ENERGIZER SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 7, 1996

Vicente Fernandez

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: I hit a driver, fairway bunker right, and then I hit it very good 4-iron onto the green and 3-putted.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, Number 3, drive 8-iron, about eight feet, and I make it. Number 4, 3-wood, 7-iron, sand wedge 5 foot; I make it. Then -

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes, I drove it to the right-hand side rough, and then I couldn't reach the green. I was the bunker green, side bunker. I had a good shot there, but I missed it from about six feet.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: That is right. Drive, I pushed my driver on the left-hand side on the 10th. I hit very good second shot with a pitching wedge to about eight feet. And then at 12, 6-iron about three feet from the hole. And 13, drive, 3-wood and sand wedge in the hole.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: 93 yards.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I have a good chance for birdie at 15 and 16, but I saved a very good putt on 14 because I - again, I pull my driver on the left-hand side rough, and then I get up-and-down from the green-side bunker. But, apart from that, I felt quite solid. I stroked the ball quite solid, so I am pleased with it.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, it is a lot less pressure. First of all, when I decided to play those Monday qualified after the PGA, I just want to prepare myself for Q-School, but inside myself I have a dream, hope and a dream which it was to be here today, which for me it is a dream come true. Even that I made it easy, but it wasn't that easy.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, it was a dream, but also I was prepared to go to the Q-School.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No. What happened was, before I played the PGA my plan was to keep playing in Europe this year. But when I played the PGA, I saw the weather conditions which is completely different than we are used to in Europe. So I decide that could be a very good experience to try to qualify Mondays, anyway, because it is going to be a very good preparation mentally, and, I mean, it is a different game altogether playing over here, so that is why I decide to play over here to try to qualify those Mondays, to be with more experience about the courses because I haven't played here for nearly 20 years, so it is different game because also the weather conditions.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: It motivates me. Encouraged me a lot. Yes, it did.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: You know what, I have been spoiled over here with the weather, and so I have to adjust again. I have to go back again to adjust to it. But you know, in Argentina the weatherman gets wrong quite often, so I hope for once the U.S. weatherman gets drunk tomorrow and gets decent weather again.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: The third shot at 13, yeah, that eagle.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, it is a good par 5. I think anyone who could finish with a par over there they wouldn't be unhappy. Mine was lucky. I hit a good shot, but it was lucky to get into the hole. But I could have finished very close anyway. But par over there, I will take everyday.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes, I see him quite often.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes. Still very well. Striking the ball still long.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, after the PGA my dream was even a bit more motivated and encouraging, but I always hope that I could do it. I was playing well and I was striking the ball well, so I really have a hope to be here today.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, it nearly happened this time. Unfortunately in golf it does happen more often than you want to. But luckily this time it is true and it is nice. And I enjoy it.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, I think it is a course that you need to play a lot to know because the greens are very well undulay (sic) and you need to know if you miss a shot which sides of the green it is better to miss and even to read the green lines are really tough. That is the most difficult thing I found on the course. I mean, it is a course that is playing very long. We are hitting long irons going to the greens, small greens, undulated greens, so it is more difficult to get it on the right side of the hole.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, I think I was lucky today. As I told you on 13, I hit a good shot and the ball went in the hole. And then I was lucky on 14, which I pulled my driver and I still had a shot onto the green.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, they didn't travel because two boys have to go to college, so unfortunately they have to stay there. They are watching it on TV.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, I am going back after this for three weeks. I have to play Argentinian Open; then come back to play the Diners Club in La Quinta.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Jay Sigel, yeah, he was nice to invite me to play.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: That is my sister-in-law wishing luck.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, what happened when my coach which is with me here this week I started -- he start teaching me when I was 11 and then the other coach which we are friends, mutual friends, so they, together they used to watch me for hours and every day and when I am at home both of them, so we will discuss, within the three of us, we discuss about my swing and what I am doing wrong, what I should do to correct it. It is a very nice friendship and we will enjoy it and also they enjoy being part of my success.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes. And other one he came with me PGA and three other tournaments this year, which is very nice to have them over because I was playing a lot, more than I used to in a row, so sometimes mentally you get tired, so you need somebody to tell you if you are not doing well very concentrate, you are doing this, you are doing that, you should do this and it helps me a lot my whole career.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, what happened was I wanted to. That is why I came over to start with. But what happened was I lost my card, I lost all my money in 1978, so I didn't have money. I have to stay at home try to get some more money; November, December, January, February and March 1978 and beginning of '79 I won seven tournament of 11 I played there, so I make money again there.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, in Argentina. I lost my card over here, so at the time I lost my card, didn't have money to try to go to Q-School, so I went back home, played a little bit at home, but because I was qualified to play in Europe I went back to Europe and in May I won the British PGA which give me ten years exemption, so that is the reason I stayed. And because I enjoy it. I enjoy it a lot over there and it was a kind of challenge also to play over there in those weather conditions. You have to improvise more often over there than over here.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah. I played since 1968 was my first year I played the British Open. I didn't play in 1970 then I played 1971, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Didn't play 1978. Played 1979, '80, '81, '82.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, I played in the old course, I played a few times, yeah. Few times and I remember I did, well, once. I think it was when Nick Faldo beat Norman, I think. I think it was that year. Well, I don't know very well. But I did well. I was going to the last round, I remember I was like 8 or something like that.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No. The last four, five years, I haven't been putting well, but apart from that I normally was very good putter only the last four or five years until last December which I change putter and that make a lot of difference. I get a heavier putter and it helps me a lot.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: From Ping to Zebra.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, it is a putter that one of my coach bought it to years ago for me, but at the time he bought it I was putting well, so I didn't want to change, but last December I saw it and I tried, I was putting badly, so I decide to change and it worked very well.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Thank you very much.