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THE RYDER CUPSeptember 29, 2010Corey PavinNEWPORT, WALES GORDON SIMPSON: Good morning, Corey. Nice to see you back again. Unfortunately it's not been the kindest of conditions for your players today, but how are they coping out there with a little bit of rain? COREY PAVIN: Well, it's good. It's good to see the golf course in weather like this. It's a nice opportunity for us to get out there and play in the rain. I know that guys had that nice opportunity in Atlanta, on Sunday, as well, so I'm sure they are enjoying it immensely out there. It's good. It's nice to see the course in this condition. Yesterday we saw it when the weather was good. So the more chances we get to see the golf course in different conditions, the better off it is for us. GORDON SIMPSON: Is it your plan to play 18 today? The Europeans are playing nine holes. COREY PAVIN: Yeah, I gave them the option to do what they wanted to. I wanted them to get out there and play a little bit and see the golf course. Some of the guys may play a few extra holes, and it looks likes most of the guys will stop after they play the 18th hole. But it's their choice; they can practise a little bit or rest this afternoon and do whatever they need to do to get ready for Friday. Q. It's a blind draw for the singles on Sunday. I know it seems a long way away, but the match everyone would love to see would be Tiger against Rory. Is there any possibility for you agreeing that they should go out first, second, third or even last, with Colin Montgomerie? COREY PAVIN: No, I don't think there's any possibility of that. Just because I don't think it's in the spirit of what The Ryder Cup is all about and the way the pairings are supposed to happen. If it happens, it happens. But it would be by chance, or if either of us wanted to guess and guess right and that's what we wanted to try to accomplish, we can do that. But I think it's more important for me to send our guys off in the best order for our team to have a chance to win. Q. If you fixed it with Monty, would it be against the rules of The Ryder Cup? COREY PAVIN: I don't know if it's really against the rules, but I think it's just against kind of what golf stands for. I just don't think it would be the right thing to do. Q. How do you think the course is holding up to this weather? COREY PAVIN: It looked wet out there. You know, there was some standing water out there. But with The Ryder Cup, you have the luxury of only having four groups out for each round the first two days. So you can have crews out there with each group. You can have squeegees, four or five, six squeegees out there with each group, and it gives a lot of flexibility to get out there and play under very difficult conditions. A regular Tour event, you know, there's somebody on every hole and it would be -- the sheer manpower, it's very difficult to accomplish to get everybody out there playing and finishing. Q. Given the forecast, any concern you might still be playing here on Monday? COREY PAVIN: Whatever happens, happens. I can't control Mother Nature. We'll just see what happens and take it as it comes. And if we are here Monday playing, we are here Monday playing. That's all there is to it. Q. The forecast for Friday is even less promising than today. Wondering if that will have an impact on how you decide to send out your team, if you will take into account not only maybe who the best bad weather players are, but also the best in terms of their psychology of handling that bad weather? COREY PAVIN: I think every player can handle it on Team USA. I don't have any issue with anybody dealing with bad weather. I think everybody can handle it. We have all played in it through our careers, and everybody knows how to play in it and deal with it. Q. Colin Montgomerie a great store in the Opening Ceremony address, to the extent he even thinks he can put Europe 1-up if he gets it right. Can you tell us how much thought you have given to yours and what the tone of your opening address is likely to be? COREY PAVIN: I didn't think that was really that important to the tournament. I have written out a speech now, and you know, I just think it's important to keep it short and sweet and make a few points. I don't think anybody wants to be out there to listen to me to talk for maybe a few minutes -- maybe you are, but the many others. Just want to keep it short and sweet, thank the people that have helped. You know, have a few messages that will be in there, but it won't be too long, and just like to get on with it and get ready for Friday. Q. Matt Kuchar said that you are using the underdog tag as a motivational tool; is that something that you have installed that in the team? COREY PAVIN: The media has installed that more than anything. I think everything I read says we are underdogs. I think both teams are very equal. I think we are very strong teams, and being over here is definitely an advantage for Europe, there's no doubt about that, and being on home soil in general is always an advantage. Seems like most things are equal, except maybe that to me. Q. It was a fairly big day of ceremony today with the Prince of Wales and the dinner at Cardiff Castle and the Stadium concert tonight. Are you and the players looking forward to that, or do you take it in stride or does it get in the way? COREY PAVIN: I'm looking forward to it. I've met Prince Andrew before, big golf fan. I think he was at the '95 Ryder Cup, I believe. Really nice guy, fun -- maybe I shouldn't say nice guy in that regard. But he was fun to be around and personable and I'm looking forward to meeting Prince Charles. I think he'll be out here a little bit later today. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm just like everybody else. It's fun to meet people like that, whether they are famous or sports figures or whatever. It's fun for me just like anybody else. Q. Can you give us an idea of what the guys are doing in their spare time in order to lighten the atmosphere, and can you see any particularly special bonds forming between any of the players? COREY PAVIN: I think the bond's already there. A lot of the time we are just hanging around the team room. Obviously, you know, we are the American Team, so we have ping-pong tables, or table tennis, so we have a couple in there, and just hanging around and just enjoying each other's company. A lot of guys are working out a lot and just floating around, having dinners and just spending time together. Q. Who is winning at the ping-pong? COREY PAVIN: I don't know if there's a tally on there, but I know Matt's pretty good. Phil and Tiger have had a few matches but I don't know how they have turned out. You'll have to ask them. I think Phil is in here later. You can ask him how it is. I haven't been keeping score. Q. Tiger Woods has led off the American Team in his last three Ryder Cups on the Friday morning. Do you appreciate if you don't put him out first thing on Friday, the Europeans will perceive that you are trying to hide him down the order because he's not playing well enough? COREY PAVIN: I don't know what Europeans' perception will be of what we do, but what we do in the pairings and the order is, again, going to I feel be in the best interests to have Team USA hold The Ryder Cup trophy on Sunday. That's what I'm after and that's what I'm going to try to do, and whatever order we go off in and whatever the teams are will be in that best interest. Q. Would Tiger like -- have you spoken to him? Would he like to play against Rory McIlroy, even on a Friday? COREY PAVIN: You know, when I've spoken with Tiger, we haven't talked about order or anything like that. All he wants is the same thing; is to win. That's what we are all here for. And that's really all he's expressed to me in that regard. Q. Do you think Rory McIlroy was wise to say he fancied playing Tiger here? COREY PAVIN: (Pausing) Can I just leave it at that? (Laughter) I think other people have said things like that to Tiger in the past and have maybe regretted it. I think anything that gets players fired up is always a positive thing for that player who is getting fired up. I'm sure that -- well, I know that Tiger is aware of the comment. If they do play against each other, I think it would be quite entertaining. I don't know if they will. You know, we'll just have to see where the cards fall, but I think it would be fun for me to watch. I'd enjoy it. I don't know about you guys. Q. Given the forecast for Friday, it seemed pretty logical to go out today and test yourself in the worst of the weather. Are you surprised that Colin decided to delay and stay in the dry? COREY PAVIN: You know, I think it's just a matter of what the guys want to do. Colin and I think a lot of the same thoughts about that; we want the guys to be comfortable and ready to go on Friday. I don't think there's a lot of use in spending a tremendous amount of energy today playing 18 holes and playing in rain. The object is to get ready to go on Friday; not to be ready to go after today. So there's still another day to prepare, and you know, I certainly don't want to tire these guys out playing in rain for 18 holes, because it is tiring. It is difficult. Not only for the players but the caddies, as well. It makes for a long day, and I think they would be better served probably practising and working on their game today than maybe getting on the golf course. I think the weather forecast is good for tomorrow, so they will have time to get on the golf course tomorrow. Q. Some of your players have said there's been no motivational videos played in the team room yet unlike Europe; do you have any, and if not, why not? COREY PAVIN: I don't. I just don't think the guys need to be motivated. They are as motivated as they are going to be. I'm more concerned about keeping their emotions in check and having it relaxed in the team room at night. There's plenty of going on, plenty of emotional stress, so to speak, this whole week. So I just want them to relax and conserve their energy at all times, and especially off the golf course. Q. Did they ever work for you? COREY PAVIN: I think they are fun to watch, you know, but I never needed any extra motivation, that's for sure. I've always loved played in The Ryder Cup and I was pretty fired up and ready to play five matches every time if I was given that opportunity. Q. I think Lou Holtz came in and spoke to the team last time around, and you have the Patriot Golf Day guy coming in to speak, is there anybody else you have up your sleeve to come in? COREY PAVIN: Yeah, Major Dan Rooney came in last night and talked. It wasn't so much a motivational speech, per se, but maybe a little more awareness of what's happening around the world and what's going on and how, in a military sense, how team unit and accountability to each other is very important. So I just asked him to stress some points that I've been stressing, and just relate it in a different manner. It was a very fun evening, actually. It was quite good. Q. You have arguably the longest-hitting Ryder Cup Team in history here, and finding that the golf course sets up so that you're able to take advantage of your players' length, or has Colin gone in and pinched certain areas so that you won't be able to take advantage of that? COREY PAVIN: I think the fairways are the same width as they were for The Wales Open. He has not changed that at all. The rough is fairly thick and long, so there's a penalty for missing the fairways, but the fairways have not been pinched. The course is set up in as fair a manner as I could possibly think. It's right there to play and if you play good golf, you're going to score well and do well. Q. Are you happy with the advantage your team is likely to have? COREY PAVIN: As long as they hit it straight, I am. Q. Could you talk a little bit about what factors go into choosing the order for play, is it mostly trying to guess who they are going to be playing against on the other side, or creating a psychological rhythm, or what factors go into it? COREY PAVIN: Again, it's what I think is best, and you know, there's things to think about in the afternoon pairings, as well, come into account, who is going to play in the afternoon, if some of the same guys are going to play in the afternoon that played in the morning; order is important for that. You don't want to send a guy off fourth and if he's going to play in the afternoon, you don't want to send him out first. It makes for a mess, really, with the starting times in the afternoon. Yeah, those are some of the factors. But just try to look at it and just try to figure out what I think is best and get the team the most points. I'm not really overly concerned about who Colin is going to put out in what order. It's more about what I think is best for Team USA to go out there. Q. Have you and Colin discussed what you would like to happen if the match couldn't finish in regulation, because of the weather? By that, I mean, would you like to call it a draw or would you like to see the result as it stood of the time of postponement? COREY PAVIN: You mean if we couldn't get it in after Monday? No, we haven't talked about it. I'm sure it's probably in the captain's agreement somewhere, but I can't really see that happening. I mean, it would have to be pretty horrendous weather for us not to finish. This course takes water very well, and I don't think there's a whole lot of lightning in this area. I think it's a lot like Southern California weather; that if it rains, it's just wet. There's not much electricity. I don't think it will happen. It's not really a question for me, per se; it's a question for the powers that be. I'm just a lowly captain. Q. You mentioned earlier about the weather and how much it can take out of a player. Do you foresee changing your strategy as you go along, maybe not playing some guys five times because of that? COREY PAVIN: I do. I think if it's rainy and wet and cold, all day Friday and it's that way Saturday morning, I think it would be very difficult to play five matches. It can be done, but it would be very stressful. It's stressful enough mentally, but physically, it would be, as well. It doesn't mean I won't do it, but it would be a much more difficult task for a player to do. Q. For those of us who don't know, who is Major Dan Rooney, what made you invite him in, and was he around at the time or have you brought him over from somewhere else? COREY PAVIN: Yeah, he lives in Oklahoma. He's an F-16 fighter pilot and he's a PGA of America professional, as well. That's the only combination of that in the United States, oddly enough. Obviously he's a patriot. He's been awarded a few medals for his service to the United States. He has -- Patriot Golf Day is his creation, in essence, we have in conjunction with the PGA of America. He also has a Folds of Honor Foundation which benefits either disabled or people that have been killed in the line of duties, families for scholarships, for their kids. Very inspirational guy, and he's just a great patriot. Obviously he's a golfer and I've known him for a little while now. I just thought it would be neat to have him come over and talk about the guys. Q. And the point was to talk about America, or golf, or both? COREY PAVIN: As I've said before, I want these guys to be accountable to each other and have each other's backs. And basically that's what happens in the military. He just shared a few stories about that and how it relates in the military to what's happened. It was kind of fun listening to some stories he was telling last night after his speech. We just sat around and it was story time. It was fun; it was fun to hear some of the stuff. I think a lot of us that are not in the military or have not experienced that, and to talk to a fighter pilot and the things that he does, night runs, just all of the stories, it was really entertaining and quite fun. And it was pretty emotional, actually. But a good kind of emotion. Q. Did you see a few eyes widen? COREY PAVIN: It was very quiet when he was talking. Everybody was paying attention, very alert. I just looked around the room a few times when he was talking, when I wasn't staring at him and listening. It was neat to see the guys paying attention and caddies and wives and everybody in there; everybody was pretty riveted. It was just fun to see the guys interested in something like that. Q. Did he talk for ten minutes? COREY PAVIN: He talked for about maybe 15, 20 minutes. Q. Just going back to Tiger and Rory, tickets for this event are very expensive. Don't you and Colin have a responsibility to give the general public maximum value for money, i.e., a match between Rory and Tiger? COREY PAVIN: Well, I think there's 12 players on each team that are pretty darned good. Whatever match comes out there is going to be well worth the price of admission. Q. Just going back to Major Dan Rooney again, sounds like a very inspiring man. Bearing in mind the severe criticism that you got for your choice of headgear at Kiawah Island, would it perhaps not been wiser to perhaps distance yourself from military connotations during this captaincy? COREY PAVIN: No, I don't think so. I think the military awareness in the United States is probably at an all-time high. And I think people, certainly in the States, and over here, appreciate the military and what they do for our freedoms, and that's what that was good about. And that's as I said before, that's what it was about at Kiawah, it was about supporting the troops in Desert Storm; not only the U.S. troops, but the troops from Great Britain and around the world. I think what the military does is amazing; to put your life on the line for what you believe and for the freedoms of other people, obviously it's the ultimate sacrifice to do that. And I think it's very worthwhile to recognise that. Q. It's always seemed to me that golf, counter, to, say, football, basketball, go out and win one for the Gipper, requires sort of a controlled atmosphere where you can't -- guys get excited and play a different game. Is inspiration really important, or just being able to sink a 20-foot putt? COREY PAVIN: Are you kidding? I guess you can't inspire someone to make a 20-foot putt, but you're right, you have to be under control. And that's what I've been talking to the guys a lot about is staying emotionally under control, and to conserve your energy, because you're going to use a lot of it Friday, Saturday and Sunday. But you do need to be focussed. You need to be up. But you also need to be relaxed. And you try to figure out how to make that all work. Me, as a player, you know, I've played in tournaments where I felt like I was really nervous and it was really hard to play, and I couldn't relax and I've done okay. At other times, I just felt like it was the easiest thing in the world to go out and play. If I could bottle that second part up and keep it all the time, it would be great, but I don't know -- we don't even know how we do it. I just try to express to the guys that, you know, get out there, be focussed, be aware what's going on and try to be as relaxed as you can and just go play. It is another event. It is another tournament. It has -- it's a great honour to play, and as I've said before, I've never been more nervous than in a Ryder Cup, and these guys are not going to be any different. They are going to feel pressures that they have never felt before, some of them that are rookies. The guys that played before are going to feel pressure that they have felt before, but it's going to be greater than any event that they have ever played besides The Ryder Cup. I just want them to do whatever they need to do and to think about it and understand it so that when they get out there, they can perform to their best. GORDON SIMPSON: Thank you very much, Corey. End of FastScripts |
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