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FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2006

Jim Thorpe

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN

DAVE SENKO: Well, Jim, maybe if you just get us started. Finished one shy. Maybe just talk about your day.

JIM THORPE: You know, started out this morning being four shots behind Loren Roberts. I knew I had to make some birdies. But once the wind kicked in about the 3rd or 4th hole, I knew if I could get anything around 13 or 14 under par that would be pretty good.

As it turned out, I think 15 is going to be the number. But again, the wind shifted on us out there. Just was very, very hard out there. I birdied just a couple short birdie putts early, but they was good birdie putts. Then I birdied 8, 9, 10, I hit all great shots there.

11 and 12 played very, very tough, and I birdied 13. I thought I had a chance to win the tournament at that point because I knew the wind was gusting and I knew what I had just played what I knew was going to be very difficult.

Especially after I par'd 14. That was a major I hit a beautiful second shot there and a routine two putt from about 30 feet. I really felt good at that point.

I think the shot that beat me today was the birdie putt I hit on 15. I hit a gorgeous 4 wood that stood up nice behind the flag about 12, 15 feet behind the hole. And I tell you what, I would have bet my bank roll that that putt was in six inches from the hole. Anyway, it went in the hole and come back out the left side, and I felt that that at that point, that would end up being a bit putt, you know. And, of course, I was talking to the golf gentleman about the 3 putt on 18. The 3 putt on 18, I was two shots behind Bobby Wadkins, or three shots behind, so I needed to make birdie at this stage in the game. Par was not going to help me that much. Ended up three putting the green.

You know, hindsight is 20/20. So if I had the same opportunity again but the thing that beat me is I hit a big tee shot there. Really hit in nice and solid, just dead set in the fairway. I had 196, and probably a 28 to 30 mile an hour head wind, and that just made that shot that much tougher.

Don Pooley hit his second shot before I did. He hit it way left of the green. I know I can't afford to go left, so I got a little bit to the right there. I was trying to actually just hit the low hook and chase it back in there.

But Bobby Wadkins played very well. Bobby teed up at 11 under today. I think Bobby played very, very well. I know what the condition was out there. I knew some would go kind of low, and Bobby is a great player and ball striker. I'm happy for him. The putt he made on 18, the double bogey putt for about 8, 10 feet, I guess, was a very, very solid putt.

And the first thing I said to my brother, because he's been riding me all week and he's been jumping on me all week about the no see 'em situation, the first thing he says is, how about that 3 putt there? You can't call me no sham no more.

But when you're trying to make birdie it was just a very very awkward putt. I played here I felt the golf course opened me up. I felt good about my game coming in here this year. The golf course is in tremendous condition, like I told you the other day.

Unfortunately I think the wind just made it very, very tough for us. Like I say, I hit 4 or 5 putts that I felt could have went in, but then I missed. It was a good tournament. I'm going to miss the spectators, and we made a lot of friends here. We got to know our way around. It's a wonderful event.

15 years I believe 15 years, you know and I was talking to Chi Chi and Gary Player earlier this week, and it's a golf course where they can still come and play and still be competitive on. It's a wonderful area. I'm going miss it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

JIM THORPE: I want to say the first putt was probably between 45, 50 feet long. It was a long putt to make. The problem I had there is I had it setting on that it would go right and come back left. I mean, I thought I had a good line on it. I just had too much speed. The key was trying to make it. Yeah, if I could make that putt and things unfold the way they did on the last hole, I could win the tournament.

Unfortunately Bobby kind of hit it in the hazard, hit it short in the bunker, and then hit it over the green, chipped it back between 8 and ten feet, and he makes the putt and I didn't. I think that is the bottom line.

I don't care how good you play, it always goes down to the putting, you know. But basically all you can do is the best you can. It's very, very tough when you're trying to win a golf tournament under these windy conditions. I was I don't think I was caught off guard, but I was kind of shocked to see Loren Roberts make double bogeys back to back. It's kind of shocking to see a player of his caliber, you know, because you just don't see that.

But now I am kind of jogging for position, because if I can get a top three or top four position, I'm happy as a kid in a candy store. But to see him go double bogey, double bogey, that changes your whole game plan. I got a little more aggressive.

I had a five hole stretch there where I bogeyed 8, 9, 10, and 13. You know, that's a pretty good stretch of birdies there.

And 17 is probably one of the hardest Par 5s I've ever played. I was caught between a rock and a hard place. My 4 wood was too much, my utility club wasn't enough. I mean, laid it up in front of the wedge, because there's a tough third shot there also. I hit it the problem I had today is I hit it just right of the bunker there.

If I could have caught a little better line I really feel I could have got to that to make birdie. The way the ball was sitting in the short grass I couldn't afford to get stupid there, because I knew Bobby Wadkins and the big players were behind me. I would have loved to win, but this golf course and this tournament has been good to me. You know, the spectators have been good. Had a lot of friends on the golf course today rooting you on and all that sort of stuff. I'm very happy. Going to miss it. Hopefully these guys can get together and maybe spend some of that money he's making and

Q. (Inaudible).

JIM THORPE: You know what, I was caught between a rock and a hard place, you know what I mean? I'm one of those players, I don't root against a player. If I win the golf tournament I want to win when you're at your best. Then that makes me feel better.

I have been lucky enough to win with a one shot lead or been tied and win, come to the last hole with a three shot lead and win. So you know, Bobby has had a wonderful golf career. Bobby I've always thought was one hell of a player. He has not won a lot of tournaments, but I always thought I was he was a wonderful player. Always felt like he was like me a little bit. I thought he was a little bit weaker putter than I was.

But from a ball striking standpoint, it really surprised me that he hit it in the water on hit it left on 18, because Bobby drives the ball very, very well.

To get back to the question you just asked, you know, what? I mean, if you made the putt it was fine. If we missed then we go to a playoff. But once Des missed his and made bogey from 13 to 12, then my bogey didn't hurt me as bad as it seemed. Because actually, Bobby should have won the golf tournament. If you come to 18 with a 3 shot win you should win.

Q. (Inaudible).

JIM THORPE: 8, I made about a ten foot for a birdie. That was very, very nice. But the hole before, on 7, I made about a 6 footer for birdie.

9, what was 9? 9, I hit a beautiful shot, 9 iron about three feet there. That was very nice.

10, I hit it about four inches from the cup.

The best putt all day was on 11. I had a tee shot up the bank of the bunker there, pitching wedge straight up in the air and 2 putted probably 30, 35 feet.

The 12th hole just played very, very difficult. But I hit a good shot about 18 20 feet left of the hole, and I thought I made that putt there.

So the two Par 3s putts on the Back 9 was the two putts that I felt could have went in the hole. But I'm not going to cry.

On the 13th hole I hit a beautiful shot from 226, utility club, that landed probably 6, 7 feet from the hole. So I made a good 2 putt there.

14 was a real key for me. I played that 2 under par. Normally, I play No. 1 and No. 2, 2, 3 under par. This time I played No. 2 over par, and No. 1 even par, but I played No. 14 under par. So, you know, even though we've been playing golf our whole lives, and from a competition standpoint played professional golf, there's always still room for improvement.

DAVE SENKO: Jim, what was the putt on 9 again?

JIM THORPE: About three feet. I used a 14 degree staker $14 staker. I swear to God. I found it in a barrel a couple years ago at the Rescue Club in Austin, Texas.

That would be the first shot I really missed with it. I didn't really miss it. You know, it's one of those shots you want to hook in there but you don't want to hook it. Because you're caught between a rock and a hard place.

But when I was playing No. 2, Tom Watson was playing No. 17. So I watched Tom Watson hit the hit the club into the green there. And it landed on the front of the green and bogeyed to the back. I started telling me brother, if I carry my 4 wood on the green it's going over the green. I know it's going over because I got a hot roll. I know it's going over.

So I made a pretty solid I just hit it beautiful on the second shot on 13. I hit it beautiful off the tee on 16. That may have been a mistake on my part on' 16. But I didn't basically what I didn't know because we lose sight of the leaderboard. I knew at that point I was tied for Loren Robert but I did not know Bobby had a stretch of birdies there. I thought I had a one shot lead you know, maybe a one shot lead. And so that kind of changed the game a little but, too.

I hit a big drive on 17, and I didn't like the shot and I chose to lay it up. But it was nice for the guy like Hale to walk by and say, "You made a nice choice." The guy's won 40 some times, so to get a compliment from him is a very, very strong I wish I did that today, just laid it up and wedged it in did.

But still, it turns out I mean the level of competition we have out here and I think you can put any one of these 78 guys on 18 tees with a three shot lead and he's damn well going to win the golf tournament. So I'm very happy for Bobby. He's a buddy of mine.

DAVE SENKO: Everyone okay ?

JIM THORPE: Okay.

End of FastScripts.

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