JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 24, 2002

David Gossett

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome defending champion David Gossett to the John Deere pressroom today. David made his last seven cuts in a row; currently 88th on the money list, and has a year best T -2 finish at the Buick Classic. I guess the first thing first, David, is this was a big moment for you last year, and tell us how that kind of took you through the rest of the year last year.

DAVID GOSSETT: Well, I am very excited to be back here, first of all. I have a lot of great memories surrounding me here at the John Deere Classic where I won my first PGA TOUR event and started this ride on the PGA TOUR. The year, since winning last year, was exciting. I went to The INTERNATIONAL instead of going to Arkansas on the buy.com and changed my schedule, started the year off playing at Mercedes Championship in Maui, great way to start off the season playing with champions, a great group to be a part of. And winning has given me the experience of being paired with other champions each and every week that I go out and play the first two rounds. I have played with Ernie Els, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Toms, played with numerous champions and that has been good for my game and for my getting comfortable with being on the PGA TOUR playing with the best and best stars of today in this game. So it has been exciting. It has been fun, and I am glad to be back here.

Q. When you came here last year obviously still looking for that first win. Just trying to get that card. Now that you have come back as defending champion how is your confidence now entering this tournament with the title of defending champ, kind of change your perspective heading to the course on Thursday?

DAVID GOSSETT: I think it does not so much change my perspective going to the course, but it's kind of nice driving in seeing my picture driving in, and having a parking spot that says 2001 Past Champion. And that certainly has a nice ring to it. It was nice that I was able to get that done when I was just 22 years old. It helps, I think, coming down the stretch in tournaments knowing that I have been through it and I was able to get the job done early on and I know that I have done it before. That will help me down the road. I do feel confident here and comfortable at this event because the success I had last year.

Q. Is that comfort level knowing the course already as you do, you won here already, did you see the course conditions so far and what is your comfort level heading into Thursday?

DAVID GOSSETT: The course is in great shape, no doubt about it. The greens are a little smoother and faster than I remember it last year. Course is in great shape. They have done a great job preparing for this event. I definitely will be thinking about the great memories from last season, I mean last year, this tournament I have good memories and I think they will encourage me to be comfortable, and I am just planning on going out there and trying my best on each one and not -- not place too many expectations on myself to perform. That's my plan last year. I knew I was playing well. I am in a similar boat this year. I am playing well and hitting the ball good. If I can go out there enjoy myself and do the absolute best and accept what comes, I think the outcome will be the best that I can be. I am glad to be back as champion, that's for sure.

Q. Different being the hunted instead of the hunter?

DAVID GOSSETT: I suppose, but I mean, each week there's a defending champion on the PGA TOUR. I have seen that over the course of the last year, so you better bring your A-game. Obviously I feel comfortable here because I know I can play really well on this golf course. I shot 19-under par the first time I played here, and shot 66 on Sunday without a bogey and I think that's confidence that will help this week.

But I mean, these guys week-in and week-out it's extremely competitive out here, and regardless if I am the champion or not, still going to have to go out there and make birdies, and you know, shoot under par to do well this week. So we have to obviously play well. Being the champion doesn't help me get the ball in the hole any easier, just I certainly have that added confidence in the mind that I know I can do it and I have done it here.

Q. Anything particular about this golf course or it's style or layout that suits your game sort of seems to help your comfort level here? And do you like the older style courses?

DAVID GOSSETT: I do like older style classic courses. Courses that demand kind of you to work the ball well both ways. It's an advantage. It's not just a bomber's course. I don't feel like this plays into the hands of just long hitters. I feel like this is just a solid golf course. It is a great piece of property, it's nice to play on a public facility. I think they have done a great job here. They have done a beautiful job designing it and John Deere had great support here, and obviously I was playing well when I got here last year and I just -- there's something about it that just kind of fits my game. I was able to shoot a couple of under each nine and get some good scores going and I like this course.

Q. You said you played with several the top names this year. Talk about what it was like, the experience of playing with Tiger in a tournament, that's got to be -- you are trying to keep your game together but there's a large crowd and I am sure a lot is going on with his gallery following?

DAVID GOSSETT: There's no question. Playing with Tiger or Ernie Els -- I played with Ernie Els at Doral this year first two rounds and he won. He played very well. Quite a big crowd on Friday. Those last nine holes a lot of people and playing with Tiger Woods at Bay Hill the first two rounds, Thursday morning you get out there -- Thursday afternoon we were playing about 12:30 tee time and the first hole looks like you are teeing off in the last group on Sunday, and you know that's good experience. I love playing with Tiger. I love playing with the big profiled guys because I mean those are the type of guys that I can learn from quite a bit. And the more I am around them, the more comfortable it becomes, and the more confident I can be at my game and focus on what I am doing. It's great experience. I love playing with those guys, and that's who I want to be playing with because they are the best. That's where I want to be, and you know, I know that I have a lot of work to do, but it is exciting and fun to play with those guys.

Q. Is it almost difficult not to get caught up in watching them and seeing what they are doing and still remembering you have got to play a tournament as well?

DAVID GOSSETT: Not really because I have played with you know, I have played with Jack Nicklaus at the Masters on Sunday played with him at Pebble Beach. He was getting standing ovations at Pebble Beach on every hole. That wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but played with Tiger at the British Open when he won at St. Andrews played with him the first two rounds. I played with some big named guys in tournaments and it is just like anything, the more times you do it the more comfortable you become. The more focused -- you focus your mind on it and ultimately that's what this game's peak performance is about and in any sport is being able to focus on what you want to do and be able to put all the peripheral stuff to the side while you focus on your shot. Not allow it to sidetrack you. But it has been great experience for me. I look forward to doing it more often.

Q. How are you playing coming into this tournament the last few weeks?

DAVID GOSSETT: I am pleased with the way I am playing right now. Hitting the ball well. I feel like I am putting good, and I have been making progress over the last several months. I am really pleased with the way things are going. I feel like my week is coming, so to speak, where I am getting close to breaking through, and getting with a really good chance to win. I had that opportunity a couple of months ago up in New York on a really good golf course, kind of U.S. Open style thick rough, narrow fairways, firm fast greens, Westchester. Got a lot of rain on Thursday, but I had a chance to win. I finished second. I am pleased with the way I am playing. Obviously with the added confidence of my success here last year, I think I am just going to go out and see what happens, really.

Q. Do you think you can have a little more success second half of the season -- not that you have played -- you will be playing courses that you had a chance to play last year --

DAVID GOSSETT: Most definitely. I do feel like I am excited about the second half of the season here. I feel like I have learned a lot this first half. And you are right, I have played the second half quite a bit. Played last year. Played it the year before. Sponsor exemptions. Even played a few sponsor exemptions after I won the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. So I have played those courses; been their self times, two and three times and I feel like my game is coming around, so I feel like the second half will be stronger than the first, that's for sure.

Q. How do you travel now and how has that changed, how much more difficult has it become in wake of 9-11?

DAVID GOSSETT: I haven't experienced too many problems travelling since 9-11, just you have to get there 30 minutes earlier than I used to, I guess, 90 minutes as opposed to and hour and a half. I travel airlines, and I have to check my bags, a few times get screening that's the only difference and you get checked going through, but haven't really experienced many headaches. Occasionally have to go through the bags in the airport and stuff, but apart from that, I have been fortunate, haven't lost luggage; haven't experienced any of the horror stories so far, I guess (knocks wood) but it's not too bad.

Q. When they check the golf bag is that kind of a lightning rod security screener?

DAVID GOSSETT: It is. It seems like it is. They check the golf bags but just coming here, Monday, Memphis, they checked both bags. They just put it through the big X-ray so they didn't have to open it up whatsoever. They had to put them both through and that added an extra ten minutes to my day. Wasn't bad at all. Had to wait in line, put it in and we were done. It's not a problem. Certainly extremely manageable, no problem.

Q. 14 first-time winners have won here. Fun to see these young guys like yourself that you are playing with?

DAVID GOSSETT: Definitely. It is exciting to see other guys my age playing out her and competing on the PGA TOUR and to be a part of that is great. There's a plethora of talent out here. It is growing and growing and that is where the game is going. For the next ten years I think we'll see the ages get younger and more prepared when they get out here. It is -- it's nice to know that I have won out here and that I have gotten through that so I am not looking to break through and get my first win. Last year when I came here I wasn't even on the PGA TOUR, and was playing well on the buy.Com Tour felt like my week was coming out there and knew I had a chance to win and I just came here and was playing well and didn't put that burden on myself to take advantage of the opportunity of a sponsor exemption. I just played well, and hung in there when it counted. So it is exciting to see my peers out here playing. Because I played junior golf with these guys and played amateur golf and college golf. So it is kind of fun to see my guys my age compete.

Q. What have you added to your game either physically or mentally from a shot-making standpoint since then?

DAVID GOSSETT: Well, basically I would just say I have sharpened up in all areas. I have had a year to mature, a year to understand what life is like on the PGA TOUR full-time. I have had a year to -- I feel like my irons are more accurate, short game, particularly my wedges are stronger. I think my overall consistency is slowly but surely improving. That's what I am really working on. That's what it takes out here on the PGA TOUR, week-in and week-out, to give yourself an opportunity to win a lot. You need to be in the Top-10 quite a bit. That's where I have been you know, trying to get in that direction more often because it has been too many weeks few and far between where I really had a chance to win. And I feel more prepared this year. I feel certainly, I don't know, just -- a year later -- even Matt yesterday said, man, you are hitting the ball great, seems like your game is even better than last year. I think what he meant by that's it's sharper, it's tighter, the swing is just a little bit better. If that will lead to 19-under or not like last year, that's yet to be seen. But I feel good about my game I really do.

Q. Do you have those weeks where you don't score as well as you shoot and vice versa, does that happen?

DAVID GOSSETT: Most definitely weeks there are like that. I have experienced several of those the last three tournaments I have played. Fortunately got off to good starts, Milwaukee 5-under. Chicago 7-under par first round great round and just ended the week at 7-under, so I am looking for -- to carrying on the momentum. Memphis shot 65 in the second round, shot even the first day, kind of stayed there on the weekend. But there are times when you go out and you manage your game, you score, didn't hit it all that great and you end up shooting under par and doing well. There's other times when you go out and hit the ball really well, you kind of miss-hit it or didn't quite observe the wind here and there you get a bad break and the thing you know you feel like you left a lot in the bag that week, but week-in and week-out that's what I am learning, what works best for me how to pace myself. Those are things I am still learning. I haven't figured it out. I am still trying to see what works best for me. Ultimately I love what I am doing. I love competing. I love trying to develop into the person and the player I want to be. I am having fun out here.

Q. Surprised Charles hasn't won yet?

DAVID GOSSETT: Not really surprised. I think his time is coming, no question about it. Charles has shown that he has the game to win out here. And I think it's just a matter of time before he breaks through, and it's his week to win.

Q. Up at the Western Open like Donald was asked who is the next challenger for Tiger? Is it going to be the older group of guys or the guys that are being labeled the young guns. He felt that it probably would be the latter.

DAVID GOSSETT: I think that's a great assessment by him. I think that's probably accurate. But really what it is going to take is just an individual who is committed to being the best that they can be, and whether that person is 30, and they are going to challenge Tiger, when that person is 34 or 35, or whether that person is 23 like myself, and going to be when I am 24 or 27, or whatever it may be, it's going to be an individual who wants to really focus on their game and give it all they got. Because Tiger is playing at an extremely high level and he's consistent week-in and week-out obviously, he's in the hunt, and seemed to be the favorite every week. I would have to say -- I mean certainly I would to favor the younger guys because we have a longer time to work on our games and longer time to mature and more years to do it. I have to agree with like.

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