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FORD CHAMPIONSHIP AT DORAL

March 2, 2004

Seve Ballesteros

DORAL, FLORIDA

JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Seve Ballesteros to the 2004 Ford Championship at Doral. Welcome.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Thank you.

JOE CHEMYCZ: It's good to have you back at a PGA TOUR event. You have not been here since '95 at this tournament.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Quite a long time.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Quite a long time. Maybe just talk a little bit about the state of your game at this point and what you've been doing for the early part of this year.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Well, first of all, it's nice to be here, nice to see you all here this morning.

I'd just like to say thank you to the sponsor, to Ford, forgiving me one of the special invitations to be here. I know that it's not easy in these days to get an invitation because there's so many, so many people who really are looking for one and deserve to be here. So, I feel that it's a privilege to be here. I'd just like to say thank you.

And the state of my game, I don't know. I'm even par; I haven't made one bogey this year. (Laughter.) And the reason is very simple, I haven't competed. This is my first tournament. I'm looking forward to complete competing and to play in the Ford Championship this week. Last time I was here, that was in 1995, and things have changed quite a little bit.

But anyway, the golf course, I played two rounds, two practice rounds, and it seems to me that the golf course is in perfect condition. The only difference is that since the last time I was here, because they made the golf course a little longer, because I lost a little bit of distance, it seems to me like the golf course is a little bit too long for me. (Laughing).

It's great, a very nice course, as I say and a very challenging golf course. I'm looking forward to see if I can play well this week.

JOE CHEMYCZ: Other than being a little longer, is the course dramatically different from what you recall in '95?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Some of the greens has been changed but overall, I think the golf course still keeps the personality, and obviously, it's as much as the nickname, the Blue Monster, is because it is like a monster. It's fun to play on this course.

Q. You're playing Bay Hill, too; correct?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Yes, I spoke with Arnold during the Father and Son competition last year and I told him that I was very happy if I was invited to the Bay Hill. And he said, "Well, I will put you on the list." Very soon he replied to me and said I was invited. So I'm very happy to go back to Bay Hill because I think it's a great, great tournament, too.

Q. It will be a year since you've played, other than Masters, here or there. Why this year, playing in two regular Florida events versus the last three or four years?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Good question. (Laughing).

Well, I've been playing Europe so long and for so many years, there's not many tournaments early in the year before the Masters. I spoke to Tim Finchem last year and I told him that I really would appreciate it if I would get an invitation for Atlanta, for the BellSouth, and then one of the people from Ford approached Mark Sullivan (ph), a friend of mine who is a member at Doral, and said they were interested to see me playing at the Ford Doral. I said, well, what about if you tried to get a couple more invitations and I stay maybe or four or five weeks before the Masters, and then probably I will have a better chance at the Masters because I have not done very well in the previous years, the previous five or six years at the Masters.

So I got the invitation for the BellSouth and the invitation here. I don't know if I will be playing next week at Honda, I still don't know, and then Bay Hill. So, you know, it's going to be a great experience and I'm sure a great five weeks through the Masters.

Q. What keeps you going, what are you playing for these days?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: What keeps me going?

Q. And what are you playing for these days?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Well, watching people like Fred Funk, straightest players on the Tour is older than me; he's 48. Nicky Price is doing so good, and Craig Stadler last year won on the regular tour and Senior Tour. Those people, they have been an inspiration. I say, if they can do it and they are older than me, why shouldn't I keep trying.

I believe, I think if I keep healthy myself, I can really do very well. But depends on my health.

Q. How is your health?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: And I like the competition. I love the game, I love the competition. And golf is my it's my life. Thanks to golf, I have what I have and what I have achieved and I'm very grateful to the game. That's why I would like to continue and play. Look at Gary Player in 68, Jack Nicklaus, 67, still limping around the course and shooting under par and doing very well, (laughter) Arnold Palmer, those people. I think the only reason is we love the competition, we love to compete and we love the game.

Q. How is your health, just to follow up on that, how are you feeling?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Not very good, not very good to be honest. Today I had to pull out after five holes because I pulled a muscle in the upper part of my back. I went to the physio on that they have here, the physiotherapy trailer and they helped me out and I started to feel better. I'm sure I will be ready for tomorrow in the Pro Am. I hope so.

Q. Do you see yourself playing up to and past the age of 50, and would you ever play over here on, say, the Champions Tour in the States, once you turn 50?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Well, I'm not interested to reach 50. (Laughter.) But obviously, it will happen when it's supposed to happen. I really would like to play on the Champions Tour. If I continue my desire and the love of the game, I would like to play on the Champions Tour here in the United States.

Q. Any problems you've had in your game, do they all go back to the injuries? And do you feel like if you had not had the back problems and the other sort of injuries, you would still be competitive?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I'm very sure about that. I think my main problem and only problem is the lack of flexibility in my back. And this is the consequence of my bones, I have how do you say, degeneration in my back, and because of that, I don't have the mobility and then I have my muscles are getting tight. So it's a combination of both and that's why I have now and then problems.

Q. You were talking about the Masters a little bit ago. What do you think of the changes that they have made there over the last several years on the golf course?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I think that they did make last year the golf course a little bit too severe. I think they greens on the Masters are designed to be approached with certain clubs. What they did at the Masters is they just never changed any greens; what they only did, they moved the tees back.

You know, I agree certain things, but really, the Masters has a lot of history, and I don't think the golf course should be changed every year too many things because the golf course itself would lose the personality.

For example, I don't see reasonable to put rough at the Masters. The Masters, as we all know, has always been wide open off the tee and no rough, and it's just that it's still demanding with the driver, but more demanding with the second shots around the greens. It's like if you put pine trees on St. Andrews, it won't be St. Andrews. (Laughter).

So I think they are making a mistake. It's only my opinion because I don't want to tell anything to the people at the Masters because this is an invitational tournament. (Laughter.)

Q. This being a Ryder Cup year, I notice that I were having a little breakfast or lunch with Bernhard Langer, how much will he rely on you or will you offer advice to him periodically?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: No, I think Bernhard Langer really has been involved in the Ryder Cup for many, many years. He went through a different captains from John Jacobs to Bernard Gallagher, Tony Jacklin and myself. So I'm sure that he learned a little bit from all of us, and I'm thinking how much he has been competing in the Ryder Cup. He has a tremendous experience. I'm sure that he will do a very good job.

Q. What has he meant to golf in Europe? You came over and won the Masters, first guy from Spain. He came over and Germany to win the Masters. What, in your opinion, has he meant to golf in Europe?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I think Langer has been, over the years, a tremendous reference for a lot of people because he's very disciplined. He's very, very professional, full dedication to the game and very good behavior.

So I think on top of that, he really create, brought a lot of attention in Germany and bring a lot of people into the game. The consequence of that, there is four big tournaments in Germany. I think this is thanks to Bernhard.

I think he's been very good for Germany and hopefully Europe.

Q. How often do you think about that putt at Kiawah Island that he missed?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: The Ryder Cup is a competition between two teams, the American team and the European team and it's a match play, over three days and only one thing can happen, winning team and losing team. I don't think that was the turning point. I think it's just the way it is. That was very exciting Ryder Cup, I remember, I was there. And obviously, under those circumstances, that kind of pressure, I think normally probably he would make the putt.

Q. I guess why I'm asking that is because he seems so well suited to have handled that sort of a miss, you know, taking it and moved on and gotten past it where it could have affected a lot of guys careers, mentally, I guess he's a little bit tougher than most?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I don't know. You never know what is going on emotionally. If you look at myself sometimes on the golf course, I look very angry and you know I have a very bad temper. But sometimes people react different ways. You never know what is going through the person on the inside. But obviously, overcome three times the yips, so I guess he's pretty strong, yeah, mentally.

Q. With Bernhard as the European captain, Hal as the American captain, what kind of Ryder Cup, what kind of atmosphere do you think it will be with those two gentleman as captains?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Well, we will have the kind of Ryder Cup that we all respect and we all think should be. The only important thing is sportsmanship. After that, it's only competition; it's not a war. It's very exciting.

Main reason it's very exciting is it's a match play event and it's a team event. What it is, a team event, the people become part of the matches because when they are playing the match, they say, this is "us," this is "their" ball, this is "our" ball, this is "their" ball; and they feel emotionally the spectators are more involved than a regular tournament. It's nothing more than that. That's how it was supposed to be.

Q. What kind of captain do you think Hal Sutton will be?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Well, Hal has been on the Ryder Cup several times. He knows how very well and he's very professional. I'm sure that he will be good. I think it's just to win the Ryder Cup is just to be able to find the right pairings and to put together and to find the ones who are good for foursome and ones that are good for four ball and then to find the good combination in the singles.

So, this is pure strategy. Really, it's where the captain plays a big part. The rest is up to the players.

Q. There's no Europeans ranked in the Top 10 in the World Rankings now, yet you guys keep kicking our butts in the Ryder Cup. Why does it seem like the European team is more of a unit, maybe, than the Americans, who all seem to go their own different ways; is that accurate? Do you sense that, your guys bond together better as pairs as teams?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I think you're right. If you look at statistics and you look through the script, I think the Americans should win. But when the bell starts, when the bell rings, for some reason, the Europeans become a little bit more like together more like a team.

I was watching Tiger Woods last week winning in the semifinal and the final, and he played phenomenal, but when the Ryder Cup comes, I think it's different for him. Probably it's not he cannot concentrate the way he wants or the way that he's supposed to, or I just don't know, but his performance is not as good as probably the people will expect from him.

On the other hand, I think I see over the years that the Americans, they make more rotations on the teams, foursome/four ball than the Europeans. We keep the pairings longer together, and that could be one of the points and one of the respects, and I don't know, could be.

Q. You've played a lot of great golf when you were young, relatively young age

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Much younger. Still young. (Laughter.)

Q. There's a 14 year old American girl, Michelle Wie, who has played in men's events. Have you had a chance to see her swing and what do you think of her playing with the men, first because of her age, and also because of the fact that she is female?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I haven't seen her playing at all. But I hear already she brought attention of the whole world at such an early age and playing so well. I think I see nothing else than positive.

Thinking about competing with men, I see nothing else than positive because it brings the attention of the media, it brings the attention of the people throughout the world and it's good for the game.

Another thing would be is to have regularly women competing on the Tour. I don't think that's probably correct because it won't look too serious. But from time to time, I think from time to time it's a wonderful idea.

Q. You played with so much personality and so much creativity, the way the game has changed today, the way equipment has changed, do you ever get bored watching?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I do. I do. The USGA and the R&A they have to think a little bit more and keep up with the technology. I think most of the courses, well, it's good for me because I design or resign golf courses, it keeps my company busy. (Laughter.) But I think most of the courses become obsolete because of the technology.

I can tell you that I played Callaway, the new driver, the Fusion and the Black Ball, and compared to the MacGregor drivers that I had 20 years ago and the Titleist ball, the difference could be up to 45 yards. So it's a huge difference.

I think it's about time that golf, in my opinion, was invented to develop the skill and the intelligence and the feel of the human being. We are getting close to just tee up and just push a button and just talk to the club and say, "Hey, I want a left to right," (laughter), and it will react. I think that's not good.

I really would like to see two rules, one for the Amateur side, because the Amateurs, they play for fun; and we, the pros, we play for a living, this is our profession and I think it should be two different rules. In fact, it has been in some ways different rules from the beginning because the Amateurs they play from the yellow arks and we play from the white.

I think if you asked me to change the rules, what I would change, I would simplify the rules because they are too many, too complicated. We, the pros don't know the rules. We know the rules, only so many, but not even the referees knows the rules, even with the book, when they give you the rules, they give you their own ruling from time to time. It's true.

I would make the ball bigger, I think, which it would be nice for some people who are erratic off the tee and there are more than one of them; so it would be easy to find the ball. It will stop to hit the ball so far. I would eliminate the 60 degree loft. I would put it back to 54 maximum, that way the touch and the imagination and the ability comes into play. And I would put, perhaps, maybe 12 clubs in the bag. That would help the caddies. I am sure the caddies would want it, too.

Serious, I think the USGA and the R&A, they have done over the years, a great job, but I think they are losing a little bit track with the advance of the technology. And I think one of the reasons is because I think we, the pros, some of the pros, will be, should be, part of the board to decide those rules to keep up because we play week after week and we know what is going on. I think that we bring back the excitement that there used to be maybe 15, 20 years ago, to be honest, golf is not very exciting to me when I watch the television now because it just looks like it's one drive from the fairway, everybody hits the fairway and everybody hits the green and it's just putt. It's just become a putting competition. It's no skill anymore.

Q. How long have you had the (pointing to tattoo) I know this is not your new logo on your arm, I didn't see that at the Father/Son, how recent is that?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: This is to advertise my logo, that's all. (Laughs). No, it was one of the crazy things that we all do once in a while, that's all.

Q. How long have you had that?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Four or five years.

Q. You mentioned that you have had problems being erratic recently, with as much passion and desire as you bring to the game, on those days, how frustrating has that been when you compare whatever you're doing to get your swing back to where you were 15 years ago?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Frustration, you have to be objective and you know when you are not feeling well, you know that things are not going to happen by themselves or by miracle. There's nothing, there's no miracles and there's no the only thing that I believe in is work. If you work hard on yourself, you can do it. But because of the lack of my physical conditions, I haven't been able to practice as much as I'm supposed to, and that's why I know that my expectations are not very high.

But, hopefully in the near future, I get better and I start to play some good golf and enjoy myself. And through that, I will probably make good results.

Q. I was going to ask you if any time over the last two or three years when your back was bad, if you thought of just quitting competitive golf, or was your love of the game so that you can do that?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Quitting? No. I will die like a soldier with my boots on. (Laughter.)

No, no, I think the white flag is the last thing you're supposed to put up and I think that's the easiest way to go.

I don't continue to show anything to anybody or to prove anything to anybody. Just continue because as I say before, I enjoy the game. I think it's a great game, I enjoy to compete, I enjoy the competition and just to be out here and be able to play, it's fantastic.

I mean, it's just on top of that, if I play well, that's great, but if I don't I always feel when I play a round of golf, I feel that I produce a few shots that, you know, under a lot of pressure and makes me come back the next day.

Q. Do you do exercise each day for your back?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I do.

Q. How long is that? An hour, two hours?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Depends. Normally, regular is an hour and a half, mainly stretching. That's what I need, stretching. Stretching is the most important.

Q. If the limit was 12 clubs instead of 14, which two would you take out of your bag and why?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Which two? No, if you put 12 clubs in the bag, that automatically, it will make you it will force you to take away maybe because, you know, most of the players, they have three wedges. I think it should be only one wedge, for example. It's unbelievable. I think the players should be forced to have a gap between the 110 yards to 80, for example, a big gap, and then this is when the kill comes.

I give you an example. You pitch a shot from 80 yards and the players will have automatically a wedge and it's 80 yards. All you have to do is look at the flag aim and hit it.

If you have the club in your hand, instead of hitting 80 yards, you can hit maybe 110 and then you have you need that finesse and that skill and all of these things. Then the whole game changes. That's what I mean.

Another thing that I think would like to see on the Tour now, they have it in Europe, is different formats. Week after week, same thing, it's kind of becomes a little monotonous, you know. I think more match play, more team events. I would bring more attention to people. It's more exciting. Every week, the same thing, I don't know what I'm saying is only my opinion. Some people will agree and some will not. I think it should be more different. Every week after week for one year, is difficult. I'm sure it's boring for you people, the writers, isn't it? You need something to happen. Otherwise you never fill it up, the paper, you know. (Laughter.)

Q. Other than perhaps Tiger, is there anybody that brings as much passion and emotion to the game as you did?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I like Ernie Els. I know that he's easy, easygoing. I like guys like Ernie Els, Fred Couples, I like Davis Love. I think he's a good player. I like his swing.

Q. Do they bring the same passion to the game that you do?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: This is not up to me to say that, I think. I don't know. What do you think? (Laughter.)

Q. Outwardly, anyway. It seems like you never were shy about sharing your emotions.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I think the clubs are designed to hit the ball only one way, straight. I mean, it's very hard, because the way they are designed, because the technology, they are more they focus more on length than moving the ball around. If you take a club now, a driver, it's very hard to bring the ball left to right and right to left. Players tee up, up here and just swing and hit the ball miles. Then all they have to do is make a little pitch and that's it. It's not much they don't really move the ball very much. That's why if the ball becomes bigger, it would be more resistant to the wind and the ball when you missed a shot, it will keep going more sideways, which, and less distance. That's why I'm very much in favor remember, it happens in Europe, we used to play 1.72, I remember. And then we moved to 1.68 which we have now. I really believe very strongly we should move to 1.74, 1.75.

Q. Will you be staying in the States through all the way through the Masters?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Yeah, that's my intention, yes.

Q. Are you going to have a base here?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: A base? No. I'm staying in a hotel.

Q. Has your son had a growth spurt yet or is he still about right here?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: No, he's 13. He's growing up. He's very keen on golf. He likes it. All my three children, they play, all three, they play golf. Mainly, they play a lot of sports. I think my wife and I, we try very strongly to make sure that they compete and they play many, many different sports. I think that's probably the best way to make sure they are away from all of these things that are around that could really be a problem. So the more sports they play, the more they focus on playing the games, they will keep away from other problems. I think it's a great thing.

But my son, he's 5 handicap. He's 13, 5 handicap. He plays, we call him at home, "the Little Pro," because he acted like a pro. But obviously, he needs the length.

Q. Do you give him shots?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Yeah, of course. I think he probably needs three or four or five months before he can beat me. (Laughter.)

Q. What will happen when he does beat you, inevitably?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I will be very happy.

Q. You mentioned Ernie a second ago. Last year you told Ernie publicly that you thought he could become No. 1?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Yeah.

Q. Do you still feel that way?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Yes, I think so. I think what Ernie Els is doing wrong the last few years is that he's been focused a little bit overseas, if you can call overseas. He's been playing in Australia, South Africa, now he's playing in Dubai. And I think he needs if he wants to be No. 1, he needs to focus more on the United States, on the Tour and to establish himself and settle down and focus more on the majors. Otherwise, he will probably get those big fat checks, but nothing else.

Q. What are your thoughts on Vijay, doing what he's doing at age 40?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: Yeah, Vijay, he's making a tremendous effort. I think he is at where he is because he's working very hard. I tell you what, this man, everybody is talking about how hard Tiger Woods is working, but, it's hard to believe that Tiger is working as hard as Vijay is working very, very hard. I wouldn't be surprise if he reach No. 1 this year.

In fact, one thing I disagree, I think the world rankings should be based on one year, not in two years. We all know the public, don't know who was No. 1 last year. I think the World Ranking should be based on within year. It's like in the Formula I and other sports, based on one year, not on two. I don't understand why, but I think it's wrong. My opinion.

Q. It's a good point. You're right; they do standings and everything if all other sports every year.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: It goes by year after year after year. So last year, 2003, who was the best player in the world for you?

Q. Well, you could say Tiger, you could say Vijay, it was a pretty close race.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: That's why if it was based on one year by points, there was no question.

Q. One last sort of off the wall question: What do you think of Pete Dye designed courses?

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I've played the TPC course in Jacksonville. I think it's very exciting. Sometimes, I mean (Laughter.)

Q. Go on, tell us just your opinion.

SEVE BALLESTEROS: I think the course that he does, they are good, very challenging courses but some of them are a little bit lacks a little bit too much in but again this is just my opinion. (Laughter.)

End of FastScripts.

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