FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 13, 2000

Bruce Fleisher

BRUCE FLEISHER: Yeah, I was saying earlier that I thought this threesome, we were all pretty lethargic out there. I don't know if it was the heat, or maybe it was just knowing it's four rounds and you have to pace yourself, but there was no electricity going. But there was electricity going for me when I made that 4-iron. But let me see, got off to a very sluggish start. Bogeyed the 2nd hole. 9-iron in the bunker; didn't get it up-and-down. Birdied the 3rd, par 5, and I was just off the edge. I putted -- at that point, Irwin was 3-under. He birdied 2, eagled 3. Looked like another, what, two weeks ago? But I went along. I birdied 7 and 8. I made about a 15-footer on 7, driver, 3-wood. I made a real no-brainer on 7, about 30 feet above the hole, just trying to lag it. I hit a 6-iron at 8. Got a good chance at 10. Got right behind the hole with 9-iron for about eight feet and missed it. And 11, I missed a 5-footer as well. Hit a real good shot at 12, which I thought played very difficult today. 6-iron to about 15 feet above the hole. I birdied 13, which -- very fortunate. I hit a good tee shot. Didn't hit a good second shot, and I'm just trying to really throw it on the green; I was left. It took a great bounce off that hill to about two feet and I made that. Then I made a 4-iron from 197 on 14. That was fun. Made 2. Then I hit a good 6-iron to about 15 feet and lipped out on -- what was that, 15? I birdied 16 with a 5-wood; 8-iron to about four feet behind the hole. And I lipped out on 17 from about 20 feet. Just good speed, good putt. 18, I hit a driver, 8-iron to about four feet and lipped out there. So it really could have been low. Today could have been low.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I birdied. I hit a 5-iron behind the hole, just off the edge, about 15 feet and made that.

BRUCE FLEISHER: No. I've got to tell you, I've said it before: I have total respect for Hale Irwin. And as wonderful as my career has been out here, okay, I still say that I'm very fortunate to be here. And as well as I'm playing or have been playing, he's still the cream of the crop, as far as I'm concerned. I think his stats speaks for themselves. I'm not going to sit here and deny that I can beat him from time to time. I can and I will. But if you really look at the overall picture of how I feel, you know, I've got total respect for Hale Irwin.

BRUCE FLEISHER: No. Absolutely not. I've love to win it. I've love to win one just; so maybe someone who says my 10 wins don't mean much, I don't know. I don't think I have to prove myself anymore, whether I ever win a major or not. I mean, if I win 20 tournaments out here and never win a major, does that make me not good enough player? I mean, I don't know. I don't know what I have to do, you know, at this point.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I think it's too early. The golf course is in such wonderful shape. We had perfect conditions, no wind. Unless we get a little breeze and the greens start to firm up, then I think you may see a little bit different scoring. But if you look at today, has anybody shot over par? I don't know. It's playing into our hands at the moment. But there were some wonderful pin placements. It wasn't that easy, really. But yet, the golf course is playing, even though it's soft and not really running, it doesn't have the length -- like 18, I'm sure years ago before maybe technology, played a little more difficult. Of course, the pin was up front. But I think what hole did I eagle, 14? 14 is our longest hole I think, where I hit driver 4-iron. The wind kind of came up there. But other than that, we're hitting 6-irons and 8-irons, 9-irons.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I think if you ask Hale that question, he would say yeah. I like the length we play. I don't think I need to be playing 7,000-yard golf courses. I don't think that's what it's all about out here, Richard, you know. Let's ask Bob Murphy that question. I don't think it plays quite that long. I mean, if you go through the holes and if you go through Murph's holes, he's hitting the ball longer, too, because he's hitting that Callaway ball, and the steel head driver; right? What did you hit in 18 today?

BOB MURPHY: I hit 7-iron.

BRUCE FLEISHER: Let me ask you a question: Six years ago, what did you hit into it?

BOB MURPHY: I think it was about the same, you know, 5-, 6-, 7-iron. Today, I thought the fairways were firm and the ball went a long way down there.

BRUCE FLEISHER: We're talking about the length of the golf course. Hale made a statement that he thought the course was too are the should. I hit 6-iron into 9. I mean, that's a good par 4. But, you know, par 3's are pretty good lengths, you know. It's a good length for us. I don't think we need to be playing 7,200-yard golf courses. You know, we're a bunch of seniors.

BOB MURPHY: I thought the greens were a little softer than they normally are here.

BRUCE FLEISHER: I'm kind of surprised I shot what I shot. I didn't feel like I -- even though I played the back side wonderfully, I had a lot of opportunities. Didn't feel as sharp. I felt tired. And I said earlier, Jerry, I think it's four days. I think everyone is pacing themselves. And as the tournament continues, I think -- I think we'll get a little more excited. You know, four days is a long time for us. It's a lot of golf, especially playing yesterday. Most of us played yesterday. That's five full days of golf for most.

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