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FUNAI GOLF CLASSIC AT WALT DISNEY WORLD RESORT

October 21, 2005

Brandt Jobe

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA

TODD BUDNICK: We have Brandt Jobe after a 10 under career best 62 during the second round of the Funai Classic at Walt Disneyworld Resort.

Brandt, nice job today. Just the one bogey on No. 18.

BRANDT JOBE: Yeah, one bogey on my 9th hole. Other than that, pretty good day. Pretty good day.

TODD BUDNICK: Talk a little about what was going well for you today out there.

BRANDT JOBE: It was kind of funny because yesterday I didn't play very well. Kind of struggled on my first nine holes, hitting it kind of everywhere, but putting well. I never putt well on Bermuda greens, because I haven't had that much practice at it.

Everything was, you know, going well yesterday. Today if I could just hit greens, get it in the fairway, hit some greens, I might make some putts. That's kind of what I did. I started hitting it well, all of a sudden it came together. Just kind of patient, it happened.

TODD BUDNICK: You're having a career year, 29th on the Money List, get into your first tour championship. Two runner ups so far this year. Talk about the success you've had this season.

BRANDT JOBE: Well, I think it has been, you know, like everything, we're always trying to get there and get it figured out. By no means have I figured it out, but I've kind of learned a little more about myself.

I think having a year and a half off really to look back at what's been going on, how I was playing well in Japan, then came over here and was playing so poorly for five or six years, I thought, you know, what are the things I got to change, what do I have to do.

It wasn't so much changing everything. I mean, I totally changed my putting a hundred percent, which has been huge for me. You know, I think I'm usually 140th. I think this year I'm somewhere around 70th. That's a leap.

But ball striking was kind of getting it simpler. We were always fishing around. Mike and I simplified thing. We looked at a few things. It's really kept me on track this year.

TODD BUDNICK: How important is staying inside that Top 30, getting into your first tour championship?

BRANDT JOBE: I answered that yesterday. You know, my answer to that is I'm going to go play this week, next week, play as hard as I've played every other tournament. You know, hopefully if I continue to play well, I'll get there.

Certainly starting the year, that was one of the goals? Absolutely. More than anything I'd love to win a tournament. That would really make this a great year.

You know, Top 30 would mean a lot. Obviously, say, Hey, you've had a really solid year and you belong there. Definitely a goal. But, you know, this has been after where I was last year, you know, cast, couldn't feel my hand, this has been a huge bonus.

TODD BUDNICK: We'll take some questions.

Q. You've clearly been on the bubble coming into this part of the year, thinking about your card. Is there any way to define the difference between whatever you were feeling the last two weeks trying to get into THE TOUR Championship as opposed to trying not to go to Palm Springs?

BRANDT JOBE: Not comparable (laughter). I've got a job next year. You know, no matter what you do out here, I mean, if you're winning every other week, or Tiger's trying to makes X amount of dollars to break the record, everybody's trying to achieve something every single week. Last few weeks, somebody's trying to make the Top 150, the Top 125, the Top 70, the Top 40 for the Masters, it never ends no matter where you are. I think unless you're 20th on the Money List, you're trying to get in the Top 10. It never ends.

But it's certainly a lot easier to come out here and play, you know, knowing that, okay, I'm in great shape, I control next year, I'm getting in all the tournaments I want to play, set my schedule, my year. I've got a good chance to get in a lot of the majors. Things are looking good. That's a huge bonus.

When you're right on the bubble, I've been there twice, you know, everything seems so huge, so big. Every putt, every drive, every missed fairway. I mean, you kind of get in your own way then.

The best thing to do there is, looking back at it, you just got to play and let it fall where it falls. It's a lot easier to do that now where I'm at than being 126th on the Money List, believe me.

Q. You're a little different than some who have been because of your success in Japan. What is your highest on the Money List?

BRANDT JOBE: 60th, 61st.

Q. If you never cracked the Top 50 on the Money List, despite your talent or how far you can hit the ball, is that a realistic goal for players who have never gotten there?

BRANDT JOBE: I think in my case, you know, I got up there and got pretty high in the world rankings, kind of did a slide. I came over here, tried to change everything in my swing. I was going to do everything. That didn't work for me.

As soon as I gave that up after a couple years, all of a sudden my next year I made almost a million dollars. Had a real good chance to win a tournament that Charles Howell won. I kind of handed that right to him.

Then the next year I started off great, in the Top 40 on the Money List, I broke my hand, okay? That year was gone. Then I started the next year. I'm in the Top 40 on the Money List after about four or five events. I break my hand. That year is over.

I think I've been trending towards the right direction, but I haven't had a full season to see what was going to happen, if that makes sense. So it's been irritating, to be honest. You know, thank goodness I'm still playing.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Shoot, I wish I could say that. Doesn't that sound good? First two inches of rough both times.

Q. Left wrist?

BRANDT JOBE: I broke my (inaudible) and the hook of your hamate. I broke the bone, the only bone that faces forward in the palm of your hand. I broke it once, they took it all apart. Never supposed to break again. I broke it again. Then the second time is worse than the first.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: First one was at the Western Open. Second one I think I broke it in LA and found out it was truly broken at THE PLAYERS Championship.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: You know, in certain areas. I don't know the Western Open I know exactly how it happened. In LA, it was one of those things, Saturday afternoon, I leaned on my putter on 18, playing pretty well, and my hand just it just shot through my body. I said, Oh, my gosh, how can this be? I'm on the phone, what could be happening. No one believes it can break twice because it just doesn't.

I played out four or five events, did everything, shots in there, everything you can imagine, antiinflammatories. Finally we did all the MRIs and everything, it showed up. It's a gray area because it's so hard to tell when you've had surgery there because there's so much around with scar tissue. Looked like it was broken. Sure enough, the only answer is to go have surgery again. It was worse this time than it was last time.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Well, you know, it's supposed to be one of those deals. It's like anything, when you get it taken out, it's gone, done, you're healed. The only problem is you lose the whole feeling on the whole left side of your hand. That could take three years. Right now my pinky is numb.

Q. Still? You had the surgery in '04?

BRANDT JOBE: Just last year. Last year I think it was in May. It's been over a year. I'm still a little numb. But, you know, I've lived with it. It's been numb for so long that any feeling feels good. It's one of those deals.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: I was. I was on a major medical at the start of the year.

Q. That will make you work on your driving accuracy.

BRANDT JOBE: It will. I still can't get there. I'm on the theory, hit it hard and go find it.

Q. Chase it?

BRANDT JOBE: It seems to be working (laughter). This year I think with equipment, the equipment change this year, went over to Callaway, they've really got me matched up with the ball and the driver. I've seen a 10 yard increase this year over the past, which is huge for me. It's really been a nice benefit, I guess.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Boy, I mean, I put Keaney and Tiger. He hits it about as far as he wants to. So does Hank and so does Hend. It would be fun.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: I'm one of those not included. I can move it out a little bit, but I'm not in their league.

Q. How come they don't have some smart tournament director that doesn't have you guys all get together and go out there and wail away for an X prize before the start of a tournament.

BRANDT JOBE: That would be interesting.

Q. All hit your own balls, own clubs, whatever you want.

BRANDT JOBE: Everybody would probably get hurt at the end of the day.

Q. You had a pretty good run on the leaderboard at Pinehurst, as I recall. Do you like the low scoring tactical game or do you prefer this untuck your shirt, let it fly stuff that we're doing here this week?

BRANDT JOBE: I'm more I think, like the US Open, as hard as that was, which was to me about impossible, it was the fairest, most difficult test I've ever played in because the rough was so uniform. There wasn't a bad area or a good area. It was just all bad. I'm all for that. If you want to make it hard, I just want it to be hard one foot off the fairway the same as 15 yards off the fairway.

And they did a real good job with that. The greens and everything, I mean, obviously those are as difficult as can be. To me that was a pretty honest test. If you had any weakness, it just came right out.

I enjoyed that, as frustrating as it is. I think it kind of brings the best player that week, ball striking, putting, everything.

Q. All around?

BRANDT JOBE: All around best player that week rises to the top, versus I think when you have an easier week, you can get away with a little more out here. You don't exactly have to drive it accurately or you don't have to chip quite as well. Short irons, may not be hitting your mid irons, but you don't have to hit as many. I think there's a little more to get away with here.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Somewhat. I played on TOUR, very similar.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Uh huh, '91. Went to Asia. Won in Asia. Got on Japan. Played there for five years. Saw how big everything was getting here. Said, How can I get back?

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Well, you know what, I was fortunate that that's when they just started the world events. They didn't know what they were really doing. I snuck in a little gray area, got in it, got my card.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Well, I think I got to play in about it was 1999. I played half my year in Japan, half here. I got in the majors for my world ranking, and I got in the world events for my world ranking, combined with I think I got about eight starts over here, because I got in that category where I was in 150, then enough Top10s kept me going.

I remember being here in '99, Disney, calling up Charles, saying, I will wash your car if you give me a spot. Ended up, I was about 20 grand ahead. But this was it for me. I had no more starts. I was so close.

My category then, it was my world money plus what I made out here. Officially, if those two combined were over 125, I was in, but I wasn't taking a spot. I think (inaudible) and I were

Q. 125, I think.

BRANDT JOBE: It was the first year of the world.

Q. What do you think now? Is the idea that somebody can either apply heavy WGC phone over here or someone who plays on The Presidents Cup can get a start?

BRANDT JOBE: There's a fine line there. I mean, I think if everyone I'm part of it. I mean, I think the best tour in the world, the most difficult tour in the world hands down is the US tour. You can't compare Japan and Europe to the United States. It's impossible.

In Europe, they may have 40 guys that can win that week. Here there's 144 guys or 156 guys that can win. We saw it last week. It just doesn't happen.

Japan is the same way. Japan may have 20, 25 guys that really I think are going to win the tournament. There might be someone out of that group, but not too often. Europe is kind of the same way.

When you come out here, you look at all the different players, the quality of play, there's no way to measure a finish in Europe or Japan to a finish in the United States. I've done both. I've played it everywhere. It's impossible.

I think what would be a better idea, I've always thought about this, would be to go off the Money List. If you're X number you've earned it. Wherever you're playing, I don't care, you've earned it. If you're in Europe, the Top 30 in Europe, the Top 10 in Japan, the To 8 or 5 or 6 in Australia, Asia, maybe the Top 50, that could be a better way to get a field than going off of world ranking, because it just doesn't make sense any more.

I look at it now and I can't figure it out. I don't think anyone can. That's wrong when you can't figure out what's going on with the system.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: No. I'm saying that would allow them to get in terms of like doing the world events, fields like that, majors and things like that. We're using all this world ranking, it's too big of a number to get in all these events, which allows to you come over here and play. It doesn't make sense.

Then you're saying, Okay, based on your world ranking, that's how you get on The Presidents Cup team. That doesn't make sense. Definitely those are the best players.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: What is that?

Q. (No microphone.).

BRANDT JOBE: They're doing it with everything. Right. But I mean, you also have the Top 50 in the world. I think if you go last year's money and this year's current Money List, you could do it everywhere, I think you'd get the players playing the best at that time. I was sitting there trying to get in the Top 30 on the Money List of, my world ranking was 50th, but I'm 27th on the Money List this year. I don't have enough tournaments to even fill it up. I fall in a gray area.

I just think the world ranking, we put too much emphasis on it. I don't think it's fair to do it for everyone.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: That sounds similar, possibly. I would never take anything away from a player that wins in Japan or Europe or Australia or any of the tours. You got to play well to win. But I think you got to look, when you look at the depth of the field each week, there's just no doubt about it. There's just more depth here.

When you have guys like Retief playing over here, all the different flavor of the fields that we have, it's just so deep. How do you compare a 30th place finish to an 8th place finish in Europe or a 7th place finish in Japan? How do you compare those? I don't think you can.

My point is I don't think they're comparable. I'm not saying either one is better or worse. I think if you just start going off where you fall on the Money List, that would be a better way to go. You could earn your right through what you make on your own tour, and we could stop comparing everybody because it doesn't work.

Q. Commissioner Jobe in the house.

BRANDT JOBE: See, I was on the side from Japan getting in these things. Sure, I heard it. I heard guys saying there's no way. I said, Hey, I didn't make the rules. Now I've been on the other side, getting in here from this side. At the end of the day, it's just too hard to compare. They don't mix.

Q. (No microphone.)

BRANDT JOBE: Yes, similar to here. They have the 110s, the Invitationals, 90, then full field, 156. Just depends on daylight.

Q. Mostly locals?

BRANDT JOBE: Mostly Japanese, quite a few Australians have filled it up. You add your sprinkle of Americans and Asian players.

Q. If keeping your card gives you a sense of belonging, would making THE TOUR Championship for the first time give you any extra sense of not that you belong on tour, but you're one of the better players?

BRANDT JOBE: You know, every I think playing at the end of the year, basically that's a big bonus for saying, you know what, you had a great year, you're one of our top 30 players. Here you go. Here is a great big tournament, make a little extra money, way to go, put on a little show here.

I think at the end of the year, regardless of what happens for me, this has been a huge success after what I've been through in the last year and a half. Whether I make it or not, it's not going to tell me how good the year was or wasn't. I think it would be a bonus. That's exactly what that tournament is, a big bonus.

TODD BUDNICK: Let's go over your card. Birdie on No. 11.

BRANDT JOBE: Yeah. 11, par 5. Driver, 3 wood on the back edge of the green, two putts.

13 was driver, L wedge, about six feet.

14, driver, 2 iron, just short of the green. Made about a 15 footer.

16, 6 iron, about three feet.

17, I hit 3 wood, 9 iron about 10 feet.

18, I made bogey. Hit it left in the hazard, punched it out, 2 putted from 50 feet.

No. 1, I hit driver, 6 iron on the green and 2 putted.

No. 4, I hit driver, wedge, about a foot.

No. 6, I hit 3 wood, 9 iron about 20 feet.

No. 7, I hit driver, 7 iron about eight feet.

No. 9, I hit 3 iron, 9 iron about 20 feet.

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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