FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 24, 1999

Hale Irwin

HALE IRWIN: Well, I think certainly, hats off to the fellows, Troy and Ralph over in the HealthSouth Trailer. They have done a helluva job of getting my shoulder in a playing mode. I honestly didn't think that I would be able to play as well as did I today, given the way that I felt just a couple day ago. That's not to say it's by my means, perfect, but I'm very pleased with what I'm able to do now. For the last several weeks, I have not been able to put swings as I would like to be able to today. This has been sort of something that's sort of come slowly, but surely it's been affecting my swing. And, I think it sort of climaxed last week with the pain. Hats off to them, and as soon as we get through here, that's where I'm headed. That seems to be the sanctuary. Instead of the practice tee, I can go get worked on. I did play well. I hit a lot of quality golf shots. I used a different putter today. Very much like the ones I've been using but, again, just slightly different. I'm not making any major changes in the putting. The stroke -- it's almost just visual with the putters. They are almost identical, but each one has it's own personality, as you might guess. Something new. Yesterday evening, I putted with it and put it in the bag. Although, I can't say that today's success was because of great putting. I just hit the ball very nicely.

HALE IRWIN: I guess we'll have to put it in layman terms. I don't know. They raise my arm. For instance, your shoulder blade is supposed to kind of move a certain way and mine is not moving that way. There is something in that shoulder that's been keeping me from when I want to hit through a shot, my swing -- the ball is just going left. I have just been unable to hit it on line. And today, literally, was the first day I felt I could make a swing with that line in my mind, and actually hit the ball on line. What they have been doing is not only working where the pain was, but working out some of the knots and whatever is causing -- trying to get to the root of the problem. This is the surface problem, but it's not at the root of the problem. And, I think they are working on that and some massage, ultrasound, some stimulation to get that working properly.

HALE IRWIN: I think it's a ligament that's been -- stretched. It's certainly not torn. Certainly, not torn but it's been stretched to a point of some discomfort. And it's not entirely gone, but it's enough now that it's -- I don't feel it in my golf swing. Although, there are times where I do feel it and when I get to that point, for instance, yesterday, I hit a few balls after the Pro-Am, I started feeling it. I quit. So, it's to the point now where I feel something that's bad, I don't push it.

HALE IRWIN: They have done a very nice job. So, I really do credit them for just getting me here. I didn't -- I honestly didn't know if I could play. I just took a trip up here on Tuesday. In my mind, almost 50-50 chance of turning around and going back Tuesday night. I'm very happy to be where I am.

HALE IRWIN: It was better today. And today was better than yesterday. I think we're not a 100 percent, but we're 90. And it started probably at 70. So, we're picking up a few percentage points each day.

HALE IRWIN: I don't think. So, I think as long as I keep -- keep the therapy going, and I'm -- I was considering playing next week, but I'm not now. I just don't want to push my luck. I'll do something else. Shoot off a few firecrackers or something.

HALE IRWIN: Very much. So I came up here very tentative. As I said yesterday, I've never withdrawn in the middle of a tournament like that, I've always posted a score, even if it was 90. I've posted it. That was the unique experience, and I didn't enjoy that and I didn't want to start this week and get out there at four holes and have to pull out. If I felt any discomfort on Tuesday or Wednesday, I would have left.

HALE IRWIN: Every time, you go through that once, and you're just a little bit -- it's on your mind. But at least now, I can -- it's on my mind but also a good swing -- I'm able to put a good swing on it, which I have not been able to do since St. Louis. So something happened between St. Louis and last Friday, a week ago tomorrow. And it's just been I think ever so slowly, something -- I hurt it or it's tightening up or something happened. I can't recall. There's no specific instance at all; there it was, I got run over by that truck. It wasn't one of those things;; it's just been building up.

HALE IRWIN: The practice tee. Even when I stayed in the Pro-Am, it was a little tight. But I think with the additional therapy that I got last night and this morning, and in a few minutes, and tomorrow, every day it gets better.

HALE IRWIN: As often as I can get there, yeah.

HALE IRWIN: 1st hole. Started out with a wedge to two feet from the hole. I started with a nice birdie. Hit a 4-iron at No. 4 which just about went in the hole. It rolled up hit the flag and bounced off about six feet from the hole and I made that for a second birdie. Birdied No. 6, again, 2-iron off the tee and a pitching wedge to within a couple feet of the hole. Been hitting some nice pitching wedges, at least. Birdied 10, hitting a little 6-iron to within six feet of the hole. I bogeyed 12, missing the green left with a 7-iron. It rolled down there and hit a very poor approach -- 2-putted for bogey. I birdied 13 after a drive in the right trap. Hit an 8-iron out of there and then 9-iron to the green and made about a seven-foot birdie putt. 14, I missed green right. And fairly difficult pitch, but I hit a very nice, soft little sand wedge which trickled down in the hole. That was from about 40 feet. Maybe a little farther than that. 42 feet. But anyway, pitched in for birdie. Made a great saving-par at 16 after hitting it in the fairway bunker, in the green-side bunker; a very tight little sand shot, and hit it up there about six feet from the hole and made that for a saving-par and then parred in. So a few little wayward shots on the back nine, but all in all, a pretty solid round.

HALE IRWIN: Pleasantly. It's a pleasant situation. Maybe slightly surprised. When I hurt it, I didn't think it was going to be something that was long-lasting. Had I continued playing, particularly around Pinehurst, slugging away with those long irons and everything, or maybe getting in the rough again, then it may have become something different. My son, I have to say that he was as strong an advocate of my pulling out than anyone. Sometimes you get the bit in your mouth and you want to play regardless of whether you're hurt or not. And he said: Don't be stupid, which I usually am. He encouraged me; it's not worth it. And after a couple of sore swings, I said: I surrender.