BUICK OPEN

August 10, 2000

John Maginnes

JOHN MAGINNES: I have been telling people that I am playing really well; just not getting anything out of it. Today I didn't play -- today I played great, but I didn't hit as many really good shots as I had been. I holed a bunker shot. Driving underneath the lip of a bunker on a par 5 and had 225 and hit 1-iron six feet, made birdie. It was that kind of day. One of those things where I just sort of escape and then good things happened. I feel good. I have had -- I usually travel with my wife and my 21-month-old, so to spend a nice week over Monday, Tuesday at Michigan Speedway way; drove race cars; drank beer, Pro-Am Tuesday. Nice and relaxed anyway I think that helps. .

JOHN MAGINNES: They are not. I didn't play The INTERNATIONAL so I was just coming up for one week so they stayed home.

JOHN MAGINNES: I love having them travel with me, but it is nice to get finished practicing on Wednesday afternoon and go back and lie around for four hours rather than go to the playground or -- it is relaxing. It is a nice change of pace. Now, I would imagine if I shoot another 67 tomorrow, they will be here Saturday; (laughs) which would be great. I would hate to shoot three more of those and not have them here.

JOHN MAGINNES: I am getting to be. Driving those things around there, I didn't realize how hard it is. It is scary.

JOHN MAGINNES: They run a Pro-Am for us and there is about 15 -- they fly us in Sunday night and 15, 20 guys get to drive cars on Monday and we play a Pro-Am on Tuesday. It is as much fun as you can have. Guys, if you have never been in a race car, it is about as much fun as you can have.

JOHN MAGINNES: They say they had the governors set at 145, but there is no speedometer in the car, so you don't have any idea. It is loud and there is a huge wall right there on your right and it is kind of scary.

JOHN MAGINNES: It is a driving school. Anybody can walk up and pay $1,000 and get to drive cars, but they let us do it for playing in the Pro-Am. I know it is exactly what you guys wanted to talk about here today, isn't it?

JOHN MAGINNES: I played well the first round at the Buick, played well the -- well first four rounds at the Hope. I have been struggling a little bit. Even when I had decent tournaments, I hadn't got off to a decent start. So hopefully I can do this for four days. I have had one of those years you just like to get finished with, but I still have a big chunk of work to do to; make sure I don't have to spend the winter in Palm Springs.

JOHN MAGINNES: You'd have to check the book to know exactly, but a lot of work to be done.

JOHN MAGINNES: I tell you, this will be one of the toughest years for a first-time winner with the field that is here this week. You guys know, it's Who's Who of golf here this week. I don't know that there is any real omissions there other than maybe David and Ernie, is that about right?

JOHN MAGINNES: He can hang with me on those 18 holes, but he can't hang with me on the 19th. I can guarantee you that. (laughs).

JOHN MAGINNES: He shot what, 70 today? He came in here, there were a lot more people in here than there are right now. It is fine. From what I understand, Tiger is one of the most famous people in the world and I think he has carried himself very well in that respect. He is a young man in a very grown-up situation handling it beautifully. Obviously his golf game is such that it is -- it is going to be that way for him for a long, long time. But, quite honestly, No. 1 tee to the 18th green, I could care less how he plays. It's got no effect on me whatsoever. I know that I am outmanned and outmatched out there by a lot of these guys, but all I can do is the best I can do.

JOHN MAGINNES: What are we playing for this week? No, I am not tired from it at all. When I kept my card out here in 1996 made about 175, 180,000, this year it is going to take 400,000. I love Tiger Woods. (laughs).

JOHN MAGINNES: I think (inaudible) -- I couldn't even tell you what the two guys I played with today shot. And they are friends of mine. I was telling them: "Good shot; good put; hang in there," - those things that you say to the guys you play with. But we are kind of in our own little world out there.

JOHN MAGINNES: I'd love to see a great rivalry. I just wish I was one of the guys in it. (laughs) I didn't watch the British Open. I didn't get in the U.S. Open and I spent the week in Maine in a cabin that didn't have a TV in it. Next week I will be home with my family. If I see five shots of the PGA it will be 5 more than I care to see. During the British Open, I actually watched a lot more of the Women's Open than I did the British Open. When you are a part of the Tour -- I mean, you think the guys in the NFL sit down and watch Monday Night Football? It is essentially the same thing. We are just -- just trying to figure out how to make "you" better (inaudible). I love it out here. I want to stay out here for another five, ten years; that is all I am focused on. I want to win a golf tournament as bad as anybody out here, but I have spent five years on the PGA TOUR, that is pretty good.

JOHN MAGINNES: I haven't putted very well this year at all. I have struggled with -- seems like every week there has been something that I have struggled with, and today it was my driver which is generally the easiest to fix; which is nice. The way I putted today, I didn't make a whole lot of long putts, but every time I hit it six feet, I made the birdie putt, so when that happens often times you can build on that even more than when you are making 30-footers because if you got 6-footers for birdie, sometimes that 30-footer will sneak in there too and you can get real low.

JOHN MAGINNES: Underneath the lip of the bunker off the tee; had to just chip it up and as I am walking up there Chris DeMarco said: That is probably where Tiger hit his drive today. We talk about him, I mean, it is hard not to and that kid that played at John Deere, the kid that finished third, Charles Howell, we are sitting there eating lunch and on 17, 45 minutes earlier, I hit driver, 3-wood to the front fringe. He is standing in the middle of the fairway hitting 5-iron on his second shot. Those are the things that amaze us - how far these kids hit the golf ball.

JOHN MAGINNES: There is a great deal to do around here. We went to that new restaurant over there beside the hotel last night, the Red Oak Lodge. Is that the name of it? (inaudible) Watched a movie and had a beer; nice leisurely dinner. (inaudible) My caddie is a buddy of mine from home -- my caddie is going to be heart broken. He is not here. His brother is getting married this weekend.

JOHN MAGINNES: You try not to really think about where you are on the money list even though you are down -- it all sort of hits you in Q-School. Until that, you fight to the point where you are not one of guys that they are handing one to (inaudible).

JOHN MAGINNES: I think that is the biggest mistake. Old saying is: Easiest way to lose your card on the Tour is to play more than 30 events. There is some truth in that. I had last week off and I worked on my game but I didn't -- I didn't play in a golf tournament and I felt more relaxed coming in this week. After the PGA I will definitely take a week off in there somewhere.