WGC NEC INVITATIONAL

August 22, 2000

Robert Allenby

Paul Azinger

Loren Roberts

ROBERT ALLENBY: Obviously, very happy. I think the way I've played this year, you know, I was trying very hard to get myself in the Top-10. I think failed by .02 or whatever point it is. Very happy to be selected as a captain's pick.

LOREN ROBERTS: Yeah, I'm extremely excited about being picked, especially with Ken Venturi as our captain. Something I've been working hard at all year, trying to get on the team. I'm just really looking forward to it. You know, I played in the original Presidents Cup in 1994 and have wanted to get back on the team ever since then, and have been given an opportunity to do that again; and I am just really looking forward to playing.

LOREN ROBERTS: I think if you are -- I guess you might say that in a roundabout way. It was such a shellacking last time that -- I think the American players were not too thrilled about the beating they took, and I think it will go a long way to -- I think it probably has helped it a little bit. I think they it may provide a bit more motivation.

ROBERT ALLENBY: I think the Americans just don't travel too well. I'm only joking. Well, I guess Royal Melbourne is just one of those courses. It's a funny sort of course. It's such an awesome golf course to stage such an event like that. You know, I was very surprised to see so much difference between the two sides. But, I've been an international player; obviously my fingers were crossed, hoping that that was going to happen, especially after the first two, 1994 and 1996, those two sides I was in. I walked around on a Friday after the last Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, because it is only 15 minutes from my home, and I walked around and watched all of the guys play, and I could see then on the Friday that they were going to win because they were playing just so much better and just holing so many more putts. I think Royal Melbourne is just one of those courses where if you can get in to a good start there and hole a few putts early, the greens are so treacherous that you can get on top of someone and stay on top of someone. But, you know, obviously very surprised to see the scores at the outcome so high. But, you know, it's a funny sort of competition. I mean, the Americans won the first two. And I think it was just the drive and the inspiration to win was so high, and I think that probably is why the International side played so well. They just had so much drive to win. And I think that's probably the main reason, really.

LOREN ROBERTS: Yes, I was. '95.

LOREN ROBERTS: All I can do is speak for myself, personally, and it has been a goal of mine all this year to get on the Presidents Cup team. I mean, when you start looking at -- at my age, I'm 45 years old now. I hate to kind of keep going back to that, but, I mean, for me, it was an immediate goal to make the team again, considering that, you know, I'm going to be playing the Senior Tour in five years. I'm not going to have that many more chances. It was a definite goal of mine this whole year to get on the Presidents Cup team. And also, knowing that I played in 1994 and was a part of that winning team, I mean, it's -- I really, really enjoy playing on it. And just the idea of the team competition, which is something that we just don't do, and I enjoyed the camaraderie and the fellowship with the guys. And it was -- I just want to do it again. I want to have another chance to play it again. And that's why I was just -- I really am ecstatic about being picked to be on the team.

LOREN ROBERTS: I didn't play a whole lot of match play. I don't know where you got that information, but I didn't play a whole lot of golf when I was younger. I'm a late starter. But, believe me, it's not going to take a whole lot of motivation to really get me going; because, you know, any time you wave that Stars and Stripes in front of me, I'm ready to go.

ROBERT ALLENBY: My factor was getting on the side. I obviously missed out in '98, and I was pretty disappointed then that I was not on that side, and I was trying my hardest to play well for that side. And now this year, I came at the start of this year with my goal -- pretty much my goal for the whole year was to get in the Presidents Cup. And obviously, the International Team is selected on the World Rankings. And at the time at the start of the year, I think I was 142 in the world. And now I think I'm 43. So, my goal was to try and get down to the early 40s to the late 30s, and obviously -- I mean realistically, I missed out by .02 or whatever it was. But luckily enough, I was selected by Peter Thomson as one of the captain's picks, with Steve Elkington. So coming here this week, I guess it's an added bonus of making the side. Obviously, this is a great tournament. This is a huge tournament. Whenever you're playing in some of these world tournaments -- I haven't had the opportunity to play in too many lately because my World Ranking has not been so high. So to be able to come here this week is great. Obviously, there's a lot of money involved. But the truth is, for myself, I just want to make the side so badly, after missing out two years ago.

LOREN ROBERTS: This, to me, is a nice bonus. But it really wasn't a motivating factor for me to get on the team. I wanted to get on the team because I wanted to play badly. I wanted to play in the Presidents Cup one more time, and that was the reason that I worked -- worked at trying to get on this whole year. It's a nice bonus. I've been fortunate enough to play in the World Golf Championships events up to this point, with the exception of this event last year. Like I say, it's a nice bonus, but it really was not a factor in, you know, me wanting to get on the Presidents Cup team. I wanted to get on the Presidents Cup team because that was my goal; I wanted to play.

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, being that it is a World Golf Championships event, you are going to have the best players in the world here. And I think I can speak for all of the players that we want to play against the best players in the world. And any time that the best players in the world are at one event, one site, there's always -- there's always going to be that possibility for a great -- obviously, when you have Tiger Woods in the field, you are going to draw double the media attention. So any time you can play -- the opportunity to give him a run for his money, you have to be excited about it.

ROBERT ALLENBY: I'm pretty much the same way. We all want to play against the best players in the world. You know, obviously there are some that are not here this week: Sergio Garcia, Jesper Parnevik, Elkington is not here, David Duval is not here -- I thought there was another European player. I can't remember. But I was actually quite surprised that Europe changed their format of qualifying for this tournament. I would have thought that playing the Ryder Cup should have been an added bonus -- that this was the bonus. So, I was -- my point of view is I was -- I couldn't believe that Ken Schofield could change it, change the format to pick the 12 players to come here. But obviously, any time you get to play with the best players in the world, you know, that's what we all want to do in golf is play with the best players. And these World Golf Championships events give you that opportunity, whether it's The Match Play Tournament or a stroke-play tournament. So I think to enhance your game, you need to play with and against the best players in the world; and obviously, this tournament is a great opportunity to do that. That's the way I see it. You know, I have a great opportunity to play against Tiger, and hopefully succeed by beating him and everyone else in the field. Obviously, he's not the only one in the field. There's 38 players here that could win this tournament.

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, obviously, I went into the PGA Championship in the 9th spot and, you know, my destiny was in my own hands. I could have played better there and taken care of it, but it didn't happen. I am thankful that I did turn out to be a pick. And considering Paul was the assistant captain in '94 on the Presidents Cup team when I played there, and I can't think of a greater asset to the team than Paul, because of his match play -- his experience, his desire, and his personality; that he lends such a -- what's the word I'm looking for? Charisma. He just adds a charisma to the team. I think it's an absolutely outstanding pick.

LOREN ROBERTS: Well, I don't know, the guy threw a 66 at him. He threw everything at him but the kitchen sink, and did Tiger hole the putts coming down the stretch? They both did. I can't think of a more outstanding duel than that. What are you going to do? You shoot 31 on the back nine against the best players in the world. What more can you do?

ROBERT ALLENBY: Yes. (Laughter.) I thought -- I think really the true character of Tiger really came out because someone had actually put him under so much pressure. And you can talk about the putts that he holed on 15 and 17, but I think the putt on 18 was pretty impressive. I mean, that green on that last day was -- and that pin position, was one of the hardest positions that you would want to be in. And to leave yourself with a -- I think it was pretty much sort of downhill left-to-right. I mean, that's -- on that green, it was very, very impressive to see it go in, with the speed it went in as well, under the circumstances. It was flawless with his putting under the gun, and obviously his whole game. But I think when you look at his putting, I think he's probably the best putter in the world and showed his true colors coming down the stretch there. And in the playoff, 16, the first playoff hole, he holed an awesome putt there to go on top.

LOREN ROBERTS: As you remember, Hale was the captain, and he was a playing captain. And so I think Paul had a lot of responsibilities, more so than the assistant captains would now, just because Hale was out playing golf, and Paul was responsible or getting the guys ready for the afternoon matches while Hale was playing in the morning. I played one match with Hale, and Paul was invaluable as far as letting Hale know who was doing what, what was going on, on the golf course. I remember him, he was running all over the golf course, keeping track of everybody. And just the enthusiasm that he had kind of, you know, picked everybody up. He just kind of lifted people up. I remember Corey Pavin and I had a patch where we were down all day, and Paul was just out there being enthusiastic and being right there, rooting us on; and we ended up pulling that match out at the end. You know, I think he was invaluable as assistant captain.

ROBERT ALLENBY: I think the International Team has a very, very strong team. I think when you're -- you look at the players that we have on the side, everyone has played well this year. We've got some -- Greg Norman is obviously back to fine form after his hip op; so it's good to have him on the side. And it's also good to see him playing well again. Steve Elkington, he will be in fine shape by the Presidents Cup. And all the other players -- I mean, Ernie has played awesome this year. He has had a fantastic year. He has obviously played well in all of the majors. You know, Franco, he is a pretty classy player. Maruyama, he is a character. And he is the -- he is the life of the team, I think. No one has a bigger smile than Shigeki. Stuart Appleby is playing well. He's playing really good golf at the moment. He's had a good year. Nick Price, he's played very solid this year.

ROBERT ALLENBY: I think one thing that the International Team does very, very well is they bond very well together. Obviously, you know, we all come from different parts of the world, but we always seem to find a very close bonding during the event. The first two that I played in, you know, we had an awesome time. Obviously, did not win the first two, but we had an awesome time. And we all came as a team, and we all came very close -- we got very close together throughout the week. So, I think it's important to be able to have a good bonding team.

ROBERT ALLENBY: I can't think of anyone on our side who hits short.

PAUL AZINGER: Me and Tiger. (Laughs.)

ROBERT ALLENBY: I think when you think of these teams that have been put together here, the 12-man team of the United States and then the 12-man team of the International, I think the bottom line is that we can all play, and they can all play. I don't think it really matters, really, how far you hit it. At the end of the day, this tournament is always a putting competition. So, you know, I think the caliber of players that are on this side, I think anyone can do everything, and that's why they are in the side. They are all awesome players that are in the side, on both teams. I can't find fault with any player on both teams. I think we've got a very classy team, both teams; and I think it's going to be a great event.

PAUL AZINGER: I'm thrilled to be on the team. It's an honor to be picked, obviously; and then to be considered worthy of being picked, for one, is an honor. It's great for me to be able to return to that level of competition, too; and I'm really looking forward to that. I was really happy when Ken Venturi told me that he wanted to pick me. It meant a lot to me, especially for the reasons that he gave; and I'm looking forward to it. You know, it opens -- it opens doors, too. To be able to get in this tournament is pretty nice. I just really appreciate it.

PAUL AZINGER: Well, you know, there's some champions on our team, as well as theirs. We seem to have a core of older players that, you know, are -- I think not necessarily older. I'll throw Tiger in there. Just experienced players. As far as characteristics, I don't know how you characterize a whole, entire group, except to say that our group, I feel, has a lot of experience with some youthful exuberance, I'm hoping. When you look at Notah and Stewart Cink, I think it is going to be interesting to see what this -- what this thing turns out in the end; how it is going to turn out. They have got an incredible team with a couple first-timers, and we have got a pretty good team with a couple first-timers. For the most part, we have a very experienced team, battle-tested. We have a very battle-tested team.

PAUL AZINGER: Well you still need to coach the team. You still need to make sure you get the right guys, you get the right mix going. The best thing about the team is -- I look at the team -- I'm sure you're going to continue to hear this on the players -- there is nobody on the team that I wouldn't really love to play with, and look at it as a great opportunity. I think that when you go down the list, I think every player on the team is going to feel the same way as the rest of

the team. And I've been on teams before where you did not team that way. I've been on Ryder Cup teams -- when I was assistant captain on the Presidents Cup that one year, there were scenarios you just knew to stay away from. I don't think you're going to have that on this team, and that's a plus.

PAUL AZINGER: I don't know. I mean, for some guys, I hope it is. But revenge will only carry so far. You still have to play well. What revenge will do, I think will kindle the desire to be prepared. And when a guy is prepared, he is probably going to do as good as he would hope to do. And if you're not motivated for the event, then in all likelihood you will not prepare properly and maybe let yourself down. So I think that as far as revenge is concerned, it is just kind of an incentive to make sure that you are prepared.

PAUL AZINGER: I am not a cheerleader as much as -- I think I just want to make sure, like on the Ryder Cup teams or even the Presidents Cup team, the guys are motivated to play well. I know how a couple guys on the other team think -- I'm good friends with guys like Elkington. He shared with me a couple stories, things that went on behind the scenes at the Presidents Cup and how motivated they were. We are going to be doing the same thing on our side. We are all going to want to win the event. They are all going to want to win the event as desperately as we are going to want to win. I don't know if "cheerleading" is the right word. Just a certain sense of making sure the event is prioritized in the players' minds, I think that is important. When things are not going right or when things are going beautifully, making sure that there is no letdown either way. If you've got a big lead, make sure there's no letdown. Or if you're getting smoked, make sure the team stays in a state of mind that allows them to be successful on Sunday. Like at the Ryder Cup this year on Sunday; that team had a great spirit, looked like they had no chance for victory and to come back the way they did. If any individual player can inspire that in a team, that's great.

PAUL AZINGER: I'm sure there will be a little bit, but that whole European Ryder Cup, that thing is a lot more, there's a little more animosity. It's a lot more intense. There's some of that "rub your nose in it after you win" that the Americans feel and the Euros feel, and that makes it more of a -- I don't know, like a titanic clash there of personalities or something. And we don't have that as much as in this event, plus you don't have the history in this event. They have won it for the first time two years ago. So maybe if -- I don't know. I don't know that it will ever be the same as -- plus we play together over here, too. It's almost like those guys are all from Orlando now.

PAUL AZINGER: Wasn't as exciting for me personally, but the consensus I think is going to be that that was one of the most exciting duels ever in major championship history. You have got to go back to -- I don't know. When the Golf Channel summed it all up in the end, they started at '95, and they -- there's been good duels right up until this duel here. And this one here, they said, topped them all. And Greg and I had a good duel. And Faldo was in that mix, as well. But what happened here was something else because, to just go around, see two guys shoot 31 on the back nine, see two guys holing really key putts, and it was the kind of drama that you just don't really get that often. You've got, you know, the best player in the game who has the potential to be upset, who continually rises to the occasion, and you have this Buster Douglas (phonetic) kind of guy who is getting ready to take Mike Tyson out. And he did everything he could do. I mean, Bob May played unbelievably great golf, but the No. 1 player in the world just continued to rise to the occasion. You have got to almost go back to Watson and Nicklaus at the British Open -- I forget the year, '77 maybe. You know, Bob May didn't have the name, but he certainly had the game.

PAUL AZINGER: Yeah, the putting green has been moved -- concrete where that one little putting green was. It's a great feeling to be back. My daughter and I are here alone this week. And we walked around in the dining area there, looked at some of the old posters where the players had signed them and looked at how much my signature has changed from 1987 to present day. Kind of neat. It's a beautiful clubhouse. A fantastic golf course, and I'm really thrilled to be here.

PAUL AZINGER: Well, I didn't see any pictures. I'm sure I look a little older.

PAUL AZINGER: You know, that Presidents Cup was, I think, perceived as a ceremonial role for me -- "Well, that was just really nice of Hale to honor Paul with that." But the way it really, in the end, the way it actually was, was Hale was playing in that event, and he really did need help. I was honored that he picked me and it really made my year to be there and be around those players, both teams, because I knew them all very well. And they were really thrilled to have me there and I could tell. But I took a very active role in the captaining of that team. Hale allowed me to do a lot. He allowed me to -- the way the format is in the Presidents Cup, you know, we put out who we're going to have go off first, and they match with whoever they want -- do they still do it that way?

PAUL AZINGER: I thought that was really exciting -- I enjoyed that. There was strategy, I felt, and I really enjoyed that. I enjoyed my role there, and I'm sure that being there as a player is going to be a lot more pressure-packed for me. That role as assistant captain was one that I truly enjoyed, and I took that as an experience that I'll never forget, as one that really -- it allowed me to realize that, you know, I could handle the role of captain, I suppose, if that honor was ever bestowed upon me. But this is going to be a lot more nerve-wracking on me. I don't think the captain goes through quite the amount of pressure the players do.

PAUL AZINGER: He captained the team -- don't get me wrong, but I was more active in that role because I had to be because he was playing; so it was fun.

PAUL AZINGER: Totally.

PAUL AZINGER: It was a combined effort. Hale just really respected my opinion and he allowed me to deal a lot with the players, to figure out, you know, like who wanted to play with who. You know, there was some situations, you know, where I said, "Well, I think I'm going to put you out with this guy tomorrow." And he said, "You know, I really like that guy and everything, but I would rather go out with this guy."

PAUL AZINGER: Oh, totally do. So Hale's ego was not in the way in any respect, with respect to having me participating and all that, which said a lot for Hale, too. I don't think I expected him to be anything but gracious, and he was great. He was great. I really enjoyed it. It was an experience I'll never forget.

PAUL AZINGER: Like what they just went through the other day? I have a pretty good track record of winning a tournament and missing a cut the next week. Tiger somehow overcomes that with a great state of mind and a superior game. I don't know how he does it, but he has a tremendous knack of being able to string together, you know, one great week after another. Everybody is different. I struggled with it. You don't see a lot of back-to-back winners, and you rarely see back-to-back-to-back, but he reeled off six straight at one point. There was an off-season in there, but pretty impressive.

PAUL AZINGER: It can. It can open the door. It is an emotional letdown. It will be amazing to me if he comes back, especially the first day or two. It can work two ways. He can now have more confidence than he ever imagined he could and come out and just go crazy; or, he could come out, have a slight letdown, and still have the skills that I've seen, just to play average golf the first two days and get right back in it. And this is the kind of course where you can do that, too.

PAUL AZINGER: It would be difficult for me, I think, because winning the PGA Championship would mean so much. But, you know, I didn't win, so I'll be up for this. But I'm not suggesting that he'll have a letdown, I'm just saying that it is more possible. I wouldn't be surprised. I don't want to fire him up, you know. Somebody fired him up last week and said he wasn't going to win. He mentioned that in his interviews -- I saw him mention that in his interviews. I said, "Wow, I don't want to fire him up."

PAUL AZINGER: I'm going to probably take the week off before the Presidents Cup and try to prepare that way. But, you know, you just make sure that -- I may actually go in and play the course. I remember the course pretty well. I don't remember it totally, but I do remember it pretty well. I even played nine holes with the guys when I was co-captain. But just make sure that my game is tuned and ready to go. I've had kind of an interesting year. I've had some elbow trouble off and on the whole year. I took like six weeks off before the Memorial and finished fifth; and took three weeks after that and finished 12th at the U.S. Open; and took three weeks off after that and finished seventh at the British Open. So, you know, it's been kind of weird. Normally you don't prepare that way. My elbow is better, by the way, but my intention is just to take the week off beforehand.

PAUL AZINGER: It's in September. That's when we play the Ryder Cup is September.

PAUL AZINGER: It is in October? Oh, well, I can't make it. (Laughter.)

PAUL AZINGER: I'll find all that stuff out today in the meeting.

PAUL AZINGER: When you schedule an event for that date and it is a team event -- and we're all going to be wearing uniforms, the issue of weather is going to be addressed. We'll probably have cashmere and all kind of nice sweaters and wooly caps and the whole deal. Still look like a team. Dealing with the elements is a big part of what we do. Dealing with darkness is a whole other category, though. But for the most part, you can count on these matches not taking, you know, an excessive amount of time.

PAUL AZINGER: I don't know.

PAUL AZINGER: Changed a tee or green, something like that.

PAUL AZINGER: Anymore, we go to any golf course, it seems like there's something that's been done. Hawaiian Open, they changed the course there -- the Sony open, excuse me. Doral changed every year, Bay Hill always is doing something. TPC is never the same two years in a row. We changed sites in Atlanta; it's nothing new. That course is a pretty good match-play course, the Robert Trent Jones course.

PAUL AZINGER: I think the way the greens are, and there's advantages and disadvantages because the bunkers seem to be on the inside of the doglegs, and there's a -- a guy with power who will hit second. But sometimes a guy who is not as long off the tee, because he cannot cut the corner, can put the heat on the guy if he gets it in there close. Just makes for an interesting match-play course, I think.

PAUL AZINGER: Just take the week off and just practice -- what was I planning to do this week? Oh, I don't know. I was going to go home and fish or something. I was just going to go home.