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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 9, 2013Peter HorrobinOMAHA, NEBRASKA THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to the 2013 U.S. Senior Open. We're joined by Peter Horrobin. Peter is the first native of Jamaica to play in the U.S. Senior Open this year. He survived a two‑for‑one playoff at the sectional down in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Peter learned to play as a child with a broken club fixed to a PVC pipe, really the every man story. Can you tell us a little bit about that. PETER HORROBIN: I was born next to a golf course in Jamaica, Constance Springs, and I see these people playing golf. Jamaicans generally play soccer or cricket, but I said, I think I want to learn this sport. I went across to the golf course, and I found a broken club, somebody threw away, and I thought, well, maybe I can be creative and practice with this club. So I got a PVC pipe and put some nails to it, and I would hit like probably 10, 20 balls before the ball‑‑ before the head would fly off, and then I would do it again. I just loved the game. So I said I want to go further in the game. So I went to the cabin master to see if I could shag balls or something at the school, and he said that was fine. So at the school I started shagging balls. Next thing you know I'm playing my first 18 holes of golf. I learned from watching players hitting balls, and that's the way I developed my skills. I didn't know that I had a short backswing until later on when I started seeing myself. In '73 or '74, I become the Junior Champion, shooting in the '70s from the ladies tee, which was one of the highlights of my life because I was now on local television, and when I went to school, everybody would recognize me and stuff. So I said, I'm going to continue playing this game when I come to the United States. My parents had been coming from '67, and finally they got a Visa for me in '76, and I came up and didn't know anyone to play golf with. So I kind of put it down for a while. When I got into high school, I was introduced to the game again that I should tryout for their high school team. So I did that and become the No.1 player. I got a scholarship. My scholarship was Miami‑Dade and then FIU. However, I went to Miami‑Dade, I won in college as well, FIU closed their program. So I said, well, let me give golf up again. Got married, had three beautiful kids, and later on in about '89 I picked it back up again. This is my dream, so I said I'm just going to continue playing golf. So I quit my job, and here I am sponsoring myself since '93, and I've been making a good living from that. THE MODERATOR: Very good. Great story. We'll open it up to some questions here. Q. You said you supported yourself through golf for the last 20 years. Have you been a club pro, or how have you been able to make a living? PETER HORROBIN: I started in '89 working for the PGA Tour as golf pro of Miami as apprentice. I did that for about seven, eight months, and I was approached by one of my good friends still, Lou Dicamba, he's the lead singer of the 2 Live Crew. He said, Peter‑‑ I've been giving him lessons. He said, I've been shooting real good, so he would like to sponsor me. I told him what a sponsorship requires, and he said he would do it. So I quit my job then in, I think, in '92 or something like that, and he send me out to the Nike Tour, which I was alternate twice and I made one qualifier. I did not make the cut. So when I came back to Miami, he do away with my sponsorship. There was something in it, if the sponsor doesn't feel like you are performing well, and I didn't read that. I was so happy to get a sponsorship. So I just signed whatever was put in front of me. So then I said, you know what, I'm just going to continue playing golf. And then probably about a year after, Matt Moore and a couple of guys from Miami did the same thing for me, but these sponsorships never lasted long. They always been like a month or two. I was always expecting maybe a year or two where I can play competitive instead of worrying about tomorrow. I never had that opportunity with a sponsor. But I have many people that helped me through my life. Q. Peter, can you talk about how you made ends meet during the lean years. I read where you were a freelance electrician at one time and some of the work you did as an electrician. PETER HORROBIN: Yeah, I started in Miami‑Dade as an electrician, and that didn't‑‑ I didn't finish that. So I went to Apex Technical School and did another year there. So I knew a lot of people on the golf course, and I told them I'm a handyman, and if they need anything fixed. So I had‑‑ I don't know, many people said, can you pressure clean my roof or whatever? And I would climb a ladder and try to be careful not to fall. That's kind of how I got money to pay for everything. Plus I would play every year, and I would win one mini tour event, which they were paying probably from $7,000 to $50,000. So I was doing good there. There were times when I had no money. I had to put everything on my credit card, and I was just fortunate enough to win it back within two months, and I could pay off my credit card bills. So golf has been real good to me, and that's why I want to continue playing. I almost gave it up‑‑ [crying]. THE MODERATOR: Obviously, the game of golf has meant a lot to you over the years playing through, obviously, some very tough times. Now, you played on some mini tours as well, the Maverick Tours and the Tam Tours, and you were able to make some money through that. But there were some difficult times, and the tours actually closed down, so you weren't paid for those. Can you tell us, talk us through some of your mini tour travails, as you were working your way through golf. PETER HORROBIN: I'm sorry. It just touched me to my heart to know that I've been through so many things the last years of golf, and I'm so proud of myself for making it so far. As far as mini tour, mini tour, I‑‑ every year I've been winning two or three on the mini tours. I tried for the big Tour, but I was never successful, and one of the reasons, I think, is that I have to come up with my own money, and when you're playing and you have to think about things like that, you don't perform at your best. I had mini tour sponsor. There's a guy that runs the tam tour, and I played on the tam tour and won like three times, and he claimed he's going to sponsor me on the tour, and it just brings back some sad memories. I won like $115,000, and he took my money, never paid me. And then I joined the Maverick Tour, and we had to put up $20,000, hard working money, and the guy disappeared again. I've been through some sad times, but this is my dream. I don't want to give up my dream. I'm so proud of myself. I'm going to try to play good this week, and whether I play good or not, I'm so proud to be here, to be the first Jamaican to make the U.S. Open. Q. Peter, obviously, this is a very big moment for you. It means a lot to you. So when you did qualify, who did you first share the information with that you qualified? Did you call people? Your brother caddies for you. Was he caddying for you during the qualifying? PETER HORROBIN: First person I called was my mom. She's 89 years old, and she's always said to me, son, stick to your dream. I would like to see you on television one day. And I called her and told her I made it, and she was so happy for me. As soon as I went back to Miami, I went straight to give her a hug and told her, look, thanks for all the inspiration, and you know she brought up seven of us without a dad. So I'm always, always looking to my mom for all type of encouragement. After that, I called the PGA of Jamaica to let them know that I made it, and they run a big story down there. Then I called all my friends, and people have been calling me also, congratulating me on a job well done. It's‑‑ the way I got in also, it's so overwhelming, that I had to make a 20‑foot putt to get where I am right now, and I did make it. So I'm here today. I called just about everybody that really supported me. Even the people who give me good words or they weren't financially well to, but they helped me follow my dream. Q. When you're facing that 20‑foot putt, are you blocking all the emotion out of your mind, or is all this filled up and you're thinking about it? PETER HORROBIN: Yeah, I was thinking this is do or die. You just‑‑ you pick your line, and I went around the putt a couple of times, and I said, well, you just got to hit it here and let it do what it do. If that's the wrong line, then there's nothing else you can do. So I picked a line, and I hit it, and once I hit it, I saw the speed was right, and I knew it was in. Q. Peter, living in South Florida, I wonder if you know Diane Lang. She's from Jamaica. She's a USGA Champion. She played in the Women's Open. I don't know if you talked to her since you qualified or not. PETER HORROBIN: I used to talk to her a lot. She lived in Western when I used to communicate with her, Western Florida. I don't know if she's still there. I lost track of her number and stuff. I know her pretty well. She's from the same neighborhood I'm from in Jamaica. Q. Peter, who do you have caddying for you this week? PETER HORROBIN: One of my good friends. He's not a good golfer, but sometimes a close friend can really help you a lot. Sometimes you just need somebody who knows your emotion and can give me some good encouragement. His name is Arnold Smalls, and I met him in Miami about five, six years ago, and we've been playing every day. So he knows my game pretty well. Q. This course has to be unlike anything you've seen down in Jamaica, South Florida. What do you make of it? Have you been out to play it yet? PETER HORROBIN: I've been here from Saturday. So I played it Sunday, Monday, and today's Tuesday. Yeah, I played it twice already. Each time that I finish, I'm like dropping on the ground because it's so hard to walk. It's a nice challenging golf course, just that it's hard to walk up to a tee box. Then you got to tee off. If it was flat walking to the tee box and then tee off, it would be all right. Most tees you got to walk up the hill, and then you're out of breath, and then you've got to hit a big straight shot because you know the rough is very here. This must be one of the highest rough I've ever played in in a golf tournament. Q. Peter, a lot of people get to be the first at something, and now you're the first Jamaican to play in the U.S. Senior Open. What does that moment mean to you? And I know your country is very proud of you. They obviously publicized that and sent out a press release. What does that mean to you to be the first from your country? PETER HORROBIN: I mean, I'm still in shock. It means a lot to me. I'm glad that Jamaica acknowledged me. I've been playing real good golf for probably 30 years or so, and they don't really recognize me, but now they do. I played a Nationwide 206, one event I qualified for, and I made the cut. That was in Miami, Miccosukee. And I played two work‑ups as well. But still when I go back to Jamaica, I go to the golf course, and nobody really knows me unless they are a native of Jamaica. Most Jamaican pros are overseas, and they say, who's this Peter Horrobin? I'm showing them PGA cards and stuff, and they‑‑ you know, who is Peter? I'm glad that majority of Jamaicans recognize me. They've been calling me on the radio. I did numerous radio interviews and newspaper interviews. So I'm very proud, and my mom is proud too, and my children are proud as well. Q. You played on the European Senior Tour. How has that helped you prepare for what you'll face on Thursday? PETER HORROBIN: The European Tour, it's cold over there. Playing with new people kind of calmed me down a little bit, but you know, you're always going to be nervous. If you're not nervous, then you're not living. So it really helped me. I went over there and qualified. Unfortunately, I only got to play in two events because I couldn't afford to go back. I talked to many people about helping me go back, but they said it was a bad time. But, yeah, I love the European Tour. It really helped me a lot. Q. Peter, throughout your years as a professional golfer, is there a particular part of your game that you have relied on and that has gotten you to this point? PETER HORROBIN: Yes. I'm generally a good driver of the golf ball. I generally hit all the fairways. My putting has been so‑so, been up and down. I hit‑‑ I think I hit my driver straighter than anything else in my bag. So I should do good here, I think. THE MODERATOR: Peter Horrobin, thank you so much for joining us. Peter goes off 8:34 off the 1st tee on Thursday. Thank you again for coming in. PETER HORROBIN: Thank you so much. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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