THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 30, 1997

Steve Elkington

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, you know, obviously, you know, it was an unbelievable day for me. I must say that leading this tournament from wire-to-wire is the most difficult thing that I've had to do in golf. I didn't have a whole lot of energy. I mean, I used up a lot of energy being in the lead, and I didn't sleep well last night. I felt very nervous starting the round, and once I started, it was fine, because it was hard to wait until 2:15. There's not much to do. So, very anxious to start the round today. And, once I got going, I felt fine, you know, and basically I put in good golf, you know, right at the right time today; putted great. The putting was super all week. I think was probably the best putting performance I've had and probably the best performance I've had totally since I've played the TOUR, and to, you know, win this tournament by, you know, the amount that I did probably, you know, I just -- it was great. I mean, that was -- I didn't think it was going to be this way, to be honest. But, it turned out kind of a large margin. But, it wasn't as easy maybe as it looked.

STEVE ELKINGTON: I think for the week, I did. I think I putted, you know -- I made every putt, really, that I had to make inside of 10 feet. Riviera, I was in, you know, as I said, it was very hard to, you know, lead wire-to-wire here. Riviera, I was from behind. But, I think I was more nervous playing at Riviera than I was here. When I say, "nervous," you know, it's not like where you can't play, it's just you're nervous, you know. But, you know, it was, you know, unbelievable, really. I didn't think that, you know -- I didn't know what was going to happen today. So, I was hoping that I was going to go out and do what I did. And, it was a great thrill.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No. I just don't sleep very good; just watch TV all the time. You know, a lot of golfers go through that when they get ready to play. A lot of sportsmen, when they play big events, they don't eat as well and don't sleep as well. I was up at six this morning to go tee off at 2:30, so it was a long morning.

STEVE ELKINGTON: You know, I sat in the room and putted, to be honest. I putted for like three hours. And, I watched a Sylvester Stallone movie. So, I was ready when I left.

STEVE ELKINGTON: The one where he's in the water -- I mean, under the ground in the -- he's in the -- what is it?

STEVE ELKINGTON: Yeah, Daylight, yeah.

STEVE ELKINGTON: About eleven. I was over at -- producer of Inside The TOUR. I'm drawing a blank here --

STEVE ELKINGTON: Donna Orender's - how am I doing - house last night.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, I'm just sort of sitting here trying to explain what it means to win this tournament by seven shots. I mean, I played that good. I mean, I just feel like, you know, I basically blew away really the best field we've ever had. And, I didn't know if I was capable, is what I'm trying to say. I think, Carol, and I did it, you know, I did it in good fashion. You know, I did it crucial. I was in the lead the whole way. So, you know, it -- it's really something that I'll be able to always look back on and say that no one will be able to point their finger and saying, jeez, you know, it's hard to get in that position, but then it's really hard to finish it off. As you know, they're hard to finish off, and this one is so much danger, you know, in the back 9, that you never know really what a good lead is.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, I think once I got to about 16, I felt that way, you know, "All I've got to do is touch land at 17, and I'm in." You know, fortunately, the wind dropped in the afternoon for us in the back 9, so 17 was sort of just nothing. It was just no wind. It was a 9-iron to the middle of the green. I mean, I hit it right where I aimed, so, you know, and then chipped it in on the last. I mean, that was just a fluke, I think. I don't know. You know, it was a great way to end. I was just trying to chip up for a finish, and it went in.

STEVE ELKINGTON: When?

STEVE ELKINGTON: No. It's hard to smile when you're out there until you're at the end when you relax. No, I wasn't -- you know, I birdied that hole in '91 when I won. I was thinking about that, and I played it dreadfully another dozen times in between these two years. If you look at my scores there, probably over the last three years, double-bogeys and bogeys, so I was just sort of chuckling to myself that isn't this the way it goes, you know, when you're playing well to chip it in.

STEVE ELKINGTON: You know, I had my own troubles there. I had to make a 15-footer there for par. I wasn't too worried about Scott at that time. I knew there was plenty of golf to be played then. You know, there was still other guys that were still sort of popping up a little bit. I didn't take that much notice of the ball until the back 9. But, I felt like all I had to do was really beat Scott in the end because he was in second place, and, you know, I was playing so well, there wasn't any point in just panicking. I was hitting my drives straight off the tee. I didn't feel I was going to miss a fairway. I was hitting my irons really good, and I was putting great. I felt relaxed. You know, reasonably relaxed.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, I was nervous before I started the day. I was fine once I made that 5-footer on 1 for par, settled me down a little bit. But, yeah, I think I probably speak for most of the players, they get nervous when they start the last round, anxious and nervous. It's hard to play. You know, it's hard to go out there. It's a big audience to play in front of. You have the guards every shot, every hole for the last three holes every day right on you. It's tiring. It takes a lot of drain out of you.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, that's different. I think Riviera was, you know, winning the first major that was classified as soon as you win it, you know that's a major. That was a great, great feeling. This is a -- I'm telling you, you know, I've only won here for a couple hours, but I'm saying what I got out of this is the way I did it here. That's what I'm taking out of this so far is the way I dominated this field here the last two days, that's really where I feel the best about. It's a great field, best field we've ever had, and, you know, like I said, it's great.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, you know, the only thing I can say is I've always -- I've either done pretty good at Augusta or I've done bad. And, I feel good about -- right now about the way I'm driving the ball, and I feel good about the way I'm putting. So, those two, you know, those two things, I should be okay there, I think, this year. I don't know -- I can't predict anything. But, like I said, I've either done in the top five or I'm missing the cut, so I'm not sure how to respond exactly. I'm looking forward to it, and I think that the confidence I have right now will help me immensely going to Augusta, because it is a bit of a mind game there.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No, I'm playing in New Orleans next week. I'm going to go home tonight and head down to New Orleans on Tuesday.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, I said earlier, Andrew, that '91 was really a nice time to win this tournament because it gave me the 10-year exemption. Now, it's a different feeling, because I didn't -- I wasn't -- I haven't taken an exemption. I wasn't thinking about that. I had a different pressure on me when I was -- six years ago, I was 28, different pressure on me then. I needed the security. But, like I said, you know, the thrill I've got here is the way I've played my golf to beat this field. That's a different feeling. You know, this -- you know, everyone has to take notice that he just did it. You know, he just blew everyone away, and that's what is a good message saying that. You know, the players they never know, like Tom Lehman when he won the British, he just went out and went on with it and did it, and you get a lot of respect from your fellow players about that. So, that's what I feel good about.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No, I don't think so. I mean, when you think of Greg and what he's done over the last ten years, I mean, there's a few guys that have popped up there and popped up to No. 1 and haven't been able to stay. I think I've got a good chance of having a really good year the way things are going for me. I don't really care where I sort of finish in the whole scheme of things, because, you know, I'm happy -- I've got plenty of commitments to take care of myself for, you know, golf right now. I don't need tons more, you know. I'm not saying I don't want to be No. 1. I'm just saying I'm busy enough as it is. Plus, you know, there's plenty of golf to be played. I'm not even in the top 10.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, you know, I think if you watched the golf, you might have noticed that most of my putts were just barely reaching the hole. And when I had a long putt, it would lag right up where I didn't even have anything left. I lagged well. But, I think the key for me this week was the reading. I read the greens really well. And Gypsy, my caddie, was a good help, big help. He knows this course well. And, as you probably noticed, we did a lot of talking on the greens and trying to figure out what was going on. And then really, I spot putt. I pick a spot in front of me and I putt over it, and that's what I did all week. I had good speed, and I read the greens good.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, I'm not sure. I don't know if my putting has held me back or not. I've always felt like I putted really good in contention. I don't think anyone could find any -- any round that I've ever been in contention where I haven't putted well. And, I tend to putt good under pressure because I don't -- I really concentrate good, and I, you know, I really pay attention and grind it out. Sometimes when I'm out there, you know, my mind wanders, I miss putts, and I don't line them up. Then I get into bad habits. But, all the tournaments I've won, I've always holed crucial putts to win, like here and Riviera, and putted so good today. Doral, I putted super. You know, both Tournament of Champions. I feel like I putt good under pressure.

STEVE ELKINGTON: I do.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, it's raining, you know. It rained so much in Houston. My good friend, Charles Joachim's, is a greens keeper, so I have a mat down there. I just put a mat down in the greens keeper shed and hit them out of the barn out into the rain.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No. Anybody can go down there. I'll take you down there. You can hit balls with me.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. I mean, I -- I don't want to say it. I don't want to say that -- I want to say that I'm so thrilled about blowing this field away. But I don't want to say it. I want to be humble about it. But, I know you guys are going to write it, so I'll let you say it. That's what I like about it. I'm thrilled with it, and, you know, like I said, that's what I'm getting out of it.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No, no. No, I've been through all that. I think I'm pretty relaxed at the moment. I'm the opposite.

STEVE ELKINGTON: That's a good question. You know, I think the thing that I took out with me today was how good I was playing; how organized I was. I felt like I knew how to drive the ball; felt like I was hitting my irons good. I have kind of a swing thing going there. I was really pleased with the way I was chipping the ball. So, I wasn't worried if I missed the green; not like at Doral. I wasn't chipping well at Doral. And, I was afraid to miss the green where I was going to chip. My bunker play was solid. I felt like I had all the tools there going out today, and I had a great -- a really great session before I played today on the range. I mean, it was just beautiful. It couldn't have been better. Sometimes you go out and hit balls before you play, and you don't hit them very good or you hit them all over the place. It was a primo practice session. Everything before I teed off today. So, I started feeling pretty good about all that.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, I would have to say the putting, because as you probably saw on the golf, that even though I hit it well and was leading the whole way, I still had to make crucial putts, and I made more today, and I was -- I-- that was big.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, that's a good question, because I'm actually -- it was a long putt anyway. That was a long putt. First putt of the day, it's always hard to get the speed right. I was going to have to face that putt sometime during the round. It might as well be on the first hole. I'm going to have to hit that putt with a certain thing in my head whether it's on the first hole, fourth hole or the fifth hole. It might as well be on the first hole. I'm going to have to stand over, I'm going to have to line it up, go through my routine, and hit it the way I want to, whether I'm the first hole or the fourth hole. So, it was really good for me to hit it on the first hole. That settled me down, and I was on my way.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No. I'll go down there; get me some of that cajun food; get some beer. No, it won't be tough. I've had a tendency to play pretty well after I win. My game is usually in good shape. I think New Orleans, to me, is a great week. It's one of my favorites to play in because it's relaxing. You can go down there and enjoy some of the things of the city, and it's a good course. And, I'm going to go home and enjoy this tonight and tomorrow, and probably fly down there tomorrow night and play the Pro Am Wednesday.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Did you see me? Were you there?

STEVE ELKINGTON: Yeah.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Not from the players. I mean, some lady was behind me saying, "Oh, Steve, you're going to win. Oh, baby." "Shut up."

STEVE ELKINGTON: Well, yeah. I mean, in practice, when you're hitting it really good, I mean, that's -- that's what it's all about. And, I -- you know, you generally -- because you get in a rhythm hitting the same club, you usually start hitting it pretty good on the range if you're playing well. I never left the flag on the range today. That was pretty much the way it's been for me all week on the range. I've been really striping it.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No. Sometimes I play good when I don't do good on the range, but this week in particular, I was just flushing it. I felt like I was going to hit it solid every time. That's a good feeling. I know this is probably a feeling that you're not aware of. Like, Tiger Woods, to me, looks like he's always going to flush it. He's always going to hit it solid. That's how I felt this week. I was going to hit it solid, no mis-hits.

STEVE ELKINGTON: No. I'm not even on the same wavelength with Greg. He's older than I am. We have had totally different upbringings as far as where we started our career. I see Greg as -- he's one of my idols. He's one of the best -- he has been the best player in the world for the last ten years. He's a friend of mine. We're totally sort of different people, really. I mean, he's got his thing. I've got my thing. We're good friends.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Okay. No. 1 was driver, sand wedge, 40 feet, made a 5-foot for par. 2: Driver, 3-wood over the green, chipped on 8 feet, par. 3: 5-iron, just on the right fringe, 30 feet, putted up 6 feet short, par. 4: Driver, 9-iron to the right of the slope, putted down 15 feet, but I made it for 4. Somebody count these putts today for me. Andrew, count these putts.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Oh, 24? 5: I hit a driver in the sand bunker on the right, hit a 8-iron about 20 feet, 2-putt par. 6: Driver, sand wedge short of the green; chipped on about two feet, par. 7: I hit driver, 9-iron, 15 feet, par. 8: I hit 4-iron, 40 feet, birdie. 9: I hit driver, 3-wood in the sand bunker, came out short, and then I pitched on about 4 feet, par. 10: I hit 3-wood, 7-iron in the right fringe, 30 feet, made about a 4-footer for par. 11: Hit driver, 5-iron in the bunker, fatted it in the bunker and then came out about 10 feet; made bogey. 12: I hit 3-wood, sand wedge about 6 feet, par. 13: I hit 7-iron about 20 feet, birdie. 14: I hit driver, 9-iron about 8 feet, birdie. 15: I hit driver, 8-iron in the front bunker came out 15 feet, par. 16: I hit driver. I laid up with a wedge. Then I hit another little wedge underneath the tree in the back fringe, came out 10 feet, par. 17: I hit 9-iron right in the middle of the green, 25, 30 feet, 2-putt par. And, then, 18, I chipped in 30 feet just off the back edge.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Sand wedge, 60 degree sand wedge.

STEVE ELKINGTON: Oh, yeah, yeah. Did I shoot in the 60s all four rounds?

STEVE ELKINGTON: That's right. I shot 69, didn't I?