BELLSOUTH CLASSIC

April 1, 2000

Gary Nicklaus

GARY NICKLAUS: Played well today. Good off to a slow start, bogey in the first hole and the 3rd hole, but then after that I played very solid. I missed a couple of greens, but got up and down, actually holed a chip shot for birdie on 10. But it was -- hit a lot of good quality golf shots; made some good putts and the result was a good score.

GARY NICKLAUS: Definitely. I mean, it was -- nothing really happened on the front, like I said, I start out with two bogeys; then I birdied the two par 5s, the fourth and the sixth hole and had a couple of chances, but it was just kind of going through the motions. Then when I chipped in on 10, kind of got things going a little bit and then made a nice putt at -- 10-, 12-foot putt at 11 and then about a 20-foot putt at 12, and I was just hitting good iron shots right at the flag and leaving myself with good putts. Then I hit a good drive, knocked it on the green and 2-putted on 13. Then I missed a short one at the next hole. Then missed another makeable putt at 15. And missed a very makeable putt at 18. So I did leave some shots out there. But I played very solid and felt real good about what I was doing.

GARY NICKLAUS: I guess so. (laughs) My scores are reflecting that. It is a very nice golf course. It is long. It is demanding. It is not a golf course that guys are going to shoot real low on everyday. I mean, it does open itself up for a lot of birdies, but if you are not sharp it can jump out and bite you pretty quick too. I think that I have -- I have played it pretty well. I think I have been pretty patient and I think it sets up well for me.

GARY NICKLAUS: I don't know, does it enable you to get in?

GARY NICKLAUS: I wouldn't think so.

GARY NICKLAUS: Obviously that is a tournament I'd love to play in. My father has been such a big part of that tournament for so many years. Sitting back watching him all these years, dreaming about one day being out there and doing the same thing he is doing. Of course, I'd like to be in The Masters next week or next year, but it is definitely something that I want to do.

GARY NICKLAUS: I am going to try to do the same thing tonight that I did the last couple of nights, hit a few balls after I get done, hit a few putts; go home have a good bite to eat and get a good night sleep. Nothing real exciting; nothing -- nothing out of the ordinary, just kind of try to keep my mind off of what is going on and what I have to do tomorrow and get away from it; then come out and be fresh tomorrow.

GARY NICKLAUS: I spoke to him after the first two rounds.

GARY NICKLAUS: Keep playing well.

GARY NICKLAUS: One full season. I played a lot of tournaments over there for probably -- probably averaged about 6 or 7 tournaments for five or six years - one full season.

GARY NICKLAUS: Obviously the faster this golf course gets the more difficult it is going to play. The greens, even though they are getting firm, they really aren't getting the speed that you might think they would have. We were commenting on that on the back nine out there today, Steve Jones and myself, about how they look a lot faster and they feel faster but they are not getting the speed as they get the hardness, which I am sure might come tomorrow, but we will see what happens.

GARY NICKLAUS: I had a couple -- I had about a six week period last year on the Nike Tour where I had real good chances going into the last round to win and if I had good rounds, I was in position, and I really -- a couple of good rounds but they weren't good enough to win. But that is really the only time was last year on the Nike Tour.

GARY NICKLAUS: I mean, you got to go into them and be patient and just play -- try and the play the same tomorrow that did I today and yesterday and the day before. Don't do anything different; just keep calm and be patient.

GARY NICKLAUS: No, not really. I mean, his game is obviously something that everybody would like to take a lot of his game and put it into their game and there is things that I do and there is things that I don't do and it is not because I don't want to do them, I just -- maybe I am just as not as good as he is. (laughs). He talks about course management and missing shots and short-siding. I am like, yeah, that is great, if you hit the ball where you want to hit it all the time. If you don't hit it where you are aiming, you are going to short-side yourself sometimes. So I mean, course management is the biggest thing that I would like to take from him.

GARY NICKLAUS: That is course management.

GARY NICKLAUS: Yeah, actually I played with Phil. I think he was 16 years old the first time I played with him. I think that is the only time I played with him actually. I mean, I have spent quite a bit -- not a lot of time, but we know each other pretty well and Phil is obviously a great player and look forward to playing with him tomorrow.

GARY NICKLAUS: Western Junior Cog Hill.

GARY NICKLAUS: What age is he right now? I think I was 19. I think I was 19.

GARY NICKLAUS: No, I mean, we just -- he is actually playing very well right now. It's the best he has hit the ball in quite a while and he was just saying, you know, go out, keep playing the way you have been playing, keep it going, and I am going to go out and get myself back into this tournament. That was kind of the gist of the conversation.

GARY NICKLAUS: I was named after Gary Player but he is not my Godfather.

GARY NICKLAUS: I have, a little bit. When he comes down and visits my parents during the PGA Seniors and a couple of other times during the year and I have always -- I mean, not just Gary, it is a not -- whoever is in the position that Gary is in, whether it be Gary or Greg Norman or Steve Elkington the other day, I want to try and pick their brain and I want to try and get as much information from them and advice from them that I can. I mean, that can only help me in the long run. I mean, these guys have been there and if I can gain a little knowledge from their experience then that puts me ahead of the game.

GARY NICKLAUS: No, I am playing solid. I am hitting good drives, good iron shots and good putts. I guess the weak -- only weakness I have had this week is probably my short putts. I have had a few 3-putts and missed a couple other three or four-footers, but besides that everything else has been pretty strong.

GARY NICKLAUS: 14.

GARY NICKLAUS: Not normally. I mean, normally it is the longer putts that is my problem, but I have made plenty of those this week and I have missed some short ones. I will go out and work on that this afternoon and we will try and eliminate that problem.

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