THE RYDER CUP MATCHES

September 24, 2002

Hal Sutton

GORDON SIMPSON: Hal, welcome to The De Vere Belfry. Unlike ten of your colleagues, you didn't manage to get overtired. Are you feeling climatized and over the jet lag.

HAL SUTTON: I was in a bit of a fog today and I'm sure it will pass. Pretty day, though, wasn't it?

GORDON SIMPSON: Yes, and hopefully a great week, as well.

HAL SUTTON: I'm sure it will be, the golf course is in nice shape.

GORDON SIMPSON: How are you feeling about your game right now.

HAL SUTTON: My game hasn't been good at all this year, but I've been seeing some positive things happen the last few weeks. I've been hitting the ball better. This is not a stroke-play event, this is a match play event, and a lot of good things can happen in that type of situation.

Q. Because you haven't been playing your normal game recently, do you have more pressure on you now this week?

HAL SUTTON: I don't think so. You can only -- everybody here -- there will be 24 players that play this week, and all 24 will be trying as hard as they can. Whether it's the greatest shot you've ever hit in your life or the worst shot you've ever hit in your life, it was not without effort. And I think everybody will be putting the tee in the ground, trying to put their best foot forward, and we'll all have to take whatever we get.

Q. Just curious, what your reaction might have been from Tampa when you heard about Tiger's comments about "a million reasons why I'd rather win the American Express over the Ryder Cup." The news did get to Tampa, did it not?

HAL SUTTON: It never made it down there. Word doesn't travel that fast. No, I think that -- are you asking me to be Tiger here for a minute or just my own feelings, here?

Q. Your own feelings. What's your reaction to it?

HAL SUTTON: I think, knowing Tiger like I know him, I think he wants to win every tournament that he plays. I think anybody would be hard pressed to say that that man is not trying to win every time he putts a tee in the ground. I think also, and I don't know if he said this or not, but I think that there's probably more reason for him to want to win the Ryder Cup and do well in it because that's one of the few times he hasn't done as well. So I'm pretty sure his juices will be flowing this week to be the best he can be. And that's my feelings on that.

Q. Could you talk about Brookline, and just sort of give your final statement on what happened that Sunday, both good and bad as far as the team coming together and playing the way it did and also what happened at the 17th and all the other negative type stuff?

HAL SUTTON: Well, you know, I think -- I'll start with the negative stuff. I feel like everybody on our team regrets the fact that that happened. I've said this repeatedly, I think that we all lost our composure, thinking that that putt was the point, basically. And I still recall this like it was yesterday, when that putt topped the hill, that putt was too hard, because that was back downhill. And I mean we're all thinking, slow down, slow down, slow down, and all of a sudden, my God, it went in. And that happened just that fast. But, anyway, again, I'll restate that I feel like we all regretted that that happened, and wish nothing like that could happen here, even if it was one of us making the putt again to win it. I hope that sort of thing doesn't happen. I think we've discussed that among each other, and we're pretty well aware that we don't want that sort of thing to happen.

As far as the positive things about that team coming together, I've -- this is my fourth Ryder Cup team. And the way that team gelled at the end, and the kind of golf that we played on that Sunday afternoon was one of the special moments in my life to be part of something. I felt as if I was very close relations to every guy on that team that day. I felt like I was a blood brother, almost. I could feel their feelings, almost. And I felt like they could feel mine. And to be part of something like that come together was one of the most special days of my life.

Q. There's been quite a bit of speculation over here that Jesper or Phil Price or one of the others may withdraw. Did it ever cross your mind that for health reasons you might not be here?

HAL SUTTON: No, because I haven't had any real health problems that would keep me from -- the sleep apnea type thing is just a nuisance more than anything else. And although my game has not been of the form I would have loved for it to have been, and by the way, I didn't sit idly by the wayside and let that happen; I've been working my ass off. It just hasn't happened. I still made this team. I wasn't a pick or anything else. So I'll hold my head high, and go out there and play the best golf I can, and hopefully do something that's beneficial to this team. And if not, I'll run my mouth in the locker room or whatever, and cheer hard, whatever I have to do. I told Curtis at the beginning of the week, and I don't know whether he'll mention this or not, but I said let's play to win. If that means I sit on the side, I'll be the best cheerleader you've got. If that means I need to be out there pumping my fist or whatever I need to do by trying to make some putts, that's what I'll do, too. And I think that's one of the things that we did very well at Brookline, we kind of understood whatever our role had to be, that's what we did. And that's what we learned that week, I think. And everybody has to have a different role.

Q. There were pictures of Lee Westwood as the weakest link. After everything you've done at the Ryder Cup how do you feel being described as the weakest link?

HAL SUTTON: You know what, I don't take any golf publication, I don't read the newspaper, unless it's the business section because, you know what, we could build a case for everything. You all do, don't you? That's what sells magazines and papers and all that sort of stuff. You know what, this is match play. I'm going to emphasize that one more time. This is not stroke-play. And one bad shot does not make the match. Just remember that, because that's going to become very apparent out there the next three days, as you all watch.

Q. You just mentioned that that experience in '99 was one of the highlights of your career. Is it possible to say that that's more meaningful to you than having won a PGA Championship or Player-of-the-Year or any of the other things that you've done in golf?

HAL SUTTON: I think in its own way, yes, it was more meaningful. You know, one of the things that I really miss about high school when I played other sports, and golf, and college -- was we played as a team. We had people that felt for us when we didn't do well, were so elated and happy for us when we did do well. And then when you turn professional you're on your own for the rest of your life, basically. To be able to make the Ryder Cup team or The Presidents Cup team and play as a team, where your peers are really pulling for you, that's an exciting time. And then when you can pull together and gel and become -- and do, like at Brookline, where we came from so far behind. In my mind that's one of the great days in sporting history, basically.

Q. Over the last year or so, can you put your finger on what's been the problem, has it been a lack of confidence or something technical?

HAL SUTTON: I have not hit the ball well. And that's -- that's the strength of my game. And I've been across the ball for quite a while. I've never been considered a great putter. When I played good, I was a good putter. But the strength of my game has always been my ball-striking, that's what kept me in the heat, if you will. And it just has not been very good the last year. I sense it coming back. I've been saying that for two or three weeks. I'm hitting a lot of really good shots now, which I wasn't before. To be honest with you, about six months ago, I might hit -- when I say this, this is not going to sound too good, but I might hit one shot in six or seven like I thought I should hit it. And I want to preface that, because Ben Hogan said he only hit four or five in a round. I think Ben Hogan -- that's an exaggerated statement -- I think he hit more than four or five. But I should certainly hit more than one in six or seven. But now it's better than it has been.

Q. Were you just coming across the ball?

HAL SUTTON: That was as simple as I could put it. But let me put it to you like this. It's a mistake you make this your back swing, as a good player, we remember what the target is. We're going to do whatever we have to in the downswing to get it to the target of the if you go across the target, you're pulling it all the time.

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