THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY SOUTHERN COMPANY AND MERCEDES-BENZ

October 27, 1998

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: Well, as a lot of people know, I'm familiar with the area, and the golf course, and the history of it a bit. We played it in school a few times. I played it less than ten times while I was in school. But, as everybody knows, it's quite different now than it was then. I actually had the pleasure of playing with Mr. Cousins today. You know, every now and then when we played here, we'd catch it, you know. In all fairness, fairways, rough, nothing was in good shape, but every now and then the greens were. It was just great to come out here then. Because it's always been a great golf course, wonderful layout. Now, what they've done, it's spectacular. I mean, it's a shame that more golf courses aren't built like this today.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I think if I had to choose, I don't know which one I'd choose. But I think that the money title is more significant than the stardom personally. Granted, some tournaments are 1.6 million, some are 2.2, but they roughly even out, so everybody has the same fair opportunity to win the money title. The stardom, however - although, don't get me wrong, it would be very nice to win that; it's a very big prize - it's a little more reflective of where you play as opposed to -- I mean, obviously you have to play well if you're going to win it. But especially since it's not a true scoring average - it's an adjusted average, you know - depending on where you play, your average might be higher than another player.

DAVID DUVAL: It's pretty good. I feel pretty good about it.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, you know, the way the golf course is set up, it's very, very comparable to Olympic, fairways are narrow, the rough is extremely penal, greens are fast, hard, not real severe, but there are some slopes. You know, the golf course dictates that you hit it in the fairway, you knock it on the green, you make a birdie every now and then. Other than that, you know, you're not going to play golf out of the rough here. There's no way around that. The most important club this week is going to be driving it.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I don't know. I just -- the great thing about this field is that somebody is going to be driving it straight and putting it well. So somebody is going to play well. Probably more than one person. However, I just don't think it lends itself -- I certainly don't think you'll see teens. I bet it would be tough to get into the double digits under par even. I would guess somewhere seven, eight, nine, ten.

DAVID DUVAL: We were laughing, just finished there. It's nice to have a drivable par 4 on every golf course (laughter). I mean, as you know, I don't hit it short. I just flat killed a 2-iron right into the middle of the green. You know, it's 242 yards to the hole today or something. You know, I assume they're going to play it way back there every day. Certainly going to be a 2- or 3-iron every day. You know, I kind of like it. I think it's neat with a 3-par because you stand up there, especially if you're a shot or so ahead; I mean, it's up to you on a hole like that. Yes, you can make a birdie, but you got to hit the shot. I mean, there's no two ways around it. You have to stand up there and hit a good long iron. That's a neat challenge to kind of cap off a big tournament like this.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah. I was telling Tom Cousins about that just now, the rest of our group, when we had our tee club thing out here, it always seemed to be cold. Somebody always got stuck on that hole, they had to hit 1-irons all day. So it's always -- I seem to remember the green actually being a little more severe. I don't know if that's the case or not. It was always 230 yards.

DAVID DUVAL: Are they? I think they ought to keep it on that back tee myself, just hit a 2- or 3-iron.

DAVID DUVAL: They are pretty quick. I think looking at them, because they're so good, and then walking on them, as hard as they are, you actually expect them to be a little faster than they are. But they're still -- you know, I don't know how to gauge the speed. They're certainly probably rolling 11 at least. But they look even worse than they are.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, no, you can't -- there's not a hole on this golf course that lets you be aggressive. I mean, yes, you can hit at the 9th green, and you can hit at the 15th, the other 5-par. But other than that, when you're talking 450 to 480 yards - it seems like there's one after another - I was trying to add up on my score card, looks like we played about 1200 yards of golf in the last few holes, and the par is only 11. I'm not the type of player that gets aggressive with 4- and 5-irons and 3-irons. You can't do that. You're going to lose. I mean, you're going to shoot high scores if you do that. No, it's very much a patience-type golf course.

DAVID DUVAL: Thank you.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I've kind of said some in the past, you know, I think that's why sometimes when I was talking with writers or TV people or whoever, when they're asking me about, that I never viewed what I did for my first two years and nine months on THE TOUR as a failure; I viewed it as a success. I finished 11th, 10th, and I was -- before I won in Kingsmill, I was somewhere in the 30s somewhere on the money list. I wasn't playing as well that year. But I never -- I thought I had been extremely successful. You know, when you tee off, you can pick a

favorite - like this week, there's 30 people playing - you could pick a couple favorites you think might win, but odds are against, as far as individuals go, the odds are against me wining this golf tournament, the odds are against Tiger winning, the odds are against Phil Mickelson winning. Yes, somebody is going to win, but as far as the individual goes, the odds are against you, especially in a big field. Finishing second in a golf tournament is a wonderful week. You know, what changed for me, you know, nothing. I finished first instead of second. I mean, really, you know, I made -- I made one more putt at some point where I needed to. You know, it could have been that 18-footer downhill on Thursday for par that made the difference. But it's just so subtle, the differences.

DAVID DUVAL: Right. You know, I don't -- I don't have a stance on it really. You know, I certainly think in any other year, I've had a Player of the Year-type year. However, Mark has, too, as has Jim Furyk. So I don't really have a stance on it, you know. Heck, I don't even know if I have a chance to win it, to be honest. I'm not really concerned about it.

DAVID DUVAL: Right. Well, I think the players out here have a feel for what's happened and what's going on. Somebody asked me - I think it was at Disney last week - if I would trade my four wins for Mark's two majors. I said no at that point. The reason being was that I feel like I'm going to win some in the future. I want to experience getting over that hump myself, you know. I mean, obviously you can't just trade. It's kind of a silly question anyways. But I want to experience what I experienced at Augusta again this year, accomplish it on my own. I mean, there's hurdles to overcome in accomplishing many things in this game. I want to do that on my own, you know. But as far as that goes, I have never -- I still believe The Majors are the four most important weeks of the year. However, at the same time, what we do those other 30 weeks are very important. If not, you wouldn't be doing them, you know? You might as well just play the four Majors. How do you weigh that? I don't know. I'm not the one who decides on how you should weigh that or how you should judge it. I don't know what to say other than that.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I said it a few weeks ago, no matter what happens the rest of this year, I'll never look back on this year as a failure in any way, no matter if I don't win the money title, don't win Player of the Year, I mean, any of it, it doesn't matter. It's been a wonderful year of golf for me. I will never view it in any way, there's nothing you can say negative about it, I don't think.

DAVID DUVAL: There's nothing disappointing about this year for me. Yes, I would have liked to have one at Augusta, yes, I would have liked to win THE PLAYERS -- but I certainly don't view what happened there as disappointments.

DAVID DUVAL: I was trying to remember most of it as I played it. It seems to me a lot of the holes are very similar. I mean, obviously, you're not changing the lay of the land here. I guess they moved some greens, they restored them, just kind of made them better. I remembered a lot of it. I hadn't been out here in, you know, six years. I don't think I played it last year -- my last year in school. It seems a lot different. But, you know, in general, as I played them, I remembered them. I remembered the views from like the 16 tee, you could see the tops of some on 13. Actually, funny, on the 13, 14 tee, I guess it is, you can see the top of the Nation's Bank Building. They finished that when I was in school here. I remember finishing that building. You've probably been out and played it. It's spectacular, it really is. It's a treat to be out on it playing.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, things as little as the roads coming in here were a lot worse. As you come up - I don't know the name of the road - you turn left off of Greenwood, I guess maybe it's 2nd where you turn left and go for a little while - maybe not, I don't remember the name. But you have those new, I guess, working family and Welfare family apartments and condos over there. I mean, you have the old buildings there next to them, and that's how it was. Everything was that way. A lot more littered, you know, trash, different things. I certainly don't remember these houses right here on the road being that nice. The clubhouse here itself is, you know, a drastic change from what it was. It doesn't -- it doesn't look like the same place coming in here. I mean, you know, you wouldn't -- I mean, it was something when you came in here, when we came in six, seven years ago, it was -- it wasn't the best area to be driving into. I mean, there's no two ways about it. Now, you know, you really wouldn't think about it as ever having been that way. It just doesn't seem that way now.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, it's unreal. I mean, it just goes to show what somebody with strong convictions can do, you know. I mean, I can't imagine -- I guess it's pretty much a resounding success. I'm not familiar with what goes on up here much anymore. I would think that Tom is almost like a local hero now, I would think. I guess they have plans on building more of those nice apartments and stuff. That's just got to be great for the area. He was telling me about a house over here that I think a friend of his bought just five years ago for $50,000, and it's worth $300,000 now maybe or something. I mean, the property values have shot up, crime is gone. That's just a true success story.

DAVID DUVAL: No, it doesn't really. You know, it's so -- it's just such a great week. We're looked after so well. They give you a Mercedes-Benz to drive. You stay in a nice hotel. You play a spectacular golf course. Twosomes every day. I mean, even that's nice, you know. It's just a great kind of ending to the season, you know. It's a nice little -- I don't want to call it a bonus because it's not a bonus; you have to earn your way here.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I don't think so now. I mean, maybe when it first started. You know, you're talking about it can decide a lot of things. So I don't think it's viewed as a reward event, no.

DAVID DUVAL: I'm playing in Sun City and the Presidents Cup.

DAVID DUVAL: Uh-huh.

DAVID DUVAL: No and no. It's not just another golf course. But, no, I don't think about who's played here and the history of it while I'm playing it. I mean, there's an important tournament to be played. If I'm thinking about that, my head's in the wrong place really. I'm concentrating on trying to hit it in the fairway and play well.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, you know, there's going to be, obviously, a lot at stake. I mean, a lot more money. You know, I might end up adding an event or two. I don't know. But as it stands, I believe this is my 23rd event of the year. I actually had wanted to play a few more. But it just -- it didn't quite work out that way, you know, with schedules and such. I'm going to end up -- next year I will play more along the lines of 25 or 6 events. I'll be three more events than this year. That's kind of where I feel pretty comfortable, where I can get enough rest and still stay fresh for when I tee it up. You know, I think there is obviously a lot more money at stake, but, at the same time, you got to make sure you keep your mind focused on quality and not quantity starts. You know, is it better to play five or six in a row and finish, you know, some mid 30s, or is it better to be fresh and try to have a chance to win? Well, you know, it's better -- obviously it's better to win golf tournaments, and also the reward is a lot better, too, if you're fresh and ready to play.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, No. The Valderrama one will probably be one. But the others -- the NEC event, Invitational, is replacing the World Series, so you're not adding. I'm not adding a week of playing for the first one because if I went there, I'd play in Tucson anyways, because I've played there every year. I like playing there. It will be more along the lines I'm going to try to go to an event or two that I haven't played in the past, you know, maybe try Milwaukee. That one comes to mind of someplace I haven't played since I've been on Tour. Just try to hit an event I haven't been to yet.

DAVID DUVAL: No, no. I just -- no. I just don't want to. I enjoy playing here. That's what I worked hard to achieve, to become a member of this tour, to become an established member. You know, obviously I'll travel and play the British Open and maybe another event in Europe or maybe an event in Australia or an event in Japan, but certainly not one of each. I just -- no. When you make those trips, it doesn't just cost you one week, if you go to Europe, it kind of costs you two weeks over here, you know. I would imagine, I haven't gone and played in Japan, but if you go over there, I would imagine it costs you at least two weeks, getting over there, then playing, then coming back and recovering. So I'm going to try and stay focused on this tour.

DAVID DUVAL: Not a whole lot. I haven't really thought about it. I'm looking forward to it. I've never played Royal Melbourne. I've heard nothing -- not positive things, but extremely positive things about it, you know. I haven't heard a bad word about it. I'm sure it's going to be a great week, but I haven't thought about it yet.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, that was great fun. Wasn't so much fun that first practice day when it was so hot and humid, but I liked it. It's good. It was a lot of fun.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah. We played I believe three. We played I think two alternate shots and then one -- we played three matches together.

DAVID DUVAL: Actually, this past week, though, we had a bit of a laugh. I think it was after the first round, we went over to his house and rode around in his boat, had lunch at the club with him. You know, he was showing Julie his house. I had been there once before, but I was walking around, seeing it. Then he said -- showing the trophy cases. Then he said, "Well, I got the Claret Jug and the Masters trophy." I said, "Yeah, just rub it in, you know." But I did hold both of them. They're nice (indicating).

DAVID DUVAL: No, he didn't have that. He didn't have it.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I don't think anybody ever -- as far as players go, I don't think anybody ever questioned his ability to win one. But, you know, the reason it's so hard is, obviously there's additional pressure. But you have to be playing well that week, you have to get some good things to go your way, and you have to make putts, then it has to happen on one of four given weeks. That's why it's so difficult. To handle himself as well as he did, and be in control of his game, emotions, you know, certainly to finish off both of them the way -- I know he birdied three of the last four at Augusta. Y'all can correct me if I'm wrong, but birdied four of the last six holes at Royal Birkdale. That's just tremendous stuff, it really is. You just don't think of that being done really under those circumstances.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, yeah. I mean -- yeah, I think so, certainly. You know, I hope I have that chance again.

DAVID DUVAL: Our Open?

DAVID DUVAL: I think that's a very good one, actually. Before I played, I had guessed that that would be the one that I'd have the most success in. It's kind of funny that up until this year, I'd never had any success really. I'd finished in the 30s maybe before, but other than that, that was it. But this year, it was a disappointment. I think I shot 75 the first day, had a bad day, I mean. Then I think I shot a couple under the next day, and was kind of right back in it. Really was in it through 45 holes. Then I made the turn and just had a train wreck. Played I think it was -- I don't remember where it started. Might have been 9, but I think 10, 11, 12, 13, I played four or five over. That's just what took me out of the golf tournament. I ended up -- then I shot a good score the final day. You know, I don't know. I think I was -- I don't know if I was the only player, but I was only one of a couple players that broke 70 twice there that week. I think I can have good success. But that's the thing -- that's what separates the winner from the people that don't win that golf tournament, is exactly what happened to me. You've got to be careful and not have that wreck happen to you like it did to me.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, he did. I bet you could go to any tournament that's won each week, and the guy who wins it probably had something like that happen at some point through the event.

DAVID DUVAL: I have no idea. Their personalities are so similar. I don't know. It's going to be different. You know, it really is. I don't know. I have no idea what to expect. I can't really answer you.

DAVID DUVAL: That was great. I mean, it was a lot of fun. You know, he's Arnold. That's all you need to say, I guess. Everybody knows Arnold. But I don't know what to expect with Jack being the captain. You're talking about the greatest player that's played the game. I just don't know.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I think I believe that moving it out of the US was important, to do it this year. It seems as if it certainly has the potential to become similar to a Ryder Cup. You know, as the team reflects, you have a wealth of talent available from which their team is formed. You know, it's just hard to tell. I can't compare to it Ryder Cup obviously because I haven't played one. But it seems like it's getting bigger ever year. I guess that's all you could ask for.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know, because I'm going to South Africa the week before and coming over from there. I won't know which end is up when I get there. Heck, I don't even know. I guess you leave on a Saturday, get there on a Monday. It really seems funny, you know.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah. I think Sunday night you can leave at 10 and get in Sunday night at 7:30. You actually get in earlier. I mean, that's part of the challenge. You know, that's why I think -- part of why you look at the international team as having such a good chance of winning this year. We had a -- a lot of the international team, when it's been played here, members of the US Tour, but you had several players traveling from long, faraway places to come and compete. They didn't have a full team that was adjusted fully to our time zone. Now it kind of evens it out because we're not going to be. So we'll see.

DAVID DUVAL: Wrecks it. You know, I'm going to have -- I'm leaving the 26th. I'm leaving on Thanksgiving to head down to South Africa. You know, I'm going only to have off a little over three weeks, during which obviously I'll practice some. Then I'll have a full tournament week/vacation week of golf the week before. I think it would be in a little better shape than if I was just coming from the States and going over there to play.

DAVID DUVAL: Thanks.