work either way. There's pressure in that. So every time they go to the golf course -- when I went to the golf course, it was: You've got to put your best foot forward and do the best you can, but you'd damn well better win. It's gotten to that size, yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: Oh, gosh, we've been around each other quite a bit. We were with each other a couple days after the British Open recently. We did the Shell match together. We were had dinner at the Benson and Hedges. Just quite a bit. We've spoken on the phone three or four times. You know, you have to. There's certain things that have to be done, certain decisions that have to be made. We have to speak. This is a team effort, to some degree, because we're trying to put on the best matches for everyone.

CURTIS STRANGE: It's going to be a cocktail party. That's been a little bit, I guess, exaggerated in the papers, but it's going to be a cocktail party, hors d'oeuvres, for however long anybody wants to stay.

CURTIS STRANGE: Executive parties. Official parties and the players. Just so you know, something else we've decided to do that I think is wonderful is that we are going to -- no practice putting, at all, during the matches, to speed up play for everyone, spectators, TV especially, the officials, everyone. It's just something Sam and I decided that would be in the best interests of the matches.

CURTIS STRANGE: Same, yes, throughout the whole matches.

CURTIS STRANGE: Every one.

CURTIS STRANGE: I haven't thought much about that yet, but I will. Everybody I have talked to, I will call, and I think that's part of my responsibility, and I think I owe it to the players. It will be short and to the point. I tell the story, Watson, when he called me and I don't remember -- I guess it was '93. He called me, and knowing Tom: "Tom?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "You're out." (Laughter.) "Okay. So how is everything else going"? You know, I appreciate it. It was good. There was no beating around the bush because that's what I wanted to know right when I picked up the phone because I knew who it was. It might not be quite like that, but there will be tough phone calls to make.

CURTIS STRANGE: I've never done this before, so I'm not quite sure how I'm going to do it. I think it depends on how everyone -- it depends on everything, the whole atmosphere of what's going on, the practice rounds, the dinners, the trip over, the whole team atmosphere. Once again, I think it's a wonderful resource, the 12 best players in the world. If I don't ask a few of them their opinion, I think I would be missing out on something. It's tough to ask everybody everything, because everybody has an opinion. But I will certainly use the resources I have.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I haven't heard anything about a dance band.

CURTIS STRANGE: I might have to make my fifth phone call to Sam. (Laughter.) I haven't heard that.

CURTIS STRANGE: Y'all will be happy with what we wear. You will be -- we will represent everyone back home very nicely.

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I'm not quite sure what you're asking, but I'm confident at everything. Everything's been so planned out from the PGA of America to The Belfry people to Sarah, and I was talking to Suzanne and Sam, and I don't see one hitch at all in the entire week. And with that, everything is just perfectly in place. You know, as far as the captaincy itself, you know, you do the best you can and you make the best decisions you make at the time, and hopefully, your players go out there and make you look good. So I feel very confident in everything that's happened so far, and I see nothing but a great week for both teams. It is a big event now, but it's a wonderful event for 24 of the best players in the world. It's a special week. And you've all heard this, but it can never be overexpressed how much fun it really. I mean, it's hard play and the guys want to win, but it's something so different than from we do every day of our life, it means so much to a lot of people. Ordinarily when you play, it means something to you and your family and that's it. It means a lot to a lot of people back home on both sides of the Atlantic, and that in itself is a lot of pressure, but that is part of the fun, too.

CURTIS STRANGE: Between Sunday and Monday?

CURTIS STRANGE: Oh, I'll see them. We do a TV event in St. Louis. I'll be in touch with all of them. I'll be in contact with all of them.

CURTIS STRANGE: Foursomes is two guys that can make birdies. In foursomes, I mean, your gut instinct is two guys who can put it in the fairway, both off the tee, and both have similar type of games, but you have to put it in the fairway. But that's not to say that two big hitters who do miss, obviously, will miss for fairways can play wonderful alternate-shot, too. It's gotten to where there is pretty good scores shot in that, as well. Just mixing and matching. I've got to wait and see but that's pretty much what it is. Alternate-shot is: Put it in the fairway, find it and hit it on the green. And best-ball is: Just let her go. If you can let yourself do that -- it's easier said than done. You say in the practice round: You shoot low scores in the practice round when you play practice rounds on Tuesday, but it's harder to let yourself go at the Ryder Cup than at the PGA Championship for five bucks or whatever. It's a different animal all together. If you can just let yourself go and play, free-wheel, you'll be all right.

CURTIS STRANGE: You're getting a little deep for me. Y'all can probably -- and my wife and friends and anybody who knows me can probably answer that a whole lot better than I can, because I'm the guy looking out, and y'all see me from the outside looking in. But I would guess I can be emotional. I am emotional about certain things. On the golf course, I'm good with dealing with emotion. You know, it depends on what you're talking about. If you're talking about your golf game or you're talking about your family or you're talking about whatever it might be.

CURTIS STRANGE: Good with dealing with emotion. I have to. I have to be. I have to set the example for the entire week. I have to be extremely positive, upbeat, confident the entire week because there's such emotional swings in the Ryder Cup. And we've seen -- we've seen entire matches swing the other way with one shot. I remember just like it was yesterday at The Belfry back in -- I believe it was '85, but it can happen. So you have to stay up, positive, and it starts with me.

CURTIS STRANGE: I think it was '85. Stadler missed a short putt at 18 before lunch and everything swung. I don't mean to bring up his name, but I think it did. I think I was playing with him, but I'm not sure I was. They went to lunch, upbeat. We went to lunch down and they pummeled us after that. They -- y'all did.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, it's so different. As a Captain's pick, I felt pressure to perform, to uphold my end of the bargain. But on the golf course, you feel like you're in control because that's what I do for a living. As a captain, I don't feel there's pressure to perform. There's pressure to -- there's more responsibility, you know, to lead this team and to have everything perfect for the 12 players that week, and organize and prepare for the entire week. There's been a lot of legwork. It's unbelievable. It's very generous of PGA of America to give me all the responsibility, but it's also a lot of work to be done. So every time -- I think every team has the captain's personality somewhere stamped in it. Would you say that's --

CURTIS STRANGE: Answer my question though. (Laughter.) I think it's more responsibility, that's all. I think it's pressure to me to go over there and have the team play well, but I have no control over that if they play well or not. They have to do their thing on the golf course. I have to make it to where they can hopefully bring out the best in their game. Bring out the whip or whatever. (Laughter.) Thanks.