FORD SENIOR PLAYERS Championship

June 9, 1998

John Jacobs

DAVE SENKO John, great start. 66 today, maybe just some overall comments on how you played.

JOHN JACOBS: Well, I played very well for me. But I played with a fella today, Hale Irwin, that made me look like -- my 66 paled in comparison because he really played good. Just amazes me every time I play with him how good he plays. But, I hit the ball good. I bogeyed the first hole. I hit I had a mushy lie; probably could have dropped my ball, but I went ahead and played it kind of -- hit a mushy shot and hit it a little fat to the right. Went in the bunker, made bogey. Then I had seven birdies the rest of the day.

JOHN JACOBS: I hit a 4-iron for my second shot. I couldn't really aim at the pin. I aimed it a little bit right of the pin. Hit it 30 feet from the hole. I had a good shot, 2-putted for birdie. It doesn't sound like much. Driver - you hit on the green, you 2-putt for something, but it kind of got me going because I hit a shot where I wanted to hit it. Kind of got me rolling.

JOHN JACOBS: 6 I hit a 4-wood off the tee, then hit wedge about, I'd say, eight feet behind the hole. Made it. 7, I hit very good drive. I hit 2-iron about 30 feet -- maybe 25 feet from the hole and 2-putted. I didn't come close to my birdie. Terrible putt, but I made birdie.

JOHN JACOBS: 9, I hit a wedge about, I don't know, 15 feet, maybe twelve feet left of the hole and I got kind of a break because Hale putted -- he was only three inches from my ball and he putted first and I saw the break, so it was nice of him to come around.

JOHN JACOBS: Let's see, 11, I hit it about 4, 5 inches from the hole. I hit it a 3-iron off the tee and a wedge, just, real kick-in, six, eight inches, maybe at the most. 16, I hit it in there again about a foot and a half behind the hole, almost made 2. The fellow behind the green said it just jumped; almost went in. 17, I hit a drive which I have hit in the practice round. I hit it the same line. It was 30 yards short of the water and yesterday in the Pro Am I hit the same line, it was 20 yards short of water. And today I hit it easier than I hit it and the ground has dried out; it rolled and rolled; went in the hazard; had to play out to the right. And, lucky it didn't go in the water; played out to the right, pitched it on about 12, 14 feet short of the hole. Made it for birdie. 18, I got it up-and-down from the right of the green for par. Made about a 6, 8-footer.

JOHN JACOBS: Yeah, but, you know, he just -- my round is in the right edge of the fairway, left edge. This guy plays right down the sprinkler system. I mean, he can lay a course out by where his driver goes.

JOHN JACOBS: No, I didn't say that. Did I? I was a little on the left of the fairway and little on the right. He is right down the sprinkler system all day. He plays that way all the time. When I am home in Scottsdale, I play with these kids on the Tour. I tell you: There isn't one guy out there that plays as good as Hale Irwin that I have played with. He is just a magnificant golfer, that's all.

JOHN JACOBS: I am hitting more wedges. You see, it's a little more difficult -- today I hit some irons off the tee, laid back a little bit because if I get too close, the ground's still a little mushy and I am not the greatest wedge player in the world. I hit down on the wedges, so I am actually better off further back. It will be better tomorrow, the next few days. I hope it doesn't rain, it will dry up a little bit. I am not the greatest mushy-wedge player on the Tour.

JOHN JACOBS: Because the greens are holding and the fairway's not bouncing -- ball is not bouncing little bit off in the rough and this and that. It is playing longer. I have only played here two years, twice, and the course is playing longer. But, you know, you don't have the fear that it is going to bounce over the green or go -- you know, it is going to bounce and go in the rough or it is going to bounce and go into a hazard or something, which it has been the last two years.

JOHN JACOBS: They had some hard pins today. It was -- you knew how the ball was going to act on the green. You knew it was going to stop, roll a couple of feet, and that was it. You knew what you were going to get. The past few years, the greens were a lot harder and you get a little funky -- a few funky bounces sometimes, but -- the course is in wonderful shape. The course is beautiful. Couldn't have a course in better shape than this. I just wish they would call it off, we can go play off. Maybe they will have three days of rainout. It is kind of fun to see a tournament when Jack is playing good, though. You get to a tournament when Jack plays well, then you got a tournament. I watched ESPN this morning they said -- they interviewed different guys. They got to Ernie Els - Ernie Els who is a young kid, but he says: Look, Jack was the best. He was the best; he is the best, and whoever the next best guy is, he ain't going to even sniff what he is. I thought that was pretty good. But if it stays wet like this, they are going to shoot a lot under par, I know that. I don't know if I will, but I know that Hale Irwin will.