FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 11, 1997

John Schroeder

JOHN SCHROEDER: Thank you. Today was, you know, the conditions were as ideal as you'd ever want to have. And, we were the second group off, so the course was there for the taking. I played not as well today hitting the ball, but the thing that I've been striving for all year long is when I do have an off-day, when I hit a marginal shot, it will still be in play, and that's what happened for me today. I think that was the key. I hit a couple of bad shots, ended up making par. I made a great par at 10 after a bad shot. But, this golf course, every hole, you kind of -- I feel like I'm tiptoeing down the fairway. There's something on every hole you have to be aware of - not in a negative way - but just you have to respect -- you have to respect what Jack has done and what he's required you to do to make a par or birdie, because if you don't, you can make a bogey, or double-bogey or worst, so fast it will make your head spin. So I'm hoping that the next two days I can get a little more freed up and feel like there's a little more flow out there, because I think unless the wind blows, you can really shoot a low score out here if you get it going because the conditions are absolutely perfect, greens are great, fairways, tees. Great environment.

JOHN SCHROEDER: I made a good up-and-down on 1 out of the front bunker. Made about a 10-footer. Pin was right up in front of the green, real tight, hit a 9-iron, upshot on me, kind of on a little bit of an upslope. 2, I got a good break, hit it up the right side, hit a tree, kind of kicked into the fairway. But, as I mentioned, if I'd had made that, relatively the same swing a week ago, that ball would have been 15 yards further right and I'd probably been in real bad shape. That's the key for me. I made a great birdie -- where did I make the birdie?

JOHN SCHROEDER: 7. The par 4. I mean, the par 5. I hit a really nice drive and a 5-wood just pin-high on the left fringe. Chipped up for a tap-in. I lipped it out at 6 and 8 for birdies. Then I missed a very short putt at 9 about four feet. I misread it. 10, I hit a very poor tee shot over the left bunker and that upslope, tried to pitch a 7-iron, keep it kind of to the left and short of the green and it jumped up, flew up over the green, into the longhand. I hit probably the best shot I've ever hit out of the long grass. Had to play a semi-flop bump-and-run because there is a run-off area and I knocked it in there about four feet and made it. Then I made a great shot, probably my best shot of the day, at 12 with an 8-iron. The pin was in the center right portion of the green about four feet from the water. I hit in it there about four feet, made that. Then I made a pretty easy birdie at 13. I only had 205 yards to the hole, hit a 4-iron, pushed it right, chipped it up for a tap-in. But, to give you an example of how much better my swing is, on 13 I hit a 3-iron off the tee. I didn't want to run it through the fairway -- excuse me, 14. And, I kind of upshot it, and I was 25 yards short of where I thought I'd be, so I had to go at that green over that ditch with a 3-iron, about 225 yards. Just made the best swing I could make, put it in there about 12 feet. I haven't been doing that. That was a real positive thing for me. I got my par there. On 15 I hit a 6-iron, a little on the bottom. Hit it upslope, went into the collection area. I didn't get it up-and-down. 16, I hit it about six inches in the first cut of rough on the right, and the pin was cut in the center right portion of the green just below that upslope. Very tough shot. That's why it's so important to hit the fairways out here. I couldn't really figure out what the ball was going to do. I didn't want to knock it past the flag because there's a big slope behind it, and it would be very tough to 2-putt. But, I didn't want to leave it in the front bunker because it's a real severe bunker shot. I hit a little 7-iron, kind of upshot, ended in the bunker, actually. I hit a marvelous bunker shot out about three feet, made it. And then 17, they're kind of playing with your mind. Moved the tee up to tempt you to go, but I didn't succumb to the temptation. I think if you hit driver on 17, you had have to hit it up that right side, it gets very narrow. So, I just hit a 5-wood and a 3-iron, then had a 65-yard pitch shot, hit a really nice shot in there about two feet, tapped it in for 4. Just made a fairly routine par at 18. Hit a real good 3-wood off the tee, kind of pushed my 6-iron. That pin was back left there. I mean, it's a hard hole to shoot at, especially today. Now, if it's Sunday or something, maybe I need 3 to win, it's a different story.

JOHN SCHROEDER: Even JJ, he'll try to knock it on. It's a hard second shot, you know. You have to hit the ball really, really high with your second shot to hold that green. That's Jack Nicklaus.

JOHN SCHROEDER: Yeah. I think a guy like Raymond would probably have a go, if he's driving the ball well. I think Jack will definitely have a go. I think Jay Sigel will definitely have a go. Just depends how you feel on the tee. Because you have to fit it down that right side. You can hit it right at the green and lay it up short, but then you have a 230 yard shot over the water to a very shallow green.

JOHN SCHROEDER: No. I would say the majority of the field is going to bump it down there twice and then pitch it. Again, today is not the day to go crazy. You just kind of want to hang in there close.

JOHN SCHROEDER: Yeah, Sunday, if I need to make a 3-3 finish, you have to hit driver up the right side and take a chance.

JOHN SCHROEDER: I guess that's one way to go about it. Obviously the best way to win is just get out in front and start lapping the field. But that doesn't happen very often. Yeah, I think -- I think a lot will happen the last nine holes on Sunday, unless somebody goes crazy today and tomorrow. But the golf course is, again, if a person's playing with confidence, and hitting good golf shots, can you shoot pretty low. The greens are just absolutely perfect to putt and they're very receptive to iron shots out of the fairways.

JOHN SCHROEDER: I'm getting close, getting close.

JOHN SCHROEDER: Thanks, guys.