FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 13, 2002

Raymond Floyd

DAVE SENKO: Raymond, great round, 65, 7-under. Got yourself back in the middle of things. Maybe just some thoughts and comments on your round, we'll go through your seven birdies.

RAYMOND FLOYD: Well, it was a lot of fun, obviously, any time you play that well. The reason for the round, I played well the first two rounds, you know, I kept letting my head get in my way and not thinking clearly. I felt like I left a lot out there after two rounds.

I went out there today and I missed one fairway, I hit it in the fairway bunker at the 16th, actually laying up, thinking I couldn't reach it with a 5-wood. I missed one green, and that was the third green, and my ball was pretty close to the hole. I spun it back off the green.

When you play that way, I gave myself a lot of opportunities. Then to capitalize, I made the putts. I made seven birdie putts. That was the reason.

But I think part of it - well, I know - the reason there are low scores being shot are conditions are perfect. We're playing hard, fast fairways which makes the ball go a long way. We're playing soft, receptive greens. So your combination is set up for scoring.

Now, you go on the other side, you miss a shot here at the wrong hole, in the wrong side of a hole here, as you all know, it's double or triple bogey in a second.

It's not an easy golf course, but you're going to see low scores because of fast, firm fairways, and soft, receptive greens.

DAVE SENKO: Go through your birdies, starting at No. 6.

RAYMOND FLOYD: No. 6, I hit a 5-wood off the tee, and I hit a sand wedge in. I had a hundred-yard shot, I was trying to cut it a little bit. The pin is over there where you can't go at it too aggressively. I didn't cut the ball at all. I had probably a 30-footer. I made it. That got me going.

Then I birdied the 9th. I put it -- I hit an 8-iron at the 9th. I hit it in there about probably five feet.

Then at the 10th I hit - I'm trying to think what club I hit at the 10th - I hit an 8-iron at the 10th hole, put it in about 15 feet.

Then at the 11th I put it probably eight -- no, 10, 12 feet.

Then at the 12th, I had it about 12 or 15 feet.

Then at 15 I had it about eight or 10 feet.

DAVE SENKO: What did you hit on 15?

RAYMOND FLOYD: On 15, I hit 6-iron.

Then 16, out of the fairway trap, I hit a 9-iron to about four or five feet.

Every other thing was 2-putt par. Even the ball I pulled off the fringe at the 3rd hole, I putted it, 2-putted.

Q. You were saying the other day that you never know any more what you're going to get, but you got a good one today.

RAYMOND FLOYD: Yeah (laughter). More times than not, they're not good. But I think part of the good play, and like I said, I'm hitting the ball better, I'm swinging very free, I'm not hurting, I don't have any pain, so I think that's part of it. But also this is my third tournament in a row. I played US Senior Open, then I played the Western Open where I missed the cut there by a stroke, but I played really well enough there to have made that cut. Playing against the young guys, I shot even par.

But I came here with a good attitude about it. I feel like I'm driving the ball straight and I'm hitting my irons very nicely. I've been with a belly putter for three weeks, and that is just starting to reap the rewards. I'm getting comfortable with it. I've really hit the ball where I'm aiming.

If you can do that every time, you're apt to make some putts.

Q. Both of the guys you were playing with shot in the 60s. Does it help to have all three guys in a group playing that well?

RAYMOND FLOYD: Absolutely. There's not a player in the field that wouldn't say they'd like to be in a group where the guys are playing well. You feed on each other and you draw from it. On the other side of that, you can get in a group where all three guys play poorly. You can get in that rut, as well. I'm sure each player will tell you he'd like to be in the hot group.

You start pulling for each other; you feed off of it.

Q. You kept the same putting style for so many years. Last year or so you went to the wider stance, now the belly putter. Is it a matter of trying something different, see if it works?

RAYMOND FLOYD: No, it's evolved. I've been a great putter my whole career. I always stood upright and open. I could always take the putter through the ball and down the line. You must continue on your intended line or you're not going to be a very good putter.

About two years ago I started going at impact coming through to the left. I just couldn't make the putter go -- continue on the line. I don't know why. I would practice, but I could not do it.

After a while, I said, "Hey, I've been two years messing around with this thing and it doesn't work anymore, I'm going to have to change." Seems to me if I work as hard on something that I'm doing that's different, maybe it will work.

So I changed my stance, went to a shorter putter so I could get square, you know, go through on the line. I still had a tendency that way, when I missed a putt, I would still come across the ball.

My son Robert tried the belly putter and said, "Dad, you should try this, this is incredible." I'd seen guys with it. I never even touched one. Finally I had one made up, and immediately I could see that my putter was going on the line. Well, I'm using the same stroke and everything, but I guess because the putter's anchored, I don't know exactly why, but I am continuing on the line.

Just by making the stroke go where I'm intending it to go, it makes me a better putter. Now my speed's getting a little better with it. You have to figure it out. It's truly a pendulum. When it's sitting against you, can't get too involved with my wrist or my arms. That's how it's evolved down to the belly putter.

Q. You say you're pain free. How unusual is that these days for you? You've had a lot of problems.

RAYMOND FLOYD: I think we all have. I'm 59 years old. But anybody on this TOUR, I don't think you can go -- it would be a very low percentage of guys. If you went up and honestly said, "Do you have any pains," I think everybody has some aches or pains out here.

I've had chronic back pain for years. I've got a herniated disc. But the last year, I have been really good. Occasionally I'll have a little flair, but I take my Advil in the morning. I've only been taking one dose of it. It's been incredible.

When I'm not in pain or hurting, I can go practice and usually reap some reward from the practice. When you're hurting, you can't even go practice.

Q. You usually do pretty well at this event. Is it one of your favorites?

RAYMOND FLOYD: Well, I like to play golf. I think you've heard Jack use the term, "Let's play golf." You put the new tees in here. We even moved back on a couple holes where we should have been years ago. I feel like there's enough parity around this TOUR. Three rounds is parity in itself. It's a major championship. So you come in with an attitude knowing that this golf course is going to be a little more difficult and you're going to have to play to be rewarded.

So I think I appreciate that. I can't compete with these guys shooting, what, last week 18- or 20-under in three days. That's more the norm out here. I'm not an advocate of that.

Q. I think you were six down in 2000 going into the final round. Do you remember what you felt like then? Do you feel that way now?

RAYMOND FLOYD: No, I can't remember yesterday and you're telling me to remember two years ago (laughter).

No. I was asked the question on one of the local stations here today, what was my plan, what did I think I needed to shoot today. I think probably the reason I didn't get in my way today was I was really in the one-shot-at-at-time mode. I know that cliche drives you guys crazy. Every time I have had good rounds, I can focus on the shot at hand and just hit it, and then I focus on the next one and go through the round that way. That's when I generally have my good ones.

I had no preconceived idea of anything, except today my goal was to go out and focus on each shot, and when it was gone, forget what was behind me. That's what got in my way the first two rounds. I get complaining because the wind switched as my ball was in the air or I got in between the wrong clubs. You know, that's bad mental stuff. You've got to clear that and be positive and go do your thing.

Q. Is there good mental stuff now that you're within striking distance of the lead?

RAYMOND FLOYD: There was good mental stuff today, and I would hope that I can continue with it tomorrow. I haven't been in contention in quite some time. I've always said it's fun, I like it. That's why we all play golf. I like to have that chance. I love the opportunity. It's really neat to be out there and have the heat and see if you can perform under the gun.

Q. If there's anybody that's not going to have trouble remembering what it's like to be in the heat, it's you, right?

RAYMOND FLOYD: Well, I think my experiences have been sufficient that I can draw upon them, I would hope (laughter). I don't think you forget. But it's going to be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I just hope these guys don't get too far away.

Q. How close do you have to be, not you, but the field in general?

RAYMOND FLOYD: I would, generally speaking, it's hard to win from over four, I think the norm. But you have a situation like Hubert now. Hubert is a couple over, the guy he's playing with is 4-under. You can't shoot over par. If a leading, and we're assuming a leader that's 12- or 15-under, is probably going to shoot 2-under, 3-under, 4-under tomorrow. If you have that assumption, you almost take everybody out of play that's within over four.

However, from six, like I was last year, you shoot a low round, and a guy shoots par, one over, it brings more people in. That certainly happens. But I've always felt like I've had a chance when I'm in the four, outside, over four. It also depends on the number of people between you. That is very relative, how many people are in there, those slots. If you have 15 guys between you and your six, chances are you're not going to get there. If you have two or three, that gives you a better opportunity.

Q. You're a Hall of Fame member. When you started way back in '61, could you have ever thought anything like that would happen?

RAYMOND FLOYD: No. My goal was to play professional golf, I mean, just to get out and be on the TOUR. Wow, I look back on my career now, people used to ask me, I never thought about it, you run through that cycle, I was Rookie-of-the-Year, I won major championships, I'm in the Hall of Fame, I'm still playing. The most incredible feat in my mind is this is my 40th year of playing professional golf and I'm still capable of competing. That's pretty incredible when you look back.

The great thing about this TOUR is the quality of life. It's kept all of us in better shape, we're working, we enjoy the game. We all love it or we wouldn't play. It's kept us a lot fitter. So the quality of life is better for all of us because of this TOUR.

DAVE SENKO: Thank you, Raymond.

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