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FRYS.COM OPEN

October 21, 2009

Tim Clark

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA

JOHN BUSH: We'd like to welcome Tim Clark into the interview room here at the Frys.com Open. Thanks for coming by and spending a few minutes with us. Special event for you, I know, being close to where you live.
If we can get you to comment on being here, and then also not the result you wanted at the President's, but some fine play on your part.
TIM CLARK: Yeah, obviously a nice event to be playing very close to home. I live literally two minutes up the street, so sort of definitely feels like a home game for me.
Also obviously a nice time of year for Scottsdale. We've got great weather. I'm certainly looking forward to the week. Grayhawk is a course I know fairly well. Not a whole lot. I used to live here in the complex. It's a nice course, and I'm certainly looking forward to it.
Obviously coming off the heels of the President's Cup, you know, I had some good form there. I did play last week in Vegas and played okay, but I think I was just a little bit worn out.
Staying at home now I think is gonna give me time to refresh. Hopefully I can find some of that form this week.
JOHN BUSH: Talk about your season and what you're hoping to accomplish in the next few weeks.
TIM CLARK: Yeah, again, it's been a pretty solid season. I just missed out on TOUR Championship by a couple spots in the FedExCup. I think I'm 35th on the Money List right now.
This will probably be my last event. I was thinking of playing a few more after this, but I think it's time to shut it down. I'm a bit tired. This will probably be it for me, so it's a big week.
I think I can do a lot this week with some good play. I mean, obviously a win would be great to get into Hawaii at the start of next year. You know, I can also improve -- get my position up. It qualifies you for the Majors next year. So, yeah, certainly a big week.
JOHN BUSH: Okay. Questions.

Q. We touched on this a little bit, but guys come into this tournament for different reasons and hope tog et different things out of it. What is it for you specifically?
TIM CLARK: First and foremost, it's right here at home. So, you know, it's -- and it's a golf course that I like, so it's an easy decision for me to play. Regardless of what position I was in on the Money List, I would be playing.
Obviously a lot of guys right now are fighting for their tour cards and fighting for top 30. I think even Top 70 has some sort of bearing on tournaments you get in next year.
So I think for the avid golf fan it's an exciting time of the year because there are a lot of different scenarios going on with different players.

Q. Is there a different feel for the players out there this time of year?
TIM CLARK: Well, again, it depends what situation you're in going into the events. If you're fighting for your tour card, I mean, this is like Q-School right now, you know. Obviously for guys that have had a good year the year is kind of winding down and it's maybe a little bit more relaxed.
Like I say, you've still got stuff to play for. A win is big. It does a lot for you. I think the guys are still working hard right now.

Q. How is it playing compared to when you played here before?
TIM CLARK: I only played a few weeks ago just before going to the President's Cup. I had a round with Pat Perez. I have not seen it yet. I just came in on Sunday, I guess.
But the course looked good. It definitely looked good. The greens were running good the day we played, so I think it's gonna be good conditions.

Q. Golf is gonna be included in the Olympics here in the future. What kind of impact do you think that will have on the sport?
TIM CLARK: Yeah, I haven't given that a whole a lot of thought yet. Obviously golf has become a global game. We've seen what's happened with golf I guess really since Tiger got on tour. I think he's done a whole a lot for the game. Obviously just having played the President's Cup and having Y.E. Yang on the team from Korea and Ishikawa from Japan, the game has definitely gone out to the world.
And possibly having it in the Olympics will take it even further. The Olympics is obviously the biggest sporting event in the world. I guess the soccer fans might argue that. It touches all parts of the world. I think it's gonna be a great thing for golf.
I always thought it would be amateurs that would play in the Olympics. That's the way I've always seen the Olympics. But I guess how it's gonna be is that the professionals are gonna be playing.
Then again, if you get the big names, probably split the game even more. That's probably a good thing.

Q. If this tournament wasn't here, you know, if it was moved, would you be in the field this week, or is it because it's here you're in this tournament?
TIM CLARK: I don't know about that. I think it's going to California next year. Actually, I probably would have played. It's not too far to go either. The weather is probably still gonna be pretty good.
Again, next year that'll probably more depend on what my standing is in the Tour. Yeah, I probably would play.

Q. You're familiar with the course. Is there a particular hole or series of holes that you think will be key to this tournament to twin?
TIM CLARK: For me, there's a couple holes, couple of par-4s that are almost drivable. 15 is one of them, and on the other nine, I can't think -- I think 6 is a really short par-4, 5 or 6.
In the past I've played those holes badly and made bogeys on those holes. That can cost you. I think those holes you need to make quite a few birdies. That's gonna keep the score ticking. I think the par-4s are the key out here.

Q. There's a few guys that are playing this week that hit 50, Couples, Tom Lehman. In the course of your career, have you notices that guys that are getting around that age, their games are maybe staying with them longer?
TIM CLARK: Yeah, I think it's come down to, I guess the fitness, regime of the guys now. You know, 15 years ago guys weren't working out or doing anything. Obviously in the last 10, 15 years, with the trailers that travel with us now, guys are staying in shape more.
I guess with the purses we have it's given them incentive to keep playing and keep grinding. A lot of the guys obviously also look forward to the senior tour, so it's just showing that staying in shape has allowed these guys to still compete on the PGA Tour. You see guys in their 50s still playing out here.
Obviously that trend is probably gonna continue. Whether they will stay out on this tour is really up to them. I think a lot of the guys possibly still have the game to play out here, but really want to go join all their friends on the Champions Tour, which is great.

Q. When the fall series began, I think there were seven tournaments. Now it's down to five. What's the feeling on tour about the future of the fall series, and does that play a vital role, do you think?
TIM CLARK: Again, I'm not too involved with the politics of the Tour and where tournaments are gonna fall. You know, I still try and look at it as one whole season.
Obviously the TOUR Championship now ends a little earlier. But I'm not sure what's gonna happen. You know, I think the guys are all really grateful to have a place to play.
And with the tournaments before TOUR Championship or after, it's just great to have sponsors that are there for us. It's nice to be able to support them and play in these events.
JOHN BUSH: Tim, thanks for coming by, and play well this week.

End of FastScripts

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