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AMERICAN CENTURY CHAMPIONSHIP

July 16, 2010

Jack Wagner

STATELINE, NEVADA

THE MODERATOR: Thanks for joining us. It's going to be quick. 26 points today. Good to have you back in the media room. And the 2006 winner, I believe it was, if I'm not mistaken. Take us through your round real quick and tell us about the wonderful things you did.
JACK WAGNER: Just par on 1, had about 10 foot, missed. 2, hit about a 12-footer. 3, just kind of a par. 4, I hit the green in two and 2-putted two birdies early. And a good shot at 5. 6, hit about six feet and missed and lipped out.
And I think my round really was made by No. 12, when I made about a 10-footer for par, and then I wound up birdie-ing the next two. Two more 10-footers, and came in with a birdie on 18. One of those rounds where sometimes the best putt is a par put or bogey putt. Today my best putt was a par putt.
THE MODERATOR: 26 points. The year you won, do you remember how many total points you had?
JACK WAGNER: It was about 69 or something.
THE MODERATOR: 69 or 70. We'll look it up.
Questions, folks?

Q. What was your toughest hole, do you think? What was the most challenging?
JACK WAGNER: You know, I got a break on 15. Normally I just hit a nice cut driver on 15. And I hit the trees on the right and I got a break. And I kind of threw it out just in the rough. I had a little shot, a little window. I wound up hitting an 8-iron, had about a 40-footer, hit it close, made par. I got a break off a tree and wound up taking advantage of it.

Q. Now that I believe you turned 50 this past October 3rd, since we share a birthday, any thoughts of going on the PGA, Senior PGA or Champions Tour?
JACK WAGNER: I have. I thought about going to Q-School for the Senior Tour, possibly just giving that a shot to see where I might stand in something like that. I think most of the guys out here have always wanted to know in the long run how we would all stand.
I know Rick made it on the tour for a while. So if you really work at it -- if most of these guys really worked at their game, I think we'd be surprised we might be more competitive than just with each other.
I might even go do that. I'm thinking about it.

Q. That seemed to be the theme, the amount of work to get to that level?
JACK WAGNER: Yeah. I mean, not everybody hits balls every day and works at their game, just getting ready for this tournament. So we'll see what happens. But I've thought about it. I might do it.

Q. You've been playing pretty good. You won the tournament down in San Diego a couple weeks back?
JACK WAGNER: Yes.

Q. You were out here, I understand, practicing a couple weeks ago trying to hone the game. What's going on?
JACK WAGNER: I did. I've had a little free time. My story line has been a little on the back burner. So as an actor, when you're on the back burner story line, you get to play a lot more golf. So I've been putting my time in on the range.

Q. Getting better? Do you feel like the game's getting a little tighter as you get closer?
JACK WAGNER: Just little things are getting better.

Q. How many putts out here today, do you think?
JACK WAGNER: Wow, good question. Probably right around 28.

Q. Were you playing here, practicing here at Edgewood?
JACK WAGNER: I came up about two, three weeks ago, played 18, hit some balls. And the course was pretty empty. I went out and I went to holes that I struggle on, shot second shot on 16. I had about two hours, three hours by myself all over the course and just hit some shots that I normally struggle with.

Q. Billy Joe Tolliver always complains there's a lot of big guys playing in this tournament, and if you're late in the rounds, you're on greens that are all kind of mushed down from these 225-pound football players. Have you noticed any difference in the greens, or is he just spouting more smack?
JACK WAGNER: Billy Joe Tolliver should just lose weight. He's one of them. (Laughter). Tell Billy Joe Tolliver to walk lightly.

Q. Usually when we're in this room during the tournament, it's you, it's Rhoden, it's Billy Joe, it's Quinn. Right now you've got a couple guys out there whose names really haven't been on the leaderboard in the past, Vinny Testaverde. Jeremy Roenick has been there a couple of times and Mark Mulder. A little new competition looks like after the first round.
JACK WAGNER: Yeah, that's great. The real test usually comes usually tomorrow, you know, either the guys that are playing well continue to play well or some guys that may have played over their head seem to weed themselves out.
So I think you're going to probably hopefully have a few new guys in there this year that can shoot in the 60s. That's what it's going to take.

Q. We understand yesterday that they had the biggest Thursday crowd out here by about 10% in history. What was it like today? Do you notice when you're playing, do you notice the bigger crowds, or are you just so focused on your game, you're playing 18 and that's it?
JACK WAGNER: The way guys like me notice the bigger crowds is if you get like maybe 20 or 30 with you, that means they're bigger, because most of them are with Michael and John and all those guys.
But I have some family here. And I've always liked -- the galleries, that's what's so special about this tournament. A lot of people plan their vacation, a lot of people plan their year around this tournament, and I know all the players do, too. It's great that the galleries are growing. And I think the field this year has a lot of new talent in it and a lot of diverse entertainers as well as athletes. It's just a cool event, cool week.

Q. You've been in the lead before going in the second round, been the top all the time. Anything in your thinking differently tomorrow, or is it just three days the same or any way you're looking at it any differently?
JACK WAGNER: No, it's three days the same. You gotta drive it pretty good out here. And you just gotta keep your nerve. Because a lot of times you have a lot of short irons. If you don't make birdies, for guys like us with a lot of sand wedges in you, you feel you should be making a lot of birdies. Doesn't always happen. You've got to grind through those moments where you get a little anxious and a little nervous.

Q. I think in the 20 years of this tournament, you have been the only non-athlete to win it. Are you ready to repeat five years later?
JACK WAGNER: You know, I get a little disturbed by that because I do the elliptical. (Laughter). Pushups, chin ups. I do that stuff. So when they say "nonathlete," are they talking to me?

Q. Non-professional athlete.
JACK WAGNER: I do the elliptical. And I did an episode a month this year where I played a golf pro, so I feel as though on camera I've played golf. I've done shirtless scenes where I have to do pushups. It's very athletic. I'm on TV.

Q. We have Romano and you doing the golfer on TV. Obviously we know who's better.
JACK WAGNER: Yeah, how is Ray playing today? I'd love to see how he's doing.

Q. I think Hank Haney is out there with him right now.
JACK WAGNER: Thanks guys.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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