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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 15, 2009

STATELINE, NEVADA

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, welcome to the 2009 American Century Championship. We have defending champion Rick Rhoden, seven-time winner, and the biggest money winner in this tournament's history, just over a million dollars, in 19 years.
Also Billy Joe Tolliver, two-time winner. I believe he's finished in the top 10 about 10 different times. I don't think Mr. Rhoden in all his years has ever finished worst than fourth. Not a bad track record.
Why don't we start off with Rick. Rick, you've been out here. You've played a couple of practice rounds. Give us the overview and what it's feeling like to be Rick Rhoden on the eve of the defending championship.
RICK RHODEN: Well, I haven't played yet. I got in yesterday. I haven't played a practice round. But I hear everything's really nice, the course is in nice shape.
It sure is a lot nicer weather than in Florida. It's about 98 down there every day. This is nice.
Looking forward to playing as always. It's always good to come. And it's like reunion time; you get to meet all your friends again. Right now we're not playing too many celebrity events around the country. So this is basically the one we get to see everybody and their families.
That's a big part of this, I think, more than the golf itself, really, is just the friendships you have and the people you get to meet and become friends with them and their family.
THE MODERATOR: Billy Joe, how have you been? Tell us about your game; what have you been doing?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: I've been pretty busy working, and not playing much golf. As a matter of fact, he's talking about the heat. It's too hot to play where I live. 98... listen to him crying.
It's 105 where I live. 90 percent humidity. I would rather deal with it than the snow. But it's always nice to get up here, not sweat for a couple of days. You can walk out of the house where I'm at and sweat.
So it's good to be here as always, looking forward to having a good time with the American Century people. And like Rick said, all the guys you haven't seen in basically a year. I haven't seen Rick in a year. So it's always good to get back and see Liz and everybody. Not so much Rick, but his wife Liz. I like her. (Laughter).
Nobody likes Rick, we just put up with him because of Liz.
THE MODERATOR: As I look at the odds, I see, Rick, you're going off at 9 to 5 and Billy Joe 5 to 1. What do we think about that?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: Rick's probably dead on and mine are probably a little generous. I probably need to be more like 25 to 1, or right around there with Barkley somewhere.
THE MODERATOR: Oh, 499. He dropped from 500 to 1 from last year after the lessons from 499 to 1.
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: He must have been pretty confident, because he text messaged me this morning and told me to get ready for this ass kicking. So he's on his way. (Laughter).
He's coming this evening, so I guess he's prepared. You better drop him down to 399 to 1. He's jacked up.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Rick, how is your game right now?
RICK RHODEN: It's pretty good. Couple months ago it was terrible. It was so bad I didn't play for a month.
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: That's good.
RICK RHODEN: I started back. So I'm feeling good about my game. This is the best I've been playing in a long time, but that doesn't really mean anything until you start on Friday. I've been here before where I thought I was playing pretty well and didn't play my best.
Last year I played like three rounds in four months and won. So that pretty much goes out the window, I think, when the tournament starts.
And if you're a good player, you have a good chance to play good. Billy Joe's playing it down, but he's one of our better players. And I don't care if he hasn't played in a month, the tournament starts, you don't forget how to play.
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: I do, sometimes.
RICK RHODEN: You might forget where the ball is going but you don't forget how to play. If some good things happen early on Friday, or any round, you can get it going.
THE MODERATOR: I think most of you are aware that Rick, up until a couple weeks ago, tried for the U.S. Senior Open qualifying on four different occasions and was successful all four times. Of course, when we came out with a press release to tout that, he just barely missed the cut on his fifth time.
Rick, you've been playing pretty solid from what we understand.
RICK RHODEN: It wasn't your guys' fault. I should have made it easily. I was 3-under after four holes and 3-under after 10 holes. Just a couple bonehead plays.
You play at a course you only get one practice round at. You don't really know the course that well. I aimed it at a bunker for my target. I didn't think I could reach it. It was about the size of a car hood and hit it in, got a double bogey and it cost me not getting in.
But I feel good about my game. We'll just have to wait and see.
THE MODERATOR: As far as other players that you're picking, besides you two and obviously Danny Quinn, who else are you looking at? And what other new names that might be playing this year do you think you need to be looking out for? We heard a little bit about Ken Whisenhunt and his background. What's the scuttlebutt out on the range among you guys?
RICK RHODEN: You can easily tell by Friday, the first round of a new guy, how he plays, if he's a good player or not. Doesn't matter to me what they shoot in the Pro-Am or anything. Friday is a whole different animal for guys that haven't done it. If they play well on Friday, they're probably a pretty good player.
I think pretty much the same set of guys. We all know who has a chance to win out here. Trent Dilfer should be playing better now that he's not playing football. I assume he'll play better.
Tony Romo, I played with him last year. He's got a lot of game. I think he needs to play in this kind of format more, probably, which is the case for quite a few guys. They don't get a chance to play in this real golf type stuff where every shot counts.
It's not playing with your buddies, where you try to get a birdie every hole. If you get an 8, doesn't matter. Hard to do when that's the only kind of golf you play, to change. But he's got a lot of game, and he could be a big factor. I'm assuming he'll be a big factor.
THE MODERATOR: Billy Joe, you're sounding a little modest today.
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: Well, you know when you haven't been playing -- it's like Rick said: Once you get out there on Friday, you get off to a good start. You have an opportunity, one, two, three and four to feel pretty good about yourself. Or feel really bad. It just depends.
But it's amazing you get a couple to fall early and all of a sudden you start hitting it closer, feeling more confident. There's still a couple of days left. I hit it solidly yesterday. We find out how it's going to go today.
But it's just a different animal in the Pro-Ams. Rick, he's smart enough never to change his move. He just hits the ball the same every day. I get in the Pro-Ams and I'm swinging 110 percent as hard as I can, and then you throw it off a little bit, and you've got to get ready and change it up Friday.
Then all of a sudden you drop it back down because now it really matters where the ball goes.
But a couple more days I might change my tune on it. But the golf course is firming up a little bit. It's getting where they're not putting as much water on it. The greens may be a little better this year. So with the new golf course superintendent, he's put a lot of work in. And hopefully you can just get something to fall and ride some momentum.
THE MODERATOR: You've talked in the past about what a good looking guy you are, and you've just told me you dropped 10 pounds since last year. Are there bigger crowds following you out there or what?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: I've noticed the hotties, all my chubby chasers that have been following me around for years, they're disappointed. I've dropped 25 pounds, and it looks like you threw a deck chair off the Queen Mary, you can't even tell I lost all that weight.
You get to a point when you get old, fat and out of shape like I am, it gets tough walking up 15. And I could barely make it up 15 last year, and 13 last year. So I just said: You better lose a little weight.

Q. You mentioned the format and how the players, they have to kind of -- they have to get used to this kind of format, I guess the newer guys, they're the ones going pin seeking and trying to get the low score, whereas a safe play to be see actually maybe a par-5 play, it as a three-shot hole. Just talk about how to play this format smart in order to score well?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: Yeah, why don't you talk about that.
RICK RHODEN: I'm a firm believer in golf, you play according how you're playing. If you're hitting the ball well, you usually know by the second or third hole how you're feeling. If you're hitting it good, that's the day you go for pins. If you're not hitting it good, you might play a little to the fat side.
Depends on how you're playing. I think the big thing here that's hard for guys to realize, par is one point and birdie is three points. Two better than a par, but double bogey is minus two. That's three worse than a par. So a double bogey is harder to make up.
And I think maybe where you would try some kind of shot maybe in real golf, you know, if you had a tough shot under a tree, around, that in this format you might say I'm just going to hit it out 10 on the green, play for bogey but if I get a par, fine, bogey doesn't really hurt you. You can't get the double bogey. That's what kills you in this format. It can stop the momentum.
But as far as playing, I just think you play according to how you're playing that day. Every day's a little different. It's kind of like pitching. You start off a game. Can't get your curve ball over, work it, work it, now starts getting over. You can finally get them all over. Golf's the same way: If you're not doing something well, don't force it. Just throw it in there a little bit and maybe by the middle of the round all of a sudden your game -- one shot in golf sometimes can turn the game right around, one good shot or one good putt.
THE MODERATOR: Any extra pressure for you at all, the fact that you're defending champion? We know you've always had a great track record, especially when it comes to winning in the odd number years. Last year was the first time out of the seven that you won during an even number year. We know as a former baseball player you're probably suspicious, I mean superstitious. And being a pitcher, it's even worse.
RICK RHODEN: I just go try to play the best I can. That's good enough. Who would have thought 68 points would have won last year. I think it's been in the 70s every year. I certainly didn't think it would be.
So you never know what it's going to take. You never know out here. You could be behind -- one year I won here I think I got 15 points the first day. And then I got 30 and 30 and won by like four or five points.
So the guys that are the better players here are capable of getting 30 points, if you play a good round of golf. There's a lot of holes that you hit birdie. Mostly it's the putting out here.
If some good things happen or you might throw an eagle in there and, whammo, you get 30 points. I think I got 36 one time in Denver. I never had a round like that, but you never know -- this is the kind of course it could happen. It might not happen but it could happen.
THE MODERATOR: Billy Joe, what's the strategy going into this week, besides swinging 110 percent, are you going to pull it back a little bit?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: Like Rick said, you get your round started and you see how it's going. And then you decide how aggressive you're going to get, what positions you've put yourself in. And bogey doesn't hurt you. So there's some times that you will take a shot. You can go out there and make nine straight pars on the front nine. And beat down to a guy who made three bogeys and three birdies.
So you just play all according to how you feel, shoot at the ones you can shoot at it. You get a lot of wedges in your hands. Just make sure that -- because it looks like the greens are going to firm up a little bit and just make sure you don't short side yourself, because I miss a lot of greens. I have to get up-and-down, that's just the way it is.
But you hope that you get out there and you can play the par-3s well even or better, and you can play the par-5s under and just see what the rest does for you.
THE MODERATOR: Rick, All Star game last night. I imagine you were watching a little bit of that, your thoughts on that ball game.
RICK RHODEN: Let me tell you we went out to eat, my wife and I, with Steve Bartkowski and his wife, Sandy, last night. When I went downstairs I went to the sportsbook to see what all the odds were. The game was on. That's the first time I knew the game was on last night. I watched it for a minute when the National League got three runs and took the lead.
That's the only part of it I saw all night. You probably don't believe it. The only time I watch baseball is when it gets to the playoffs now. I don't watch it too much. I couldn't even tell you who is leading.

Q. If you could talk a little bit more about the Celebrity Tour, how many events have there been in the past, how many are there now, and is it an economy situation, do you think?
RICK RHODEN: Well, we at one time had like 15 events back around 2000. And then after 9/11 it kind of dwindled on down. And this year the only event I've been to has been in San Diego.
And this really isn't a celebrity player's tour event. This is an NBC event. So in all, I guess if you really want to tell the truth there basically there isn't a celebrity players tour anymore. It basically is mostly from the economy, I would think. I think we have a pretty good product. It's just people don't have the ways and means to put the money out there to have us have events right now. They're having more serious problems than that.

Q. Billy Joe anything to add to that, I think you played on that too for a while, right?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: It's just as the economy goes. And then besides that you get in a situation where your kids get to an age where you show up to less and less events, because there's everything going on at the house and all this other stuff.
But it doesn't matter. There could be 20 events out there, 30. It doesn't matter. This is still the premiere deal. Everybody wants to play in it. You come out here. You have a great time with great people. American Century, Harrah's, everybody involved with it, they do just a great job. The people at NBC are unbelievable.
Just the way they treat us this week, all the fans that come out, all the staff here at Edgewood, it's just a great week, and this is the one that you look forward to. I'm sure this is how the PGA TOUR guys, they're starting their season out and they're looking forward to Augusta. And this is our major. And we look forward to it.
RICK RHODEN: You know, it's a great event for us because they don't have any problem getting players to come here. They have to knock them away.

Q. Is it sad at all that the Celebrity Tour is maybe going away?
RICK RHODEN: You know, that's what really -- this was our inaugural event always. Then we kind of formed the other tour. We all play golf. Not playing in eight events somewhere is not really going to hurt any of us golf-wise. But as I said before it's good to see your buddies. It's like a fraternity. We've been doing it for 20 years now. Now every time we see each other, unless we happen to show up where somebody lives, coming through town playing golf or doing something, you don't see them until you come here, usually, which is pretty sad when we've been meeting six, seven, eight times a year for 15 years. It's a little different.

Q. Billy Joe, on Sunday you'd like to be paired with Rick, I'm sure, because you know you'd have a chance to win.
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: Not if he's not in the last group, I don't want to be paired with him. If he's in the last group, yeah, I would love to -- not to cut you short on your question, but in this format, last guy on the golf course is the guy with the advantage. And you have to get to the final paring on Sunday.
It's all well and good that you go out there, two groups out of the -- two groups from the end, and you go shoot your little number, they still have control coming down 16 and 18.
And a lot of numbers can happen on those three holes. A huge swing can go on. So you've got to work yourself into that last group. And it's hard -- it's hard coming down Saturday, making those decisions. Do I take this chance? I'm playing pretty good, how is it going to fall?
And you start leaderboard watching, or I do anyway. I try to see where everybody's at just to try to position because it's such a huge advantage to be in that last group on Sunday.

Q. Now, what do you say to yourself if you see the name Barkley closer to you than the number Rhoden?
BILLY JOE TOLLIVER: I just know that I don't call home. I don't talk to my wife, because she comes with this -- I don't know why you even play, why do you go out there. You suck. And believe me those are the things -- last year, I wouldn't even call her. I didn't even watch it. You were awful.
So, hey, I love you too, good talking to you. Feed my kids, chop some wood, whatever you do. She's just brutal. So there's this added pressure on Joe. It's tough being me.
THE MODERATOR: Rick, we understand that Bill Laimbeer's back this year. It's been a long time since he's earned that infamous title of Lake Laimbeer on No. 18. Any particular thoughts or memories of that event?
RICK RHODEN: That was my first event. And all I can remember is the first day, I never played in any kind of tournament golf in my life. And the first shot on No. 1, I don't think I've ever been that scared in any sporting event I ever played in.
And none of us knew at that time, you know, a lot of us didn't know who could play, who couldn't play, we didn't know each other.
After that year, I think it's been under par since that first year. First two years were 5 over par. I remember Billy. He had a chance to pretty much lock it up on 18, I think, if he had got a par. And he tried to hit it to the green, which even if it didn't hit the green he could get a par. Then I made a birdie. And all I can remember is my caddie and I sitting there when he hit the ball, I hit a terrible -- I hit a good drive, hit a six-iron, missed the green, on the right. Not in the lake. Thank goodness. His third shot, hit it in the water. When he hit it in the water, I am thinking if I can get this par, it's over. And I know they caught me on TV smiling to my caddie.
I was really smiling because I made a bet at this sportsbook. I'm not going to tell you what the odds were there. I didn't bet a lot of money, but I wish I was that odds after that. I never even got close.
When he kept hitting it in the water, it was just kind of like, oh, goodness he wanted to get out of there. Like that tin cup thing, you know. Except he wasn't hitting it 250. (Laughter).
It was well earned, the name was well earned that day.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much.

End of FastScripts

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