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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY MORGAN STANLEYMay 27, 2008Travis PerkinsBob SowardsDUBLIN, OHIO LAURA NEAL: Like to welcome Travis and Bob. Thanks so much for joining us this afternoon. The Memorial Tournament's a home game for both of you, so get some opening comments from each of you on looking forward to this week and your expectations. Travis, want to start. TRAVIS PERKINS: Yeah, I'm very happy to be home. This has been a lifetime dream of mine to come home and play in this tournament. It's great, just very nice to be here. And I'm just looking forward to a good week. Hopefully the weather cooperates. BOB SOWARDS: Being able to play in this tournament again, I played in 2005, it's one of my favorite golf courses. One I know really well. I expect continuing really good things. Feel like I'm starting to hit the ball better. Make a few putts. So one thing I have this week above most of the guys is some course knowledge because I've played it, I played the course a lot. So looking forward to it. Really happy to be here. LAURA NEAL: Take some questions. Q. Bob, how much is a lot if you had to give a ballpark estimate? BOB SOWARDS: I probably played it a hundred times. I was assistant here for two years in '96, '97. One of my main jobs was to host guests. So I played it quite a bit then. And then in different tournaments over the years as far as section stuff, so probably about a hundred times I've played. Q. How much, with that knowledge, how much better is your chance of being near the -- being on the leaderboard at this tournament as opposed to any other tournament out there? Is it significant or a little bit? BOB SOWARDS: I think it's significant because as Travis knows, we get to a tournament and we haven't played, you rush around trying to get in practice rounds and learn the course and here I know where I can't miss it. I know where I can be aggressive and where I can't. I know some of the little subtle breaks that a lot of the guys won't know. Kind of -- I mean definitely the course knowledge is going to help me a lot. Q. Travis, as you approach one on Thursday, what do you think will be going through your head as you hear your name announced and the applause? TRAVIS PERKINS: I'm going to -- I would really like to try to treat it just like another tournament. Obviously it's already a different tournament because I'm going to have a lot of family and friends here. And just the atmosphere already even yesterday, I know it was a holiday, but there was a lot more people out here than a normal TOUR event. So far that I've played on a Monday. And I think there was even more people today. I guess just try to play with blinders on. That's the best thing can I do this week. Q. How many times have you played the course just growing up? TRAVIS PERKINS: I actually played about three or four times in high school, which then it was a completely different golf course. And I got here on Wednesday and I played 18 holes every day since. Q. Bob, I just wondered how -- I'm sorry if you've been asked this already, but you obviously played here a few years ago. Is this different for you as far as, I don't know, butterflies, I don't know if that's the right word? BOB SOWARDS: Absolutely. In 2005 I was standing on the first tee, I was so nervous I was about to puke. (Laughter.) Then after you hit the first tee ball -- just because it's a tournament that I've always watched this tournament. I don't watch much golf on TV but this tournament is one my dad really thought was a -- should have been a Major. But I was really nervous. And I'm playing a lot better this year, so I'm expecting myself to have a good week. Q. Travis, what have you heard from your family and friends in anticipation of this tournament? You said you're going to have a big tournament out, but when you found out you would be playing here what did they say and how much -- can you tell how much forward they're looking to seeing you out here? TRAVIS PERKINS: First thing they wanted was free tickets, obviously. But, no, everyone's been calling the house or they will call my mom's work. I haven't really stayed in touch with a lot of people over the years, just because my family has moved a couple times since I left to go to college. But I think that the people that are close to me are very proud. And they're happy that I'm here. And this is, for me, it's a long time coming. I've always felt that I was, even growing up here watching this tournament, that I was capable of playing at this level. It's just take me a lot longer to get here and I think that the people close to me know the work that I've put in and are very happy for me. Q. We haven't talked I think since Pinnacle, I'm just curious, Top-10 here, or qualify on Monday, what would be priority one? BOB SOWARDS: Top-10 here. Absolutely. Q. Where does the U.S. Open in the big scheme of things for you rank as far as tournaments overall go? BOB SOWARDS: Well, listening to some of the guys tell me what Torrey Pines is going to play like, it's kind of a mixed bag whether you want to qualify or not, to get out there and get beat up. But I definitely would rather Top-20 here than play well on Monday. For me that would be a no brainer. Q. Bob, besides '96 and '97 as an assistant here, you were at New Albany Country Club from '98 on or can you kind of just go through the rundown of where you've been around here? BOB SOWARDS: Speaking of tickets, I got three other clubs that members want are calling me about. (Laughter.) I started at Brookside, worked there for five years from '91 to '95. And then came here in '96, '97. And then made it through -- the reason I left here was I made it through Q-School and made the Nationwide Tour for a couple years. Didn't make enough money to keep my card and I went to Wedgewood in the year 2000, worked there for six years. And then let's see, 2007, I guess that was my first year at, or 2006 was my first year at New Albany. So I worked there for two years and made it through Q-School this year. Q. How often have either of you guys been in the galleries here over the years growing up or at any point in your life watching here? TRAVIS PERKINS: For me probably five or six years. All through -- basically when my parents moved over here when I was going into the 7th grade, we moved over to Powell from South Charleston. And that's when I kind of got my first glimpse of this tournament. And I've been here ever since. I should say until I left to go to school. BOB SOWARDS: For me I've never been in the gallery. When I was working here I had to work in one of the tents. So I never saw any shots when I was here. Q. What did you do in the tents? BOB SOWARDS: Sold merchandise. Kind of made sure that everything was restocked. Q. Travis, what role did this tournament play in kind of developing those aspirations to be a professional golfer, seeing it for those five or six years; and you kind of mentioned earlier that you were capable of playing, but when did that realization set in? TRAVIS PERKINS: Well, I think that it was funny because I would always come out here and watch and then you would just have that itch to go play. And it seemed like every time I came out here I always hit the ball better when I would go play by myself right after. And you just you would pick things up from guys, watch the preshot routine and their swings and just try to emulate them. But as far as -- it's, once I moved and I started this as trying to do this as a professional thing, I didn't really think about just getting back to here. I wanted to get my PGA TOUR card and go from there. But this is going to be a special week for me. It's very special. I'm just so thrilled to be home. Q. Travis, where will you go from here schedule-wise? TRAVIS PERKINS: Next week is Memphis. Q. So you're there? TRAVIS PERKINS: Yeah, I'm in Memphis and I didn't even try for the U.S. Open. I just had a scheduling conflict and I have done that several years now and it just always conflicts with the schedule. And you just wear yourself out. And to me it just felt, I felt it was more important to try to keep my card and to play in another PGA event instead of wearing myself out trying to do the qualifying. Q. What about, because I know both of you guys have played both tours this year. What about if you would play at Scarlet at the Nationwide Tour event later in the summer. Is that on the radar at all? TRAVIS PERKINS: I looked at the schedule and I'm sure you have too. But I'm pretty sure that after the U.S. Open I think Bob and myself are going to play pretty much a full schedule. We'll be in the rest of the year other than the two Majors. Q. I know the Canadian Open, Bob and I talked about is the same week as the Nationwide. So your plans would be for playing -- TRAVIS PERKINS: As of right now -- and the PGA TOUR gives you a sheet of what tournaments you expect to get in on your number -- and that's one of those. Since it's after the British Open, a lot of guys will skip that event. Q. Bob, with all the knowledge you have of this course, are guys aware of that? Have any guys maybe who haven't played here much tried to pick your brain? BOB SOWARDS: Not really, being a rookie on TOUR, no, most of the guys have played here enough to where they don't ask a lot from -- I mean, they might ask things of Mr. Nicklaus or Davis Love or somebody like that, but they're not going to ask me. Q. If they ask would you tell them? BOB SOWARDS: I would tell them something. (Laughter.) LAURA NEAL: All right. Good luck to both of you this week. TRAVIS PERKINS: Thank you. BOB SOWARDS: Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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