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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 12, 2008

Lawrence Taylor

STATELINE, NEVADA

THE MODERATOR: LT, welcome. One great round today. I think this is the first time we've had the pleasure of having you here in the interview room in the last few years. Take us through your round today, the highlights, maybe a couple of low lights. There weren't too many. Shot 72. Nice job.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: I played well the first 15 holes. I mean I had a 3-under. I got really tired the last few holes. It's a long golf course walk. And I usually don't walk. I take a cart to the green and to the putting if I could.
But, actually, I played with Dan Quinn and Wagner. And so those guys are pretty good guys to play with and stuff. And they play pretty good golf.
I just didn't want to fall behind those guys. And actually I hit the ball pretty well.
THE MODERATOR: Three birdies, three bogeys; the rest were pars. Pretty solid.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Yeah, you know, the putting, I could have had another -- I was in there close all day. I missed a lot of putts. But I guess everybody does that. If I could putt better, I could really make a good run for this championship.
THE MODERATOR: Is 72 your best score out here, in your memory?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Yeah, I think it may be the best score I've shot in the tournament play here.
THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. You had some good scores here before but never really contended. What's different in your game from last year or the last few years?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Other than the last couple of holes, I really don't hit it out of play. I'm pretty confident where the ball's going to go. Even though the last few holes I didn't know where my driver was going. I had no idea.
And you gotta keep double bogeys off your card. That's the key. If you're going to, if you're in trouble, you know, chip out and try to make a par or a bogey. It won't hurt you.
I've always played golf like I played football. I'm all out. If there's trees in the way, people in the way, houses in the way, I don't care, I'm still hitting it. I'm hitting it towards the green. And a lot of times you never know where the ball's going to be.
So I think after last year I came back. And this was the first time I've played in a while. And it's a little bit different with the thin air and the altitude and the walking. But I told myself this year if I get in trouble, just chip out and bogeys don't hurt you. And so that's what I did.

Q. How did it feel getting a par on that last hole? Because it looked like you were looking at a bogey?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Oh, yeah, I was definitely looking at a bogey. The game of golf is a funny game. You can sit there and be three feet from the cup and not even touch the hole. And then there you go, 20, 30 feet, wherever it is, and you drain the putt. That's what golf is all about. And that's why it's so fun to play.

Q. You mentioned you caught a couple of trees coming down 18.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: I hit trees the last few holes (smiling). I got a break that it hit that tree because if it had cleared that tree it probably would have went in the water.
And I had a good putt on the last hole. So I'm happy, guys. Tomorrow I go back out and see if I can just put together another -- a good round.

Q. Think you can win this thing?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: My goal is always to finish in the top 10. That's what I planned on when I came here. Can I win it? There's a lot of good players out there. But, hey, right now I have a chance. I have a chance. I have a good chance.

Q. Are there a lot of guys losing money to you this week?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Oh, hell, yeah. (Laughter) I can't wait, as soon as this is over, I can go collect my money. I may have more money out there bet than the tournament's worth. (Laughter).

Q. Your cardio might not be what you're used to in the old days, but you still look like you could play. Do you work out a lot still?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: This is what I do. I play some can't-see-to-can't-see golf. When I get up in the morning, I can't see the ball because it's so early. When I leave I can't see the ball because it's so late. I play golf all day. That's what I do.

Q. In terms of football, you look like you could still play. Do you work out at all, or is this --
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Oh, well, I ran one time, what year was that? (Laughter) I forgot what year it was. But I didn't like it. (Laughter) I actually didn't like it.

Q. Joe Theismann is out there again. I know you played with him a little bit last year.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: He's walking a lot better, isn't he?

Q. 23 years now. Do you get asked a lot about it? I know you and Joe don't talk much about it.
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: But Joe is still a good friend of mine. And, yeah, I get asked a lot about it. But like I tell Joe, I did him a favor. He was on his way out anyway. So I just -- I gave him what 20 years with ESPN or however many years he's been working with them. I did him a favor. I'm looking for my cut. I'm supposed to get 10 percent of that.

Q. The Giants were an underdog this year. You might be considered an underdog in this tournament. What are the chances tomorrow?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Well, I'm going to try to do the same thing I did today, just keep the ball in play and hit greens and 2-putt. That's what I'll try to do. If I can make a 1-putt, fine. But the thing is you've got to hit the greens and you've got to keep double bogey off your card.
If I can do that -- now, some guy might go out there shoot 67 tomorrow. That's absolutely -- I got no problem with that. But I don't want to give it away. I'm planning on -- I don't want to give it away. Somebody has to come in and shoot a good number. And that's the worst thing. You don't want to ever have to give a tournament away.

Q. With Brett Favre going back on his retirement, can you go back in time and tell us about when you went through retirement? Did you ever get to the point where you thought maybe you were going to come back?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: No. You know, when I retired, I had -- as a matter of fact, I retired three years before they knew it. I retired right after Bill left. I didn't let them know until three years later. But football is one of those things, for me anyway, when I lost my will to hit, I didn't want to hit nobody and didn't want to be hit. In practice, guys, I'm wearing the red shirt. Nobody touch me, please.
And when you get like that, it's time to give up the game. Because it was no fun to me anymore.

Q. Where is home now, and what else do you do? Are you fully retired? Do you have other investments you are involved in?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: I do other things. I have quite a few investments. I make money and I lose money. So I do both. I play both ends of the gamut.

Q. Where is home?
LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Pembroke Pines, Florida.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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