BAY HILL INVITATIONAL

March 14, 2001

Curtis Strange

CURTIS STRANGE: This is actually the second of our press conferences for the Ryder Cup. I'm looking at the list, first time after Honda like you are. I don't know, nothing new since I talked to you last. We've just been kind of preparing, organizing things. So far, so good. There's nothing really to tell right now, if you have any other questions. You know, Sarah and I are just plugging along, doing what needs to be done at the time that it can be done. It's just a long process. It really is. It's a lot more than I ever anticipated, but it's been fun, too. It's certainly an eye-opener. It's an eye-opener just from a lot of aspects. Just putting on a tournament like this, my gosh, we as players and press show up. Everything is great, we have a wonderful facility and food and things like that, but there's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. I, for once, I'm involved in all that work. It really is an eye-opener for everyone. These things just don't all pop up overnight and tournaments are not just on by a couple of people doing a bit of work. Makes me appreciate that. With that said, I'm looking the European Ryder Cup standings. As I said at the Hope, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference right now -- I don't mean that. It makes a difference. It just is not much for me to look like on either sides of the ocean, simply because it will change so much in the next months to come. You know, with us double points and with the European team changing every day or every week, it's -- you know, I really won't take a serious look at the actual standings, I guess, until mid-summer on. I take a serious look at it every week, don't get me wrong, but there's nothing I can do because the list will change so much. I tell you the one thing I have started looking at. What did we anticipate, six and a quarter, something around that area? Over 600 points. So there are only two guys now when I look I would actually call a lock by those standards. And as far as the European team, I don't know what their projection is for that. Do you all have a projection on the money that it would take to make the team? 3 1/2 Euro. You can go right off the list. With that said, there's not much going on. Just preparing. That's it.

CURTIS STRANGE: I did. I played it the week before. It's been done one or two other times. I think Freddie played over there beforehand one time. Don't quote me on that -- I believe. That's fine. I actually think it is advantageous, just from the standpoint of jet lag and things like that. These guys will be fine come Friday morning. Playing with jet lag they are used to, and then just traveling, but it doesn't -- you know, it happens. It's golf around the world and it's business.

CURTIS STRANGE: It's all up to them. I don't think others will. Strictly, there's probably no money left. (Laughter.) I think it's the truth, I'm sorry.

CURTIS STRANGE: Unless we go really deep in the perfume business. So to answer your question, he's probably the only one going. But if Calcavecchia shows up and goes, hey, I'm just making it ready for when I'm there.

CURTIS STRANGE: I'm not. It's something you think about just for a few minutes. Logistically it is a nightmare. These guys are busy. I'm not going to ask for anything like that. Davis, and -- was Calcavecchia on the'93 team? I knew '89, but -- it's Davis that he played on the '93 team, who will probably be on the team. But anyway, The Belfry is a nice golf course. Straightforward. No tricks. You know, three days of practice is more than enough for the guys to get ready, to answer your question. I'm going to go over and play in the Benson and Hedges during Dallas. I just think somewhere during the week it might help that I know the golf course. It's been a long time since I played, I just think, somewhere during the week, it might help.

CURTIS STRANGE: Your question was: What's been the most difficult thing, what's been the most time-consuming. It depends what I'm doing at the time. This week, I'm playing; so it's playing. Last week on at home we were on the phone quite a bit; so it was more Ryder Cup preparations. You know, we get the stretch in the summer where ABC has six or seven or eight weeks in a row; so I'll be busy then. You know, I'm trying to take it, trying to budget my time so whenever I'm doing whatever I'm doing at that time, I'm giving it 100%. You know, my play, I'm trying to play -- I'm not playing very well, but I'm trying to give it some good effort. You know, I try not to think about it this week playing, but I do. It's human nature. I think good guys I see out there. Just things, whatever it might be. You think about the Ryder Cup. It's a big, big part of my life right now. It's probably -- I don't know, I hate to put one in front of the other because I still want to play, and certainly, ABC is certainly very important to me. I'm busy.

CURTIS STRANGE: No.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: He's close.

CURTIS STRANGE: When was the last time he was in Ryder Cup?

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, he's a professional and he is -- I don't care if it's Ryder Cup or losing a golf tournament or major championship or Bay Hill or whatever it might be. You know, you hopefully learn from those situations and those circumstances. You know, what he learned -- people ask me a lot: What do you learn about this or that. The only thing I learn when I blew a tournament is that it hurt a lot and I didn't want it to happen again, and I would prepare even harder for that. I know what you're getting at. I think he has plenty of Ryder Cup experience and he would be a wonderful addition to the team. First of all and foremost, he's playing so well.

CURTIS STRANGE: It was tongue-in-cheek fun.

CURTIS STRANGE: We played in a couple practice rounds at the PGA Championship last year, and certainly we were talking a lot about it, as I have with Lanny and Watson and will talk with Nicklaus. Just different guys. It wouldn't be smart for me not to because there's so much resource for me to talk to about anything about the Ryder Cup. Remember, I have to -- I have pressure on me, to not only prepare for these 12 players for -- to have a memorable week for themselves, but to hold up the standards that all of these other captains have put before me. So I want to do a good job. Anyway, we were playing a practice round, Tom Kite and I, and he was telling me all of these percentages of: If a player doesn't play the first two day, the percentages of chance we would lose on Sunday, as happened at Brookline; the percentages if you play one day and the percentages if you played every match, you would be tired. And he finally was going through all of this stuff and he said, "Do you want me to fax this all to you?" I said, "No, don't waste my fax paper." I said: That's the way you play golf. You play very methodical and got into it, 60-degree wedges and all that stuff and I didn't. It was actually -- we had kind of a good laugh about it. But, hey, anything he said is going right in here (pointing to head). I'm listening.

CURTIS STRANGE: No, don't affect me at all. I'm all feel. I'm going to go on how they are playing that week not the percentages. There's a couple guys on my team that have a real good, good chance of playing all five matches. So I don't give a hoot or a rat's ass what the percentages are.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, raw talent, it comes in a lot of different shapes and forms. But what I mean is basically talent itself, the best two players I can find. What makes up talent? Game, obviously. Personality, a little bit, because we're going into a venue that will have a lot of people rooting against us, or not for us. Heart, because they are tough matches and you'd better have, you know, some intestinal fortitude to win tough, tough, right, tight matches. You know, all of the above makes a player a good player. So one week in an almost two-year qualifying period is not going to make or break a player for me if he doesn't play well or great in the PGA. That's my philosophy going in. Now, you know, it could affect it. I don't know. Again, I've never done this before that's what I mean is that, you know, it's going to be all of the above. I'm going to pick the two best players that I can find. Now, who are they going to be? I have to wait and see. I have no idea. You know, doesn't matter a whole lot to me if it's a rookie versus an established star. Experience will play a little bit part of it, but not a huge part of it, I don't think. But again, you've done this before. I haven't, I don't know. (Laughs).

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I haven't talked to him about that. I've talked to him a couple other times. I haven't talked to him in probably a couple of months. I haven't talked to him about that. I've seen his quotes in the paper about when they were thinking about, you know, some guys were talking about more than two picks, and he went just for the two picks. So, you know, that's their -- that's his job over there and I've got my hands full over here. He could be in a predicament.

CURTIS STRANGE: I can't answer that. Because, hypothetical, I've never been involved in something like that. I want them to have the best team they could possibly have and I want us to have the best possible team we can have, because that would make for the best possible matches and the most exciting and that's -- that's what I want, as a captain; and I think as a fan and a viewer, too. You know, sitting back and watching on it TV.

CURTIS STRANGE: Who has the bad feelings? The players or the public or who?

CURTIS STRANGE: You think?

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I think all we can so -- Sam and I have talked a lot about, you know, respect and etiquette for each other as players. But I have to tend to disagree with you a little bit. I don't think spontaneous emotion, which happened on the 17th green, if that's, in fact, what you're talking about, is a wonderful thing. Now, did we cross the line? Yes. We've all admitted that. I'm not, because I wasn't there, but the players admitted it the next day and they apologized for it. So that's, I would think, all they can do. As far as the public, we can't control the public and the fans and what happens outside the ropes. That's something for the PGA of America and the European Tour to confront themselves with, which they are doing. But that's not my responsibility. There's nothing I can do. But as far as the players, you know, I think it was over for the players shortly after that.

CURTIS STRANGE: You know, I've thought about that. What would you call that -- a retreat. Sounds kind of too deep for me. We might go fishing, yes. We aren't going on a retreat. On paper it looks good, but it's just not feasible with schedules and everybody playing. I want them all to be playing a lot to be ready. It would be wonderful if they were all in their best games going over there. But it just doesn't work out, with my schedule, their schedule, anything like that. But to answer your question, yes. I'm in touch with all of these guys that looked like they might be close to the team. I'm going to play practice rounds. I actually wanted to play practice round today with somebody, but it just didn't work out. There's some of the guys that I don't know that, that well; so I'm going to try to do that, just to get around them, be around them.

CURTIS STRANGE: I think a little more of the format than that. I think it's a tough format to play golf and I think it's great in the Ryder Cup. I really do. I enjoyed it. I was always a good alternate-shot player. I think it's pretty good. I know they complained about it and they want to take it out of the Presidents Cup. They can do whatever they want to do. I don't care. It doesn't involve me one way or bit. I think what they have, you know, it's hard to argue with anything the Ryder Cup does now because it's such a big success. So from everybody's standpoint, it's exciting stuff. I think, like I said, I thought the alternate-shot is a hell of a challenge. It really is. How will we do? When I first started playing in the Ryder Cup, we always did very well in the alternate-shot and not as well in the four-ball. And then it seems to have turned, but I don't put much weight in that, either. It seems that we don't do as well in the alternate-shot and do better in the four-ball, but I don't -- it all depends on what your team is made up of, the talent. I guess, I do believe that there are some teams that are better for four-ball than foursomes, just the type of player that you have. But we won't know that until we get there, until the Monday after the PGA and we have 12 guys to go. But I think the format is great. It's tough, it's long. It's stressful. It's a long week. It's a long three days. It's supposed to be. It's supposed to be tough.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah, there's been a little of it. I don't know anything about your first comment. I wasn't there at the Country Club and I really can't come. I saw on television what everyone else saw. Sam and I have talked about slow play, just to keep the pace up, strictly because it's better for everybody. It's better -- we run out of daylight. TV runs over. It's bad for TV. It's not good for everybody. So we are just talking about, you know, keeping pace up. We are talking about -- we did talk about eliminating practice putting, but it not going to work out, just because of -- because of the foursomes. If a person goes three, four, five holes without putting, yes, I would like to putt one or two when I don't put. So that was the curve that was thrown alternate us at that time. So we are not going to eliminate putting, I don't think. But we've talked about it, yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, the problem there, and this is exactly how we thought about this. If we eliminated it in four-ball and the single -- just four-ball, and all of the sudden they are used to that -- and remember they are used to playing practice putting in Ryder Cup all of the time. So if all of the sudden I'm in the foursomes match and I didn't putt and out of habit I put my ball down and make a practice putt, well, now what do we do? Is there a penalty? I don't want any controversy in the matches. It's not good for anybody. So I didn't want somebody by just out of routine and habit, throw a ball down and putt; and now what kind of penalty do you throw at them? I think we're just going to stress to officials to keep pace of play up and it's as simple as that. It's up to the players. It's part of the etiquette and respect of the competitor is to keep up in play.

CURTIS STRANGE: We haven't talked in a couple of months. We haven't talked in a couple of months. We did a Titleist shoot together. We have talked three or four times on the phone. We will be to go at -- a couple times during the year, at the Benson and Hedges, at the British Open. We are doing the Shell's Wonderful World of Golf together.

CURTIS STRANGE: It's the Tuesday of Westchester. So we are going to see each other and be around each other some. We enjoy each other's company. We're friends.

CURTIS STRANGE: Rhode Island somewhere. Some big, plush resort up there. I'm sure you all will be on the edge of your seat when that comes on, 2:30 A.M. Wednesday night. (Laughter.)

CURTIS STRANGE: There's something I can't really answer. We haven't got that close to it yet, but it's something for the two tours to get together and really stress before. It just goes back to common courtesy. Let's keep of pace of play. You're right. All they can do is say: "Let's get it on. Come on, let's go." But you can't, you know, put a fire under their rear end. They are going to do what they want to do.

CURTIS STRANGE: I wasn't there. I really don't know. I can't imagine it being player led. Maybe we played so well those last 10 or 12, or maybe all of the 18 holes, and we came from some far back, and our emotions were running high, as the crowd getting behind the players. But that's not the players' fault. That's the emotion of the day. I was sitting on my couch at home going through the same thing.

CURTIS STRANGE: I don't know. I wasn't there. I've read some of that, but, you know, we don't believe everything we read anyway. I really don't know. What did happen? Was anybody there?

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah. I'm sure on both sides. So that's part of getting back to the respect of your competitor, and that's something that Sam and I are going to stress and we're going to stress to each other and stress to our team. Just because, you know, we have a very special sport here and we think a lot of it. And we think a lot of the Ryder Cup, but we don't want to do anything to hurt either one. It's as simple as that.

CURTIS STRANGE: I first think that, you know, my responsible -- my job is somewhat overstated. What I mean by that is all of the above. My job is to do everything I can beforehand to prepare, organize for these 12 players and their wives and girlfriends to have a great week. Now, during the week, yes, pairings and -- pairings and -- well, I guess that's about it my final responsibility. But I will certainly talk to players. Once again, I'm not going to think that I'm smart enough or arrogant enough to do it all myself. It's too much of a resource there with guys like Davis Love and Tiger Woods and Mickelson who have played on a lot of team matches now. So I will talk to some of the players. My point I'm trying to get to is I think it is overstated sometimes on the importance of the captain. I think the captain has a job to motivate a little bit, to be very, very positive. All of the things a coach does. But, you know, a coach or captain can only do it so much. I'm just being honest with you. Yes, you're right. If they win, they are going to get all the credit, which they should, the players. As I've said to you before, the best-case scenario for me over there during the week is that we play real well, we win and my name is never mentioned. So it's the players' show. It's not my show. It's those 12 guys. It's their show. They are the players. They are the focus of the entire event. If it wasn't for them, we would not be doing this. I truly believe that. Now, if I make a huge mistake somewhere down the line, yes, you can let me have it, but I can't imagine it because of these 12 resources that I have during the entire week.

CURTIS STRANGE: I know Joe Durant, not real, real well or know his game. I take that back. He's a pretty damned good player, isn't he? He's one of the guys I'll certainly play a practice round or two with during the summer because I don't know him well. And he's certainly playing well. He's getting there. So it looks like he can really play. You know, the guys like that, I think it's great. Everybody has to do this for the first time and to see somebody's eyes, you know, whoever is the first-timer on our team, or two or three of them, can you imagine their eyes when they get over to The Belfry and see all of these people and see all the atmosphere and get involved in the head-to-head match play and see all of these people rooting? It's neat. There's a lot of adrenaline going through the body, the flag, the Star-Spangled Banner, all that stuff. It's a very unique, nice feeling.

CURTIS STRANGE: It's tough for me to answer because I don't know who is going to be in the mix. But to answer your question, yes, everybody is on the list. I have not eliminated one person, as far as who might be an option. Yeah, I could see that. If he's one of the two best players I think that are in the mix, then yes. You know, these guys, when you think about it, these guys have all come -- you know, say he finishes 11, this rookie, and he's played pretty dog-gone good to finish at 11. He's a world-class player. The Ryder Cup is a different atmosphere than a major championship, but it's still a highly-pressured atmosphere like a major, so it's similar. Yeah, they would be fine. I was fine my first one. I think about my first one and that was a different atmosphere, but I was fine.

CURTIS STRANGE: Teaching. Better athletes. The better athletes come to the game. The teaching is better. I asked myself the same question. We called -- ABC called the Justin Rose British Open three years ago. No, it was phenomenal, the kid last week, 16. I remember what I was trying to do when I was 16. Playing and trying to -- win the club championship, not a Tour event. It's phenomenal. And the Australians and the New Zealanders -- you know, I think that for a long time we as professionals thought you could give a kid too much information. I guess you can't when you have that special athlete there. You can give them all of the information in the world and they suck it in and they become better players. I guess. I was just with the Mid-Atlantic PGA professionals the other day, 60 of them, a little social occasion, and I asked them the same question. I just talked to Tom Lehman and he played with him on Sunday and he said he was phenomenal; it wasn't a fluky thing. He made a good comment. He said, "Now it's going to be tough now to go back to your Amateur circuit. He (Ty Tryon) said, "No. It's not going to be tough to go back to the Amateur circuit. It's going to be tough going back to the Junior circuit." He's still playing junior tournaments.

CURTIS STRANGE: How did he do?

CURTIS STRANGE: He's done. A little bit of a letdown, huh? (Laughs). Can you imagine, though? I wish I had an answer, but I guess they are big and strong. They all hit it a long ways and they have perfect fundamentals. Great teaching.

CURTIS STRANGE: I played in the old World Open and two Masters -- but the Masters were a different story. The old World Open, I was so intimidated and so scared and so nervous, I couldn't have -- I didn't do well. Lanny got me a game with Johnny Miller and Jerry Kelly. I was more nervous in the practice round than I was in the tournament.

CURTIS STRANGE: I was 18 or maybe just 19.

CURTIS STRANGE: Yeah. Gambling.

CURTIS STRANGE: You think? I had Lanny as a partner. I was all right.