Q. Arnold, do you consider yourself fortunate that the score is where it is now, given at one point you were trailing five out of six matches? Tony, conversely, are you disappointed in any way that it wasn't a wider margin?
ARNOLD PALMER: I, like Tony, am very happy with what happened. I'm not happy to be trailing by a point. You know, everything is so good, the conditions are good, everything here at Sea Island, and Bill Jones, what they do, it makes it pretty fantastic to just be here playing.
I think every one of my guys are happy. They're not all totally happy with the way they hit the ball. But I saw them all out there working on their games a little bit. That's encouraging. You know, there's still a lot of golf. We're looking at six points. It's one difference. Tomorrow we'll see what happens.
But when it all gets down to it, it's going to be Sunday any way you cut it. I think the guys are getting ready. I think they're in the mood. They're talking about it, which is good. I've had teams when you couldn't get the guys to even talk. They were sort of uptight about everything happening. Today they're talking. That's good. That means they're happy, they're enjoying what's happening, and they're having fun competing. That's what it's all about. That's what we try to create when we do these matches: some fun, good competition. And we're getting it.
Q. Arnold, Brad and Bruce's match went back and forth throughout the day. Bruce hit that great putt on 18 to split the match. How crucial was it for your guys to get that half point to end the day?
ARNOLD PALMER: Well, it's a half a point, you say, but actually it's a full point when you do it like that. When it comes to the last hole, the guy has a putt to square it up, you're talking about not a half a point, you're talking about the whole thing right there. And that could have made a difference. You end up 4-2 versus three and a half to two and a half. That means quite a lot.
But, as I said, I repeat, the conditions, the play, the camaraderie, except for Jacklin, you know, he and Faldo, they started off giving nice-size putts, and all of a sudden we won a hole, all of a sudden we were putting those little nice-size putts (laughter).
But, I tell you, it was good competition, and it was in fun. I hate like hell to lose, but they played good. Tony made a couple nice putts. The last two holes, he hit two great iron shots. That's what I meant when I said something about he wasn't there, but the irons worked out very well.
Q. Tony, are you disappointed not being up by more after leading by five at one time?
TONY JACKLIN: No, not really. You know, it would have been fantastic if things had stayed the way they were at one stage. But you have to temper that with knowing the business of golf. These guys are never going to lie down and let us have our way.
I think all in all I'm happy with the afternoon, with the way everything ended up. You know, it's a long dance, as I said yesterday. We're going to see much more drama yet. That's what they came to do, you know, to try.
Obviously, I haven't seen any of the telecast, but I think for anybody watching, wherever they may be, whether it be Europe or over here tonight, I think they're going to see some good golf, close matches, very unpredictable endings to many of them. That's what the public like.
We just do what we do. I don't try and get ahead of myself at all out there. Everybody's doing their level best. You can't control many of the circumstances that happen. That's why we all show up.
MODERATOR: Arnold, if there was a surprise today for you, plus or minus, what would the surprise have been on either side of the pond?
ARNOLD PALMER: Well, there were a couple surprises, but I don't think I'll tell you about them (laughter).
MODERATOR: Tony, any surprises that you can share?
TONY JACKLIN: I was surprised by a couple of putts I made early on. There was nobody more surprised than me, in fact.
ARNOLD PALMER: You played good for a man your age. Accept it, get on with it (laughter).
TONY JACKLIN: I don't do the tournament end of this anymore very often. You know, it's a little nerve-wracking from time to time out there, a match of such import. It's of import to me certainly. Any time I ever played, it was important.
I was pleasantly surprised, you know, that I was able to make a couple of putts early on. But outside of that, there was nothing that went on. I thought Des Smyth hit the most magnificent pitch on 18 from not as easy position down there. I thought that was one of the shots of the day certainly. Then, of course, Bruce made his putt. That was a tremendous end to a tremendous match. I think that match will come out on television fantastic.
But, no, apart from my own shock at making a couple of putts, there's nothing.
MODERATOR: Thank you, Tony, Arnold. To paraphrase Bill Jones, "Let the competition continue."
End of FastScripts.
