UBS WARBURG CUP

November 18, 2001

Curtis Strange

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, it was terrible.. Sam got off to a good start and then I made a couple bogeys. But it was just, they weren't bad shots, that's the nature of this golf course. But anyway, I was four down and it wasn't looking too good for me. But I made a couple of shots and it kept me in the game. As soon as I felt like I was going to get down or really get down, I got fortunate and made a putt or hit a good bunker shot at 11. I kept doing something to keep my interest up and keeping me within sight of Sam. And then I got lucky and made a shot over at 14. It was just a wonderful day. We both played pretty well and it was fun. I think in this match it was wonderful what we had. Because both guys played pretty well. And I don't think anybody really deserved to lose. I was 5-under. I guess Sam was the same. Is that right? I made 7 birdies and two bogeys I think. Sam played well, I heard him say in the press interview on the 18th green he hit all the fairways and all the greens and so it was a well played match.

CURTIS STRANGE: 14 I was back to 2-down. I birdied 11 and 12. And then 13 he birdied right back on top of me to go back 3-up. And then he hit a wonderful shot into 14, the par-3 and I hit a pull 5-iron down to the bottom of the hill and made it. And he missed. Welcome to match play. He thinks he's going to put the lid on that match, nail the lid on that coffin, and all of a sudden, boom, you know, I'm back, I have some life. And then he hit a pretty good shot on the next hole, about 12 feet. And I hit it 40 feet. And I canned my putt and he missed. That was 15. And then we both laid up on 16, the par-5, and I hit it in there about a foot. And the next thing you know I'm even. And he's played better than I had, he's hit it inside of me except for 16, and I'm even. And then 17 I just got a lucky break.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I hit a 4-wood just left of the green and it was a horrible shot and it was going to miss the green long and left. And it hit somebody's foot and came out on the green 30 feet from the hole. And Sam played the hole the way you're supposed to. He played a beautiful 4-wood, 4 or 5-wood right in there behind the hole and we both parred there. And Sam had a chance. He hit it in there about 10 feet on the last hole and had a tough putt. So I was lucky. I'm escaping with my life out there.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I had two guys on the Ryder Cup team that played this week. And this will not influence the matches. But what will influence the matches next year is September 11th of this year. You never know a year removed what it's going to be like. We have never done this before. We never had a tragedy like this in our lives or in the world. So I expect it to carry over to next year. As far as the Warburg Cup, you know, this is a first year event that's got a commitment of so many years and it is a wonderful, fun event and we had a ball. You got to remember, I grew up with -- Sam and I grew up with these guys. Not only our age group, our peer group, but the seniors. We looked up to them. And so it's good to get back with old friends and spend a couple of days with our friends from across the Atlantic and around the world. But the Ryder Cup is a different animal. It's taken very differently and it has a long, long history behind it. So it's nice to have fun in a match like this, but it's also, it's a different bird here. Next September it will be.

CURTIS STRANGE: You got it.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I shot 5-under par. I mean, just looking back on it, this golf course, that's pretty good for me. Or anybody, I guess. So I got down, way down, and I just got to tell you, that bunker shot I hit on 11 I believe it was, if I don't make a good bunker shot there and make birdie, Sam has got me in his pocket and I go 4-down. I got fortunate. I made some birdies. I made a par chip over on 14. So I was really lucky today.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well there's a reason why you get 3-down and that's, one, Sam's a good player. But I 3-putted a couple times so I wasn't feeling real spiffy out there if you know what I mean. But you keep playing. I told Sam, if I could get back to 2-down after nine, because now I'm back into the wind. But the wind laid down on us. You know, you play this game, you have to keep yourself up. And Sam is thinking if he could get one more up then he could bury me, I'm sure.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well I understand there's a huge commitment for it. So, yeah, it's going to continue for a few more anyway. I'd like to be part of it again. I had a ball. It was fun. You know, you got to remember, we grew up with, Sam and I did, with these guys. We have a lot in common with the seniors that we played with this week and then our peers in our own age group. So it's a lot fun to get together again. And you don't see a lot of these guys day in and day out because of the two tours. But it's good to get together with them, as well as our friends from across the Atlantic. But it was a ball and I had a lot of fun.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well I think you can't compare a first year event to something that's been around since 1939 or '37 whenever the Ryder Cup started. I should know that. But it's a huge, huge event in golf. And this is a nice event. And it's, it will grow. As some other events in golf. But the Ryder Cup is something special and have you to take it very seriously.