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MASTERS TOURNAMENTApril 10, 2008Gary PlayerAUGUSTA, GEORGIA Q. Gary, how was that? GARY PLAYER: Man, that's a tough golf course (laughing). That is so tough. No question, the toughest golf course that I've ever played, not even a doubt. Well, par for me is 80, so I was 3-over par today, for me. I thought I was going to go for a lot more, though, but I played the back nine well. It's long. Every hole is a wood for me. The course is in great shape. Tough pin placements, which we expect to see. I thought the course was marvelous. Q. What does it mean having played this tournament 51 times? GARY PLAYER: Well, it's a thrill. It's a thrill to know now that I hold the record. Of course all records are made to be broken, aren't they? Fred Couples, if he makes the cut this week, I'll be the first to go and shake his hand and tell him, "well done." Somebody will come along and break 51 one day, I guess. Q. Anything that you saw today or will see tomorrow that would make you change your mind about playing next year? GARY PLAYER: No. If I can shoot around 80 -- if I have a good day, I still putt very well, and my short game is still very good. But I really -- I have been playing very nicely, and I played very poorly today, really, except the back nine. The front nine I just played horrible, and I have been playing very well. I mean, yesterday I played extremely well. I shot this side in even par yesterday. But I just wasn't -- there's a little bit of pressure on me today, a little bit of pressure. Q. What do people say to you in the gallery as they're following you? GARY PLAYER: They're unbelievable. So full of love and kindness, it's just really appreciated. Q. Why was there pressure? GARY PLAYER: Well, you're playing your 51st, and you want to try and play well. I'd rather not discuss them. There are a lot of reasons. Q. Who was the hug from between the 18th and the scorer's tent? GARY PLAYER: That lady always says to me every year, "Give me a hug," so I never turn a hug down. Q. They announced that they have decided to let children 8 to 16 come in. What do you think about that? GARY PLAYER: Marvelous, marvelous idea. This Billy Payne I think is going to turn out to be one of the greatest we've ever had to run the tournament. Great improvements all the time with him. Q. Why do you think it's such a great idea? GARY PLAYER: The youth of the nation, this is our posterity. These are your future golfers. Golf rounds are going down because golf courses -- the average golf course is getting so long. All the clubs you go to are making their golf courses longer and longer, so all the costs are going up and up. Oil is going out of bounds. Water is a rarity. You've got to pay a lot of money for water and there's going to be no water; we're running out of it. That is a fact, not a maybe. Places like California, Arizona are not going to have water. Florida is already on water rations, and that's a water state. You're going to have to do a lot of thinking. Golf is going to have to do a lot of thinking in the future. That's why we need a lot of young people to be playing golf, and that was one of the single best things I ever saw. Bring these youngsters in. That's why Tiger for me is so great, because these hundreds of millions of kids all over the world are seeing this guy play, this great athlete, this fantastic golfer, and it's encouraging people and youngsters to play golf. They're going to fill the vacuums in the clubs that we have now. End of FastScripts |
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