THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 28, 1999

Scott Gump

SCOTT GUMP: Survival of the fittest, no question. It was definitely major-championship conditions, and I felt like I played well at the PGA Championship last year; that gave me a lot of good experience playing hard courses. It was fun, no question, I stayed aggressive, and that was always my game plan, so I enjoyed it.

SCOTT GUMP: Oh, fine. I just -- it is nice having that opportunity, really, obviously. I am sure as far as he hits it, he had -- what did he have into the green on 18, anybody know?

SCOTT GUMP: I had 188 to the front. It's a little different hole for me. I was really very thrilled with the three. That was a lot of fun making that putt, especially after what happened on 17. That wasn't -- that didn't taste too good, but birdieing 15 and 16 obviously. I knew I didn't give up too much making double there.

SCOTT GUMP: It was strange. I don't know how many -- I don't even remember what I was after two days. Actually I finished -- what was I?

SCOTT GUMP: I played the last six holes 6-over to get to 2-over on Friday, so I knew I was playing well. But I knew I wasn't alone. There were so many train wrecks out there that I was just one of many. But, no, I knew everybody is going to back up. Monday afternoon we played practice rounds, the greens were super firm then. I go, man, I mean, they don't usually get softer; let's put it that way.

SCOTT GUMP: Yeah, if you land the ball in the dead middle of the green, you should be able to hold most of the time. But this is a major or almost a major. It should be tough. Fair, unfair -- I mean, that is golf. That is why we all play it. Everyday is an adventure, that is for sure.

SCOTT GUMP: Hit the wrong club (laughs).

SCOTT GUMP: Yesterday, actually hit 7-iron to that green in the back, made birdie. I am not a very long hitter, but I usually control my distances pretty well. When I got up on the tee, I just didn't feel any wind, and at that point, hitting into the water, I have done that before. That is not going to -- I am not going to cease to exist. So I wanted to hit a club that I at least get a chance to get to the pin. For me, 9-iron was a long way. I had 137 to carry, I would have to step on a 9-iron to carry it 137 for me. I thought the aggressive play; I just choked down on it, really smoothed it. Unfortunately I knew it as soon as I hit it, I pretty much knew it was in the water. I was trying to hit just a little cut, and I killed it.

SCOTT GUMP: Yeah, it feels good obviously. This is my ninth year out here, so, I have played a lot of tournaments. So it is not my -- obviously, probably my best finish ever in a big tournament, but I have been playing against these guys, been out longer on Tour than David Duval. He didn't get out on Tour 'til '94? I have a lot of experience. Hopefully, I will turn that experience into something. I am obviously pleased. Everybody wants to win. At least I stayed aggressive; at least that was always my game plan.

SCOTT GUMP: Really difficult for me. I didn't even really pay much attention to the pin placements half the time. I am like: Get me in the fairway somewhere and get me on the green. I have always been able to do that my whole life, so I am like where the pin is an afterthought. You put me on the middle of every green 18 times, I am probably going to win. So with that in mind, it is a very -- it is a different thinking than a normal tournament, because normally that is not going to get you much. But out here it was playing so difficult. I worked hard on my short game, so I knew obviously if I missed some greens I could get it up-and-down. I did. I putted well this week.

SCOTT GUMP: I think the rough was probably a major thing. We played the Bob Hope this year; the greens were as firm or firmer, but there was no rough. Same thing with I guess Phoenix. Phoenix were brick hard. Again, there wasn't much rough. When you combine the two, well, the scores are too obvious. It is just the law of physics. You can't get the ball to stop on the green. Nobody gets it up-and-down every time; you are going to have bogeys.

SCOTT GUMP: Yeah, I have always liked tougher conditions, because obviously my strong point is hitting it straight and hitting greens. Yeah, the tougher the better for me pretty much.

SCOTT GUMP: Just stay aggressive. Yeah, I am always fidgity out there. I have got a pretty strange body. My joints are very loose, and I learned a long time ago if I stay still, and then I take a swing, something will pop. I have never enjoyed that too much, so, I kind -- I keep my body moving, that is for sure. I was nervous, but I wasn't -- I knew -- when you are playing well, it is a different nervous. You know you can mess up and still do okay. That gives you a lot of confidence, where you are not going to believe that -- I swear, I felt more pressure trying to make a cut, because you know there is no tomorrow. You know when you are playing really well and just on the edge, I get more nervous in that situation than I do when I am playing well. I just like opportunities. That is all you can do, really.

SCOTT GUMP: I just hope he is No. 1 ranked. If he isn't, I don't know.

SCOTT GUMP: Well, thank you. That is good to know. I think he is doing okay. He doesn't hit it very far at least (laughter).

SCOTT GUMP: I think mainly because the green is so firm. If that green was soft and everything, I mean, you won't see a whole lot of balls in the water, I wouldn't believe. But when you are standing on the tee knowing, okay, the greens is 32 yards deep or whatever, but you can really only fly it around 16 yards deep, so you are basically hitting a target 16 yards deep. And, with wind and nerves, and everything else, I mean, nobody hits it the same distance all the time. You're standing out there in the range, and you have variances. It is definitely nerve-wracking. If the green was softer, I think guys wouldn't sweat quite so much. That is why you see so many balls short of the green because they know you can't land it in the middle.

SCOTT GUMP: It did. I was surprised because the guy never actually quoted me, never called me up and asked me what I thought. And then actually I think I shot, actually, yeah, I played well. I shot a 62, and I finished second in the middle of the year. I made like 12 out of 14 cuts or something. Played well, and it made me feel really nice about all the players that were behind me. I was surprised by the reaction. John Cook wrote a letter, and I already talked to him and everything. Hey, you know, everybody can't win every week. I mean, last time I checked, he didn't win a Pulitzer either, so (laughter) -- and that is probably not fair either, but that is life. I mean, if this was just an exhibition Tour with the same six guys playing all the time, it would be interesting, but not as much fun. You don't get guys like me that come in and play well now and again.

SCOTT GUMP: Golly, I like myself or something? (laughs) no. He is entitled to write his opinion and I am entitled to say mine. So I just want to play better golf, really; that will quiet him a little.

SCOTT GUMP: Everybody --

SCOTT GUMP: No, I have played here enough years to where, you know, for me, I just knew I was stuck with yardages; for me it was just dead in between at 8 and 9 and that was the hard part. I was basically waiting to make sure that the wind wasn't downwind. And it was. But when you are on that tee it is kind of an ample theater, you can't really feel it. So it was a tough call. But I probably hit the 9. If I had to do it all over again obviously I would hit the 9-iron. I still don't think I could get the 9 to the hole.

SCOTT GUMP: Oh, yeah.

SCOTT GUMP: That is crazy, in my opinion, because instead I had a 78 yard shot; I hit L-wedge. You feel like you can throw it on the green from there. Where there, you really have to mis-hit a shot to hit it in the water again, but re-teeing, your angle isn't as good and everything else, so.... But I birdied it yesterday so I don't feel totally bad about that hole. Plus I chipped in for eagle yesterday on 16. That was kind not a fluke, but it is not something you plan on, so the golf gods went my way too, so.....

SCOTT GUMP: Unbelievable. As far as he hits it though, these fairways are wide in certain spots and when you are flipping 9-iron and wedge in there, you really have a chance sometimes guys, like me, when you are hitting 6- and 7-iron, I am just trying to hit the green. But obviously it is a heck of a round. I am sure he will be pleased. So he went from barely making the cut to finishing fourth, third.

SCOTT GUMP: That is amazing.

SCOTT GUMP: I don't know, probably after he won about, what, five tournaments, six tournaments? But, see, everybody was playing so well in that little time period that it was tough to judge. Yeah, I don't think he wakes up in the morning worried about how I played, so I don't -- no offense to him, but obviously he deserves it, my goodness, he played so well - amazing.

SCOTT GUMP: Anything can happen. It is the PGA TOUR, he can stand up there on 17 and hit a great shot and a gust of wind could blow it short. And, 18 is obviously - it is like playing 4.6. As an experienced a player like him, he is going to handle it well and he obviously did.

SCOTT GUMP: Can't remember.

SCOTT GUMP: 2 was fun, actually. I hit 7-iron in there about 40 feet, made it. That was a nice beginning. 4 was unbelievable. Steve Stricker hit it in the right slope - I don't know if you saw it on TV - right slope just out of the bunker and holed out. So I am down there, I hit a wedge in there about ten feet. Made it.

SCOTT GUMP: 4. He went --

SCOTT GUMP: He was leading the tournament there for a while. I really thought he was going to go low. I really thought he had a good chance of winning he is such a good player. Anyway, 5, the same thing, 5 he hit it up there about three feet. Kind of inspired me. I had about a 20-, 25-footer, I made it. 6, bogey, hit it just barely from the thin divot - it was downwind and that green is so brick hard, I hit -- that was probably the worse shot of the day. I chunked it short of the green, made bogey. It is the same thing, the green's 32 yards deep, but you really can only land it in about a 12-yard deep area to hold the green, so..... 10, I 3-putted. Hit a 7-iron in there about 30 feet and the putt was straight down that slope. I thought I almost left it short and it still rolled, six, eight feet by. 14, same thing, hit a nice 5-iron dead middle of the green and that green again was so baked out, hit a good putt, but hit it about four feet by and missed it. Bogey.

SCOTT GUMP: 15, hit a 9-iron in there about three feet, two feet. Made it. I was quite pleased that that ball stayed on the green. 16, same thing, I could have reached the green, but I mean the ball is not going to stay on, so just figured I would lay-up and hit a little 9-iron in there about - what was it - twelve feet, ten feet? 17 I don't need to talk about. Then 18, hit 5-iron in there and luckily just got on that second tier and I couldn't tell you how far the putt was, 15 feet.

SCOTT GUMP: I am glad it got to the hole, that is all I got to say.

SCOTT GUMP: No, I moved up to the -- thank goodness they had a ball drop. I appreciate the field staff doing that, giving us a ball drop. It is not quite so tough.