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THE SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROLEXJuly 25, 2012Gary PlayerTURNBERRY, SCOTLAND STEVE TODD: Gary many thanks for joining us. Turnberry, a special place for you, four Senior Opens here, I'm sure it brings back special memories coming back. GARY PLAYER: It does. It's really one of the greatest links golf courses I've ever played. It's a fantastic golf course and you know, it has had some epic battles here with is Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus, and then the most unlucky shot I ever saw in my life, would have been just an incredible performance. Winning my last Open here, hitting three drivers to 17. Had all kind of experiences. I think everybody is very excited about the tournament here. I do believe it's playing longer than the regular Open last week. There's no question the course is playing longer. I don't understand that. I would imagine they would see that it's the Champions Tour, make it a wee bit shorter. I'm not saying that just because of my age. The players are saying that. For me, I don't qualify for that. It was interesting. We walked up to the fifth hole and I said, that's where we used to play off this tee, and then I said later on, we went to this tee here, and now you are back‑‑ and everyone is hitting a wood to that par 4 today. So I'd love to see where it is in ten years time, but they will keep on going back as long as the ball is going far. But the course is in great shape. And everybody is very excited. We have got a lot of wonderful players here. I just hope the wind doesn't come up, because if the wind comes up, the scores will be so bad, it will really be bad. We are wanting to project and wanting to get through to the public how good these guys are, and they are good. It's actually self‑explanatory. If you think of Tom Watson at 59 needing a 4 to win The Open, what would have happened if he was 25? He would have won it by ten shots. Then you look at Fred Couples, he had to par 11 with a 7‑iron and par 12 with an 8‑iron at Augusta to win the Masters at 50. And so Raymond Floyd had a chance to win the Masters just before the age of 50. So the guys can really play.  Mark Calcavecchia, did he finish 10th? Ninth? Playing over and finishing ninth, very good effort. So the guys can really play out here, and I really hope the wind doesn't come up, because nobody will play it very well; nobody will score very well here in four days if the wind comes up. STEVE TODD: Speaking of guys that can really play, in 1988 you won the Grand Slam as it was, there is a guy in the field this week who could match that achievement, Roger Chapman. GARY PLAYER: The Grand Slam on the Senior Tour, of those three, it's the U.S. Open, our Open here and the PGA and the TPC, that's our Grand Slam‑‑ it was a triple. STEVE TODD: It's a remarkable thing to do in '88 and even remarkable if Roger could match it. GARY PLAYER: I'm so proud of it honestly, and he can really play. Here's a guy, I don't know what happened in his career but some people mature later and some people's bodies last longer.  People thought I was crazy when I said, my Grand Slam, on this Tour is better than my Grand Slam on the regular Tour. They said, how can you say that? I said, first of all, you have to do it after 50. When you play the regular Tour, you've got a long window of years to do it. On the Senior Tour, you've got a maximum of ten. So you've got to do it within ten and the other, you've got at least 25 years, so you have a long window, it's a big difference. The fact that I'm the only one that's won that Grand Slam, it's not easy, because Watson and Trevino and Palmer Nicklaus and Casper, they all tried it. The only reason I was able to do it was because I was a fitness fanatic and was able to maintain my strength and my energy for practise, and that's the only reason I didn't was able to do it. So it stood me in good stead at that time. And Chapman, I tell you, this is remarkable. I just wonder how many people realise what a great performance that is for a man to go from Europe and go completely to America, and win two Majors. Unbelievable. Q. At Lytham you were talking proudly of South Africa's record of Major winners. Can you talk us through your perspective on what happened on Sunday with Ernie? GARY PLAYER: First of all, there was never a greatest example ever; I've always said that course management‑‑ it all comes into the long putter, the belly putter; the course management; the nerves, all of these things come into. The average man says, oh, beautiful swing, hits the ball long way, he'll do well. Doesn't necessarily follow, does it. There's certain ingredients that goes to making a champion and winning Majors, and talent, long hitting, is just one aspect. But first of all, we are so pleased that Ernie, obviously a South African, wins it. And Ernie has had a rough time the last two years. And I got very frustrated when I would see him like 65th in the world and I'm telling everybody, he should never be out of the top five and he'll come back; and he came back very well, it was fantastic to see. And his course management versus Adam Scott was so noticeable to me. Sitting there watching, and I realise having won 18 Majors, I know what transpires in these particular events. And there's Ernie, he plays the last hole, and he looks up and he says, if I birdie this hole, I've got a chance. So what does he do? All week, he's taking an iron. Now he goes with a driver, and hits the perfect drive, which he knew he had to do, and sets him up for the birdie and he gets it. Now Adam Scott follows behind. And five holes to go I said to my friend, "Ernie's going to win." He said, "Are you crazy?" I didn't know you could put money on at that stage. Honestly with bookies, I would really have put 50 quid on it, because Ernie was holing the putts the last few holes; and to put big pressure on him, when he had not had big pressure on him all week. But anyway, Adam comes in, best ball‑striking all week, and at 15, I think he hit a 6‑ or 7‑iron to 15 and bogeys it. That can't happen. Now that perturbs him a little bit. Now he comes to 16. Perfect shot. I don't know what he hit, 80 yards to the green, 80, 90, 70, whatever it was. There's Graeme McDowell playing first, the wind is behind him, he pitches short of the green, just on the front edge and runs it up. Now, the one thing that Adam Scott has got to say to himself, I don't want to go by this hole, I've got a three‑shot lead. He hits it and pitches at the flag 40 foot or 30 foot by, 3‑putts. Bad, bad, bad course management. If he leaves it short, he gets par, at least. Okay, so now, 17, you can bogey that hole. Now he comes to 18, and honestly‑‑ I'm not being a smart ass. The minute he put his hand on that 3‑wood, I said to the guy, it's lost. He's gone with an iron all week, you either lay it up, or you go. The 3‑wood is in the bunker zone and that's a certain hazard. I said, under this pressure, he's going in that bunker. And I'm shocked that his caddie, because his caddie is a world‑renowned caddie, I would love to get his caddie's point of view to be fair. But he should have gone with driver. If I was him, I would have gone with driver, because if he knocks it‑‑ he's got sufficiently a beautiful swing and he's so long that he can carry that. He's only got a sand wedge to the green out of the rough anyway. Would have done a hell of a lot better than being in the bunker and he knocks it in the bunker. Q. What do you think last Sunday can do to Ernie in terms of the next five, six, seven years? GARY PLAYER: Well, it can enable him now‑‑ he had to be worry and saying to himself, can I win another major. And people were thinking that he couldn't. Most people said he won't win another major. I said, why not? He's 42. When I was 42, I won the Masters; Nicklaus was 46 and won the Masters; and Julius Boros was 48 and won the PGA, so I think you're talking nonsense. Now, Ernie himself will believe that, and I believe he'll win some more Majors. But honestly, I've never seen such a display of course management. Nothing to do with great swing or long hitting or great putting. Strictly course management. And in fairness, this is what I've always said, that nerves are such an integral part of the game, and repeating what I said the other day, when you hit the long putter or the belly putter, straightaway you're reducing nerves by 20 per cent. And that's a shame. Because coming down the last few holes, this is what determines who wins, course management. You don't suddenly start changing your swing. You've got the same swing. But it's the course management and the nerves. And once you anchor, once you anchor, you're taking away a large percentage of nerves. But Ernie himself said in the Mail yesterday, they shouldn't have it. But I've been saying it for years. Q. Do you think the difference between the chest and the belly‑‑ GARY PLAYER: Pretty much the same. Because once you anchor‑‑ (demonstrating). Now if you're here, look at the margin of error you have with your hand anchored. When you're anchored here, you can't break down. The right hand doesn't break down. Here, I'm out trying to stop breaking down, but if you anchor like that, you can't break down, because it's anchored. To me, it's a tragedy. But I don't think they should stop it. See, this is the one disagreement I have with the R&A, and I'm a big fan of the R&A, they say it's the same game and I say it's a different game. Go watch Tiger Woods tee off, go watch these guys tee off, it's not the same game at all. They use different clubs. They use different balls. They say they are using the same ball; no, they are not. They are using the same clubs; no, they are not. They are not using the same clubs. These guys have got longer shots and these guys have got balls that have different flights. Let the amateurs have all of the technology and let them use the long putter and let them do what they like. But professional golf, they are going to have to make‑‑ I give you a guarantee they will make the long putter and the belly putter will go, and I will guarantee that in time, the ball will be cut back 40 yards or so. And if they don't, if these people don't, they will look back at history and say, why did they not do it. Because I tell you, I've seen guys come out hitting the ball over 400 yards now time and time and time; every week I see somebody hit it 400, things we never ever dreamt of. The ball is going so far, things we thought we would never see. Actually, we are in our infancy now with golf. Everybody finds that hard to believe. Because I am seeing these guys that are seven‑foot tall starting to come to golf. We've never seen anybody‑‑ have you ever seen a seven‑foot man play golf? Never in your life. You're going to have to have a 48‑inch driver‑‑ (Inaudible.) You might as well tell Tiger Woods he's going to use a 25‑inch driver. So they have to change it. They have to. They have to. I'll give you a guarantee, in ten years' time, you go to St. Andrews, and they will drive nine greens. They will drive nine holes. There's a guy in Canada, who can drive nine par 4s. First tee, hits driver, every green. So we'd better start making preparations right now, because it's killing the game, because everybody is spending money on lengthening the golf courses, using more water, more fertilizer, more machinery, oil going at a hundred dollars a barely, making undulating greens, putting deep bunkers in. Now they are going to go back to play in bunkers, the pros can't get out. You see what happens. So now that's just a minor example of what's happening around the world. So the members are resigning. And the ones that are staying on‑‑ I know this for a fact because we design golf courses around the world, and they are too long. How long do you think it takes to play a round of golf? You go to New York or these big cities today and it's an eight‑hour day, you leave home, an hour in the traffic, an hour back, and it's a six‑hour round. Even now, Pro‑Ams are all five hours. We are going the wrong way. Does anybody think I'm wrong? It's logic, isn't it. You isn't argue against logic. Q. Inaudible. GARY PLAYER: It exact down to nerves, but when you have that anchor, you're taking away a large percentage of those nerves, a hell of a large percentage. If you don't have those hands, they become a little bit twitchy. Why do you think guys go for these putters? That's the question you've got to ask yourself. Why do they go? Adam Scott couldn't putt with two hands. He's a dreadful putter. He's always had a great swing, wonderful striker. Nobody has a better swing than Adam Scott. They go to these putters for a reason. So I trained myself as a young man, I went to many, many exercises training my mind to play under pressure, accept the adversity and handle how you come down the line at the tournament. That's how you win. STEVE TODD: Thank you very much, Gary. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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