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OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE PRO-AM

February 16, 2007

Tom Wargo

LUTZ, FLORIDA

PHIL STAMBAUGH: Tom, I know you're probably happy to get in with 3-under 68, sort of a tough morning but being from Centralia, Illinois, maybe you're sort of used to this. It's not all that bad.
TOM WARGO: Yeah, the only bad part about the round was trying to find the ball at the driving range at 6:30, 7:00 this morning. You can't distinguish how far it is. We were concerned we were going 20 lose the golf ball on the first hole. We hit it too hard; disappeared, right, it was dark out there.
No, I don't mind this cold weather. I'm a cold weather prayer to start with so it don't bother me at all. I kind of enjoy it a little bit rather than the hot weather. Warming up nice now. Bring it on. Bring that cold weather back. Not good for the fans, though.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Take us through your round, you had five birdies, two bogeys and did you have any good saves out there or anything that kept your round going.
TOM WARGO: You know when you're playing in this kind of weather and wind, you're going to have to get it up-and-down. You're going to miss some greens, so you're going to have to rely on the short game, in nasty weather, that's the game that you look forward to to bail you out all the time.
We birdied the second hole from about five, six feet I guess, which got us off to a good start, and then I 3-putted 5. I hit kind of a bad iron in there and then I 3-putted it from about 30 feet.
Then came right back and made a nice putt on 7 that got us back in the hunt a little bit.
Got it up-and-down nicely on 8, and then chipped it in on 9, which always helps. Remember, you've got to have short game.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: How far?
TOM WARGO: Probably around 30 feet I guess, just off the green on the right and chipped it in.
And on the back side, we kept plugging along. It started getting a little bit raggedy on the back. We got it up-and-down on 10 and 11 and birdied 13 from about 15 foot. That was a nice birdie on that hole into the wind. And made a nice 2-putt on 14 from the front of the green and bogeyed 15. Hit it in the right rough and didn't have much of a lie. Got it up in front of the green in a bad little pitch shot and missed it, and then turned around. And made a nice birdie putt on 16 that got you back in the hunt. That's a good stretch of holes down through there, 14, 15, 16 and 17, 18. If you get through there at even par, you're doing well. That's a good stretch.
16, I knocked it in the middle of the green and down in from about 30 foot and then parred the last two. That's a good stretch of holes with the wind.

Q. Your attitude about the weather, the fact that you say it doesn't bother you, is that an advantage for you on a day like today when you know some guys are out there probably not feeling so good?
TOM WARGO: They are out there pissing and moaning out there in that cold weather, I know what they are doing. No you try to use it to your advantage. Ain't no sense in getting upset and complaining about it because everybody's got to play in it, so you might as well try to use it to your advantage and bear down with it, because everybody is going to make some bogeys out there. It's tough not to make some out there, so you just kind of grind it out and don't get upset when you make bogeys.
But no, like I said, I enjoy the cool weather and I try to use it as an advantage. And I am a low-ball hitter a little bit anyway. So if I can get playing good in the weather, I kind of enjoy it.

Q. Was the wind more of a problem on the front nine than the back nine? Did you feel it swirling a little more?
TOM WARGO: Yeah, possibly so. Especially, like I said, the holes -- there are some tough holes out there. You turn that corner around there, like No. 11, you know that wind is coming around them trees back there. You've been back in there I presume. So you know the wind is coming around there.
You get downwind on 14, but again, when you turn that corner on 15, 16, they are just good golf holes. You have to golf your ball through there, let alone the wind and everything. I always figure if I can get through those holes even par, I've had a good stretch.

Q. Have you been putting particularly well lately? Was that an advantage today?
TOM WARGO: Comes and goes. But I did make some crucial putts, yeah, basically. I chipped well, let's put it that way. And then I made a nice par save on 14. I struggled on that hole. Hit it in the right rough and laid it up, and hit it in the front of the green and I hit it about eight-foot past and made it for par coming back.
But that's why I say, you've got to grind it out in this weather, and you can't be upset when you start missing and making a couple bogeys, because you know everybody is making them.

Q. You're one of the guys, one of many guys who has made a name for himself out here, second career Champions Tour --
TOM WARGO: First career.

Q. Wondering if you could just put in perspective what it's been like; could you have ever dreamed of the success you've had and the longevity and what it's done?
TOM WARGO: No. I came out here with the expectations of -- we run a little 18-hole golf course back home, and there was five of us that I putt a little package together and got some guys, investors and we put it together and the wife and I run it.
My expectations out here basically were just to try to make a little money when I first came out, because I finished actually second alternate in the school in fall of '92, I guess. And I just wanted to make enough money to buy them partners out. And then her and I could use that for retirement purposes, and I've been out here ever since.
I was fortunate to win the PGA into my sixth or seventh tournament and that gave us a year's exemption. And from there on, we stayed in the top 30 money winners for about six years and we got a chance to build the all-time -- get on that list.
But that was all I wanted to do and all of a sudden we've been out here I guess, '93, what is it, 13, going on 14 years. It's nothing I really didn't expect it to go this far, I really did not. It's been a real treat. I've met some really nice people and some great golf professionals out here. It's been enjoyable to play with them, alongside them because those are the guys I watched on television.
I started the game when I was 30 years old. I grew up with no golf; I wasn't exposed to it. So I got into the club professional end of it when I was 38 because I liked it, I enjoyed being around it and working outside, and where I'm working now, guy to the grass and do the whole thing. I enjoy it and that's where I wanted to go.
Like I said, when I turned 50, let's see if we can make a little money and that was the opportunity that came along. And we were fortunate enough to catch that.

Q. Any thoughts on being able to remain competitive into your 60s? Has that been easier or more difficult than you would have thought? A lot of times that's sort of the breaking point I guess.
TOM WARGO: Well, you want to try to be competitive. What I'm settling into more or less is not expecting to do anything great but just trying to move along and make a check here and make a check there, because I'm getting close to getting retirement.
I'm 64 and I want to start spending some money, staying home and enjoying it. I've seen the country enough and like I said made some great people. It's time now to probably settle down and spend some money. At 64 years old, you start losing your friends one at a time and you start looking around; what am I doing? I'd better start enjoying life a little bit more.
I still think I could be competitive, I could get into the Top-10 maybe and once in a while, maybe I could get a Top-5 finish, that would be great. Understandable now, there's nothing like coming down the stretch on Sunday thinking if you can get in the hunt thinking you can take it off, but who knows what's going to happen. I still hit a lot of crooked shots.
PHIL STAMBAUGH: Tom, thank you.

End of FastScripts

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