ENERGIZER SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 7, 1998

Bob Charles

BOB CHARLES: I suppose that it's been a disappointing year from that aspect, and not being in the top 31. Well, obviously haven't played well enough to do it. And today was really an encouraging round. Well, in fact, yesterday and today, the two days I've hit the ball as solid as I've ever hit in my life. I'm not hitting very far, but I'm hitting it straight. Today I made a lot of putts. Yesterday I missed a lot of putts. So it balanced itself out. But I'm hoping that next year I can get back in the top 31. Certainly if I play as well as I did today, or the last two days, I should accomplish that. But it's nice to win the season-ending MasterCard Champions, and I look forward to further participation next year.

BOB CHARLES: I was not aware of that because I was playing with Al Geiberger.

BOB CHARLES: I wasn't looking at the main score board. I was looking at our score board. But I guess Charlie was in contention there in the back 9.

BOB CHARLES: Well, the 1st hole I hit a drive and hit a 3-wood on the front edge of the green and 3-putted. 2nd hole, I holed a 50-foot putt for 3. 3rd hole, I chipped it in from the back of the green for a birdie. Next hole I hit a sand wedge into about four feet for birdie.

BOB CHARLES: Oh, yes. I hit a 6-iron to three feet.

BOB CHARLES: The 8th hole I hit a sand wedge to about eight feet.

BOB CHARLES: 10, I hit a 7-iron to about eight feet.

BOB CHARLES: Yeah, 3-putted. That was dreadful. I was a bit upset. I missed a less-than-three-foot putt for my second putt and 3-putted from about 25 feet. Next hit a 7-iron in to two feet.

BOB CHARLES: 16, right, I hit a 9-iron into -- it was about 10 feet.

BOB CHARLES: Well, I've been a little -- getting a little discouraged with my golf game during the course of the year, I suppose. But today's round and yesterday's round is -- gives me a lot of encouragement for next year. I was considering on cutting back on my schedule for next year. But if -- if I'm -- if I hit the ball as solidly as I have done the last two days, I'll play pretty much 30-odd events, as I have been for the last 13 years or so.

BOB CHARLES: No. That really didn't enter into it at all. No. I was disappointed. I was disappointed after my round yesterday, because I felt like I played a whole lot better than 72. Yesterday's round could have been a 68 very easily with good putting. I putted miserably yesterday. But today I started making a few putts. And so, no, to answer your question.

BOB CHARLES: Well, yes. Many things. Everything has been out of kilter. In driving, I looked through the stats yesterday, I'm 78th in distance with an average 250 yards. 78, there were only 78 players on the field every week, and here I'm 78 for driving distance. (Laughter.) I'm not hitting the greens. I'm not -- and I'm not holding the putts. I think my putting stats are very poor, very weak also. Everything has been -- I must say that the -- when I came out here 13 or 12 years ago -- I don't know, I finished my 13th season. When I came out here, I was amongst the longer hitters, I suppose, in the top 25 percent as far as distance goes. Now I'm right at the bottom of the field. And the big hitters are really taking over the SENIOR TOUR. They have got a huge advantage. Particularly on a golf course like this, where there's no roll. I never reached the first green these three days. I had no chance of reaching it. Well, today I hit my best tee shot and my best 3-wood, and I was still, I think, three feet short of the putting -- yeah. And that's only a 425 yard hole. So I hit a good drive and a 3-wood 400 and how many yards is that? 410 yards, I suppose. So it has been one of my major concerns throughout the whole year. When you see guys hitting it 30, 40, 50 yards passed you, it is discouraging.

BOB CHARLES: No. I've got to start pumping more iron, I guess, or put on some more weight. Get some more beef behind the ball.

BOB CHARLES: Well, I felt like I was striking the ball well and I was pretty confident -- well, after yesterday's round, I was very confident with my shot-making ability today, and I hit a very good iron shot to about 25 feet -- well, it's a 4-iron. To hit a good iron shot 25 feet from the hole, you're kind of looking for a birdie. And to wind up with a bogey was most discouraging. But I didn't lose sight of the fact that I was hitting the ball solid and making is it well. And as far as my shot-making ability goes, I was able -- and to turn around and birdie the next hole kind of kept me on track.

BOB CHARLES: Yes, I think we were in a way feeding off each other. We made -- between us, we made an awful lot of birdies out there today. But I made 8 today. I made 8 birdies. He must have had, I don't know, five or six.

BOB CHARLES: Thank you very much. Merry Christmas everybody, and we look forward to seeing you all next year.