BOB HOPE CHRYSLER CLASSIC

January 20, 1999

Tom Pernice, Jr.

TOM PERNICE: Obviously, I played quite well. Got off to somewhat of a slow start. I started on 10. Bogeyed right out of the shoot, and obviously, 11 is a reachable par 5 and had it right in front of the green, didn't make birdie there. So kind of felt like I had given a shot or two away to start with. Just kind of hung in there, and I had a really good bunch of guys as amateurs and enjoyed the day, the perfect weather, and, you know, started on a string. I made like three or four birdies in a row there on the back. I think just kind of got the flow going. Played really solid the rest of the way. The greens are in absolutely perfect condition, and the weather conditions are outstanding. So, going to be a bunch of low scores throughout the week.

TOM PERNICE: Yes, started with a bogey on 10. Hit it in the fairway bunker; didn't catch that great of a lie, had it down in front of the green, and didn't get up-and-down.

TOM PERNICE: 13, I hit it in about four, five feet and made it. Hit 8-iron. 14 is the par 5, I hit my 60 degree wedge in there about, oh, a foot.

TOM PERNICE: 15, is down the hill. I hit it in there about - oh, trying to think, those two are so much alike - 15 feet be, I believe, made the putt for birdie.

TOM PERNICE: I hit on that one pitching wedge, I believe, yeah.

TOM PERNICE: 17 the other par 3, hit a pitching wedge as well, about 20 feet, made it for birdie.

TOM PERNICE: 18, I hit a good drive, hit a 2-iron. The pin is right on the front on 18 which is probably the most difficult pin location. Landed right by the hole, rolled past, had probably 50 feet. 2-putted there.

TOM PERNICE: The par 5, about a 6-footer for birdie. 3, the par 3 was about 18 feet for birdie.

TOM PERNICE: 7-iron.

TOM PERNICE: 5 is playing unbelievably long today, 232 yards. I hit a 2-iron about foot and a half. 6, the par 5, I hit two drivers right on the front of the green, chipped it up about five feet, made it for birdie. 8, I hit about 14 feet right behind the hole, made it for birdie. 7, I hit it about four feet for birdie and missed, lipped it out. And, then, 9, I hit a 7-iron, ran by the hole probably, it was 35 feet and I 2-putted. So I hit a lot of shots in there close, but also I made the putts to convert with the exception of No. 7.

TOM PERNICE: Well, just took a long time to get there, that was all.

TOM PERNICE: (laughs) I just feel fortunate that the decision was made - that we went back. I got off --

TOM PERNICE: August, I think we finished. Six months, so it was the longest tournament probably in the history of golf. So, I don't think we will ever see another one that will take that long. I was fortunate that we did go back, and I think a lot of the players thought it was a bad idea, but I think the longstanding tradition with Bing Crosby and AT&T and Pebble Beach. We were able to do what we could do survive the sponsorship and the people there even though I hadn't played well. I think it was the right thing to try to do after what happened two years ago when they cancelled the tournament. Now, we have a little stricter guidelines on what exactly is going to happen on rainouts, but they have been an integral part of the PGA TOUR for a long time, and I think it was a good decision that we tried to do what we could. Very similar to this event when you have people like Bing Crosby and like Bob Hope, that put their names on tournaments and such outstanding events for the community and could do so much for the community, I think, as players, and the Tour will try to do what it can too because we realize they are so important to the community, and to the Tour. So we try to do what we can to help them out.

TOM PERNICE: If it was easy there would be everybody out here playing. So, you know, like the commercial says, these guys are good, so keeps you working hard. I think with the emergence of Tiger, I think everybody has geared up their games and felt like they needed to get better. Obviously David Duval has done it, so the rest of us are trying to continue on.

TOM PERNICE: Really started turn around at AT&T actually and really, for me, it was probably my best friend out here Keith Clearwater, former champion out here - we spent some time playing. He just kind of said, you know, you have been at this for 12 or 13 years and your ways are not working; you need to try to relax and try to have fun like when you are playing in clinics and exhibitions, you are good; playing with amateurs and you always play well. You are relaxed. You need to adopt that attitude. That is what I try to do. Just a couple of weeks right before the AT&T, I actually -- I missed the cut at the Buick Classic, but I had played well and I have just tried to enjoy myself and almost go out and try to act like I am doing a clinic or playing in a Pro-Am and relaxing with amateurs and talking and when it is time to hit your shot, get your yardage, hit your shot. That has really made the difference for me is for me to try to relax as much as possible and enjoy myself and just try to let your abilities and your capabilities go from there.

TOM PERNICE: I don't know that I was temperamental. I just think I tried really hard, too hard and was very hard on myself in a lot of instances and I just really -- it is a game and we need to go out there and have fun and it is still a game, even though we are doing it for a living. You just -- you know when you are out playing with your buddies, you are not grinding; you are relaxed talking about sports, or the stock market or whatever, and you get upset, time to hit; you get a yardage, you concentrate for 20, 30 seconds and hit your shot. That is when I have always played the best. Fortunate enough for me, Keith pointed it out, this is what I think would really help you and it has been really wonderful ever since.

TOM PERNICE: It wasn't so much afterwards. It was just I was so intense out on the golf course. I was just grinding, grinding, you know, instead of just everybody is going to hit some bad shots, live with your bad shots; try to hit the next one better. That type of an attitude, you know when you are out playing with your buddies just having fun and, you know, you don't get so upset if you are playing in a Pro-Am, you go on and go talk about something else and get up and hit the next shot and go. It is hard because my personality -- I am somewhat perfectionistic, I am always trying to perfect things working harder and harder and harder. It is kind of hard to let go a little bit, just have fun and let your ability and hard work take its course.

TOM PERNICE: Not really. I never would get angry or anything. It was just I was so intense all the time trying so hard and instead of just, you know, relaxing and sometimes it is hard to relax when something as important as golf is to a lot of us, it is easier said than done, but that is what I have tried to adopt is, you know, just more of a relaxed attitude like I am going out and just doing a clinic or playing golf with some friends and today was a great day because we had some great amateurs had a good time and they were playing well as well and it just it was nice. The course is in great shape. The weather is perfect, and it is right there for shooting good scores, but --

TOM PERNICE: There was a bunch of years I had to go back.

TOM PERNICE: Well, I think yeah, to some point. You are always wondering how long is this going to continue. I was making some good progress about two years ago I started working with Robert Baker who is Ernie Els's coach. He made some really major improvements, some basic fundamental changes and ever since then I felt like I really been going in the right direction. Start seeing progress. I think if you are always progressing and seeing yourself getting better, I think it is easy way to continue. So really felt comfortable with what Robert had said and what we had worked to and was going in the right direction and just, you know, didn't want to give up. Something that I always wanted and Corey Pavin was a teammate of mine and been so successful and he was somebody that I -- as you looked to that, always striving to get to the levels of someone -- we played golf together in college, U.C.L.A. for, four, five straight years almost every day, and he was obviously a great player then and still is, but the back of my mind I said, you know, there is not that much difference, just keep trying and keep working. Through a lot of hard work and some determination I think, and really trying to relax a little bit more on the golf course and enjoy myself, it has gotten better.

TOM PERNICE: Oh, yeah. I mean, yeah, I mean, I almost to the point where I am over a shot saying I am going to put on a show here; I am going to do a clinic or something, you almost just to help yourself relax and feel comfortable with what you are doing.

TOM PERNICE: Well, I mean, obviously I'd like to shoot a lot more, but going to be a lot of low scores this week and it is obviously a great start, but, you know, a lot of my attitude out there today, I didn't even know how many under I was, to be honest, but I didn't know if I was 6, 7, 8, whatever. I just knew I was having a good day and continued on and, you know, you know can't shoot low enough here; just got to keep shooting try to make as many birdies as you can.

TOM PERNICE: I feel like -- for sure you felt like you have at least given one shot away and 10 is obviously a good starting hole. Between 10 and 11, a lot of the people are going to go 4, 4, and somewhat disappointing, but, you know, how many days -- 90 holes here and weather is probably going to be good all week and conditions on the golf course are outstanding, so, been playing well. I played over here yesterday in practice round with Keith Clearwater and played really well. I felt pretty good about it; didn't panic or anything.

TOM PERNICE: Never fully exempt until this year, so, a couple times I had played in the -- previously, when I was out of the school and my very first year I made it on Tour, I played here and made the cut and to me, at that time, that was back in 1986 was a nice, nice feat, but no, I enjoy it. I am one -- I don't know. I enjoy playing the Pro-Ams. Some of the guys don't and skip them. I actually enjoy them; get to meet some great people. And some of my best friends are people that I have played with in Pro-Ams and stuff, so I actually enjoy them; especially if you get a good group of guys it is an enjoyable day.