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SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 27, 2005

Arnold Palmer

LIGONIER, PENNSYLVANIA

JULIUS MASON: Arnold Palmer, ladies and gentlemen, has just competed in his 24th Senior PGA Championship. Arnold, this obviously has been a pretty special week, as evidenced by the crowd here today. Some opening thoughts and we'll go to Q and A.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, I don't have much to say. What can you say after you shoot the kind of scores I shot?

But I did do one thing that I'm happy about. I made Fuzzy gave me a little bit, on 17 tee, I did play one good hole. And that was it. And I made two there. So that, I, that gives me a license to play another round some time.

JULIUS MASON: Questions?

ARNOLD PALMER: And I think that I suppose the only other comment I have is, of course I'm extremely pleased that the weather has turned the way it has. And the golf course, it just couldn't be better. The wind will make it interesting, if it continues to blow the way it is. It's coming across the tops of those trees out there. And it isn't an obvious wind. It's one that you know is there, but if you're not careful, it will do a lot of things to your shots. The low ball or the one that's below the tree, that will not be affected very much. And the one that gets up above the trees, that will get knocked down severely.

Which will make it interesting. I would like to see the PGA put the tee back at 18. That front tee is, it makes it nothing but a good par 4. Other than that I think everything is wonderful.

Q. How emotional was it for you to come up 18?

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, it's another one of those emotional situations for me. I'm not sure that I would even be playing if it weren't for the fact that this tournament is here at Laurel Valley and this area. And I'm quite aware that my golf is not up to speed. So for that reason and that reason alone is enough for me to not have played.

And I was quite aware of that. And that, of course, when you think you might be able to play and be a contender, that provides a little more emotion than I had today, although it was quite emotional, and I felt it certainly. When we talk about the area and my living here and I've lived here all my life. And if you don't know how long that is, I'm not going to tell you.

But and I enjoy it. It's fun. And certainly there's a lot of feeling in what has happened here.

Q. Of all your kind of finals in these settings, where does making a birdie on 17 rank? I know you probably would have rather birdied 18, but 17 is not too bad.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, the birdie at 17 was very satisfying to me because as I said, I was kidding with Fuzzy, and he, I think he hit a 3 iron and hit it pretty good. And it caught the edge of the sand trap. And he was not very happy about it. And although he never shows that much either way.

I was going to hit a 5 wood and when I saw him hit the 3 iron the way he did, I just took a 3 wood out and gave it a pretty smooth swing and it, as it turned out, it was perfect.

But as I said, the wind came across those trees at the top and knocked it down very quickly, which kept it on the green.

Q. How far?

ARNOLD PALMER: It was about 20 feet. Maybe 18 feet.

Q. You mentioned yesterday that you were looking for some encouraging shots in this round. Did you find those encouraging shots, things that kind of

ARNOLD PALMER: I didn't find very many. I think probably the only one that was of any real encouragement was the one at 17. But I'm you know, I'm such an optimist that there were a couple shots that I thought, well, it gave me something to work on tomorrow.

Q. Do you have anything to say to your fans today that there were so many of them out here who just followed you from hole to hole.

ARNOLD PALMER: Well, I think I've said it. That's part of the reason I'm even playing in this event. Because the local people have, oh, for all my life they have been extremely supportive of me and my golf. And I felt like I had to at least show up to keep from not showing them the respect that they deserved for the support that they have given me all my life.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you very much, folks.

ARNOLD PALMER: Okay. Everybody happy?

End of FastScripts.

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