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SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP MEDIA DAY


May 3, 2004


Jerry Abramson

Jim Awtrey

Walt Game

John Jacobs

M.G. Orender

Tommy Roy


JULIUS MASON: Once again, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 65th Senior Championship Media Day. Let's go ahead and meet the members of our head table. First, from New York City, the Executive Producer at NBC Sports, Mr. Tommy Roy; From Jacksonville Beach Florida, the President of the PGA of America, Mr. M.G. Orrender; from Paradise Valley, Arizona, defending Senior PGA Championship, Mr. John Jacobs; the CEO of the PGA of America, Mr. Jim Awtrey; from your backyard, the General Chairman of the 65th Senior PGA Championship, Mr. Walt Game, and Metro Louisville Mayor, the honorable Jerry Abramson. We also have special gets in our audience that I would like to recognize at this time. From the Kentucky PGA Section, Secretary Mike Riley; honorary president, Mike Thomas; and Executive Director Mark Hill; from hour host site, Valhalla Golf Club founder, Dwight Game, I believe his son Phil is also here; General Manager, Mike Montague; PGA Head Professional, Keith Reese; Superintendent, Mark Wilson; from our Senior PGA Championship office from right across the parking lot, Tournament Director Tara Duckner; Administrations Manager John Handley, Operations Manager Ben Rubin; from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, PGA of America's Director of Senior Championships, David Charles. And now it's my pleasure to reintroduce the chief executive officer of the PGA of America, a man you've known now in this community for over ten years, Mr. Jim Awtrey.

JIM AWTREY: Thank you, Julius. Good afternoon to everyone. It certainly is a pleasure to come back to Louisville and it has become a second home to the PGA of America. Just 21 days we'll be back for another major championship, this time the Senior PGA Championship. And in seven short years it will be the third Major Championship played here at Valhalla, in Louisville. And if you look at the record book, there's not many courses or places that have certainly hosted that many majors in a short period of time. We think that speaks very well for the place to hold the 65th Senior PGA Championship, since we moved out of Florida we've played some great traditional golf courses, Aronimink, Firestone, and Ridgewood Country Club, and we come back to Valhalla for another Major Championship and we're going to play a little different golf course. In the past we've played a par 72 golf course that was just under 7200 yards. Each Championship we've had here, we've looked at what the players are doing, we've made some minor adjustments, this time we've made some fairly significant minor adjustments. I would like to cover a few of them with you to give you a feel. First of all, the golf course will play 177 yards shorter than it did at the 200 PGA Championship. The major difference, it will play to a par 71 versus the par 72. If you look at the holes, the major changes, first of all would be the second hole. We've converted the second hole to a par 5 to a par 4 that will play 457. We felt it would be a risk/reward and we widened the fairways, but certainly if you hit it to the left you'll likely go in the creek. We made it about 28 yards wide from the bunker to the edge of the slope that goes into the creek. We thought that would test the players a little bit more than the par 5 where they were going for the green. Although John, when he gets to his round, he certainly should talk about what he hit into that hole, because we thought it was a long hole, and he drove it right around the corner and hit a soft 6 into the green. No. 5, we added three bunkers to the left side of the fairway, put a little bit more of a premium on the drive and we narrowed the fairway. Hole No. 9, we added two bunkers on the right side and one bunker on the left side to tighten up the drive area and make a little bit more of a risk to be in the bunker with the uphill shot. Again, watching John today, we may have to go back just a tad further. Hole No. 10, we've added a fairway bunker on the right and we've narrowed it about 12 feet in from the left side, but a series of small grass mounds to the left that keeps the ball from rolling if it comes off the left side and it adds a little better look for it. Hole No. 13, which is the Island green, we've added another small bunker to the left, just to, again, tighten it up. If you go down the left side you'll need to hit it a little bit further to get it back into the fairway. And No. 18, we've brought that left-hand fairway bunker closer to the tee, probably another 40 yards altogether to tighten that hole up and force you a little more to the right. That's an example of bringing the fairway bunker back and tightening up. Some of you are recalling in 2000, Tiger was laying up short of the bunker with a 3-wood. The bunker was 315. So he laid up short of that and then hit an iron onto the green. Now if you lay-up short of that bunker, you probably won't be able to reach the green, forces you a little to the right and brings the water and the hillside into play if you hit it to the right. A little bit about this championship. This Championship routinely brings the strongest field together of Senior golf. As to the entry deadline, we've had 134 of 156 players have committed to the field. The final field will be made up on May 9th. A little something to remember when you're looking at Senior golf and these great players and the history, the current field will have 12 Sr. PGA champions in the field. It will have 24 Major champions playing, who have one a collective 75 Major championships in the game. Pretty unusual if you look at the history and then have 24 players with 75 Major championships. Nine U.S. and European Ryder Cup captains will be playing. You're all aware the Ryder Cup is going to be played this year at Oakland Hills, and in the not too distant future, here at Valhalla. 29 International players, representing 13 countries, and 106 U.S. players representing 33 states. Our television partners, NBC Sports and ESPN will provide 14 hours of live coverage during the four rounds. It will also be televised to a worldwide audience in nearly 70 countries with a household reach of 52 million people. At the end of the month, golf will once again focus on Louisville and Valhalla, and I can't tell you how proud I am to be back in a community where we've received so much support, both from the corporate side, as well as from the city municipal government, and we certainly thank you. And again, it's a pleasure being back.

JULIUS MASON: Thanks, Jim, very much. Now, ladies and gentlemen, let's hear from my favorite mayor in the entire country, Mayor Jerry Abramson.

JERRY ABRAMSON: Thank you. It really is exciting. We were just talking about the love affair this community has had with the PGA. It goes back to your family's dream of what this wonderful facility could ultimately become. Before we could ever go out selling the opportunity of the PGA to come to Louisville. Once this fantastic golf course was created and the dream came true, we went out and I had an opportunity -- we were just talking about back in 1993, to bring the Awtreys to the Derby, to let them see how this community could support an event. We just got through the weekend of 140,000, give or take, being who counted whom at what time of the day, and we pulled it off as well as could be expected with the weather. It was another great event. And that gave Jim, and I hate to speak for him, that gave you the confidence that -- what he saw we could do in the early '90s gave him the confidence to believe we could do it in 96, and we did, in 2000, and we did, and we'll do it at this point in time. The PGA has become a tremendous part of the corporate fabric of this community. I, for one, with my 12-year-old have used the First Tee three holes often to work on my irons and work on his game, my son. So they have been here in so many ways and supported so many efforts that the love affair continues. We're excited about this weekend in May, or these four days. We're excited about NBC staying with us again, as they were this weekend, and we're hope to provide a little better weather as we get into the finals on Sunday. It really is an exciting opportunity. I guess the bottom line of our hometown is that just as we turn out 4,000 volunteers to put together the Kentucky Derby Festival, just like this community pulls together when we have an opportunity for an elite event, we'll be there again for the PGA Seniors, the 65th PGA Seniors, we'll be there again, the community will support your efforts, Jim, in every way we possibly can, and look forward to helping you and Walt make this as successful an event as possible. So welcome back.

JULIUS MASON: Now, ladies and gentlemen, let's hear from NBC Sports Tommy Roy.

TOMMY ROY: Those at NBC Sports are no strangers to covering big time sporting events, having just finished our third Derby, and we've covered -- well, we've covered every Breeders Cup at Triple Downs, and we're looking forward to covering this major here. Please, Mayor, whatever you can do to avoid a thunder storm that we experienced on that Saturday, much appreciated. I really feel like this Championship stepped up a level when the PGA of America started taking it to new venues every year. And I know that with Louisville being a very golf savvy community, having hosted two PGAs, I'm expecting large and passionate galleries, and I can't say enough how important that is to a broadcast, because the bigger the gallery, the more they care about it, the more intensity and electricity it brings to our broadcast. It's extremely important and so we're looking forward to that. For the players, this event, when they come here, there's no Pro-Ams, there's no mandatory corporate dinners, you get out on the driving range and you can tell they're not goofing around as much. It's all business. And you can feel that out there, that this is an event that they really want and that translates into the broadcast, as well. John Jacobs, last year, earned his Major, and I'll tell you what, it was a lot of fun broadcasting that. John, congratulations. I was not here when the PGA was played here, that was covered by a competing network, but when we came here last summer to survey and pick our camera locations, I was very impressed. It's a very difficult test, but there are significant birdie opportunities. There's a lot of risk/reward, and with all that put in play, I expect it to be a very fluid leaderboard with a lot of changes, and that's what creates a lot of excitement for us in the broadcast. I'll also say that it's very telegenic. It's a beautiful place and it's going to look gorgeous on TV. The best thing about it is, the holes are very memorable. When we go to some golf courses, they may be a real terrific golf course, but when you look at it on TV the holes are very similar. Here, they are very unique and when you see them you can recognize them right away, and that makes our broadcast that much more easier to do. It's a wonderful course for TV, there are a lot our announcers will have to talk about. Those that are doing the talking will be Dan Hicks and Johnny Miller in the 18th tower. Gary Coke and Bob Murphy will e playing and announcing, and based on the way that Gary is playing nowadays, he may be playing more than announcing, but they will both be part of the broadcast. Roger Malfy and Mark Rolfing will be roving reporters, and Jimmy Roberts will contribute with his essays and interviews. The air times on NBC are 3 to 6 Saturday Eastern time, and 1 to 4 Sunday, also Eastern time, and M.G. and Jim thanks so much for giving us an opportunity to broadcast this event. We look forward to seeing all of you out here at the course, and if you're not, we hope you are watching TV and have a Nielson box back home.

JULIUS MASON: Now, ladies and gentlemen, the General Chairman of the 65th Senior PGA Championship, Mr. Walt Game.

WALT GAME: AS the General Chairman the 65th Senior PGA Championship, I want to welcome you all here. It's certainly a pleasure to show our place off again. But before I go any further, we, our family, my father Dwight, my brothers and I, through all the support that you've all shown to us in the past, we thank you, because without you all, we wouldn't be where we were. We wouldn't have this man sitting next to us. So we owe you all a thanks. And thank you all. It all started in 1996, our first PGA Championship with Mark Brooks winning. Then in 2000, we had the greatest dual in golf between Tiger and Bob May. That's when the tradition really set in right here. In 2002 we hosted the Club Professional Championship, with Barry Evans winning, and now we're going to host, in 2004, this Championship in just three weeks. We're looking forward to it and I know we'll put on as good a show as we've always put on here. A couple of things that I need to remind of you is how the general public can purchase tickets. For $200 for the week, we have the Trophy Club ticket, which allows people access to a pavilion, a crowd-control pavilion down by 14, where all the hoopin' and hollering has gone on in past championships. It's a great ticket, with TV monitors, great food, beverages being served there. We also have a general pass, which is $100, for admittance to the seven days, three days of practice and the four days of tournament play. We also, this year, for the first time we're going to have daily passes available for the three practice rounds, Monday through Wednesday. The daily passes can be bought for $15. For the tournament, the four days of the tournament, those tickets may be purchased, daily tickets may be purchased for $35. The best thing we have, though, is the junior tickets. All juniors, 17 and under, when accompanied by a paying adult, they will be admitted free. So we're going to have all these youngsters here interested in golf, showing them what golf is really all about. But for tickets in the future, if you want to purchase tickets, call 1-800-PGAGOLF, or online they can be purchased at the SENIORPGA2004.COM. There's also some hospitality options available. If people in the community are interested in this, they can call the Championship office any time and they will be more than happy to help you. You all received media kits, I understand, and I guess all this information is in here. If you need any help, have any questions, be sure and don't ask me, make sure you ask the people who know, Tara and John and they'll give you all the answers you want. But again, as a general chairman, we thank you all and we want you all to come to our party here where we're going to have another big show. Thank you, guys, again.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you very much, Walt. Now, ladies and gentleman, let's hear from the PGA of America president, Mr. M.G. Orrender.

M.G. ORRENDER: Thank you, Julius. On behalf of the 28,000 men and women of the PGA of America, first of all, let me welcome you to Valhalla, and thank you for your time this morning in joining us. Golf has never been more a part of America's popular culture. We're very fortunate it's a sport that our premiere athletes are not only exceptional stars, but they are also incredible role models, Tiger, Phil, Ernie, you can go down the list. And on the women side of golf, Annika, Michelle Wie, along with the incredible television coverage from NBC and the other major networks, golf has been elevated to an all-time high. The PGA of America, to continue to promote the game, which is one of our missions, and to work off of this incredible interest in the game, we have launched a program called Play Golf America, and any time I get the media together I can't help but plug that. It's the most important program that we have in the PGA of America. Play Golf America is designed to utilize the talents of our members and the facilities they're at to reach out and touch those 17 million people who have expressed an interest in the game of golf and the nearly 14 million people who play less than eight times a year. The PGA of America is leading this initiative with support from all the major allied associations in the industry, the TOUR, the LPGA, the USGA have joined with us in contributing air time through our television partners, and many of you have noticed in the last couple of weeks, the first of those PSAs that are airing during PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour events, there are four very short pieces that if you direct your attention to the monitors I'd like to share with you at this time. (Video shown.) Rather than go into all the depth of the program, there are two basic commercials we have put together, short pieces, but Nike has given us access to four top athletes in a number of different sports, and a number, as you can see, television stars have joined in to promote the game. One of the comments John made to me was interesting. We were talking about the Ryder Cup here in 2008, and I agree with him wholeheartedly, the difference between golf and other sports today is that professional athletes in other sports play golf. And when you have a Major event like the PGA Championship, Senior PGA, particularly, the Ryder Cup, the whole world stops to watch those. And I don't know necessarily that the entire world of golfers stop going the other way. The world is playing golf and it's more popular than ever and with Play Golf America, we want to grow that interest and take advantage of that interest in the game. Through surveys that we've done in putting Play Golf America together, the two things that keeping more people from playing golf is time and hitting the ball better. If you hit one good shot, it makes you want to come back. I don't know that from my round today, but I had fun watching John hit some good shots out there. The Kentucky Section is one of the best sections in the country, with great professionals who give a great deal to the community, here locally to the children, to young people, to anyone wants to play the game. So we are very fortunate here and we ask you as the media, if you will take time before you leave to get the media kit, learn more about Play Golf America and share that with your listeners, viewers, and readers, depending upon the media you're in. At this time, it's my pleasure to introduce our champion. One year ago, while competing among against the strongest in Senior golf, on Sunday his name was at the top of the leaderboard. His victory allowed him to have his name added to a most distinguished honor role of champions, having captured the trophy at Aronimink. As wonderful as that moment was on the 18th green, in suburban Philadelphia it was even more special for John and his family, because he had fulfilled a dream held by that family to have their name, someone from that family have their name on a major championship program. In the field was his brother Tommy, who was on that last green rooting as hard for his brother as anyone else watching on television or in the gallery that day. On that Sunday at Aronimink, our champion completed a rain-delayed 13 holes in the morning for a 71, and then bared down and fired 68 that afternoon to win with a 4-under par 276 total. Our champion is from Scottsdale Arizona. He attended the University of Southern California, he turned professional in 1967, joined the PGA TOUR a year later, played on the Tour through 1980. He then went to the Asian Tour, and while playing on the Asian Tour in 1984, he was the first America ever to win that Tour's Order of Merit. He joined the Champions Tour in 1995, and he was won five times on the Champions Tour, and I can attest to this, he's one of the longest drivers on the Tour, period, Champions Tour or regular. He can flat hit it. I can guarantee he can challenge any of the players on either of those Tours. We're proud to have him here today as our defending Senior PGA champion. Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pressure to present our defending Senior PGA Championship, John Jacobs.

JOHN JACOBS: M.G., thank you very much. You stole my line, though, about the other sports and golf. Just to reiterate what he said before, a good friend of mine came and watched me play last week, a hockey player, he played for years, and he kind of brought tears to my eye, I never really thought about it, we have a sport that everyone wants to play. What a great opportunity. I'm 59 years old, and last year at 58, which I thought my career was winding down, and all of a sudden I saw this beautiful golf course, Aronimink. My adrenaline and I got fired up and I won the tournament. It's pretty special to be this lucky in life, to play something at this age and accomplish something. I'm not patting myself on the back for what I did, I was pretty proud of myself. And also, M.G., you didn't mention all these other things about where I started and what I've done. My career really started in Oklahoma City with my first roommate after I just turned pro, Jim Awtrey. I think Jim and I have come a long way. When we were pounding down the highway, counting our 1s and 5 dollar bills trying to beat someone out of $30, we've come a long way. I think we kind of separated for a few years. Jimmy, he kept his nose to the grindstone a little better than I did, but anyway, we turned out pretty good. Now getting back to the tournament. I can't tell you what a thrill it was for me to win the golf tournament. Jeez, I could go to my golfing grave, when I look at that trophy on my mantle it brings chills, lots of chills to me. It's a thrill of a lifetime. When you grow up, you don't know where you're going to be in golf, but always dream of winning the PGA or U.S. Open, which are really only the two things that I think kind of last in American golf. The Masters has come on later on, but I can't tell what you an honor it is for me. And my brother, being so close so many times of winning the PGA and then the Nicklaus beating him in a playoff at the Masters. Venturi like one-putted 14 of the last 18 holes to beat him in the Open. Coming up the 18th hole, I almost lost it. I thought, God damn it, don't start crying here. You're 6 foot 3 and you're going to look like a duck going up to the 18th green with tears tiers coming down your cheeks. It was a total thrill for me. The PGA, when I first started the Senior Tour, we played a tournament in Florida. I think the first tournament they went away from Florida was Ridgewood. I thought, Jeez, I've never heard of Ridgewood, what golf course is this. And the next year played Firestone, which you all know Firestone, it's a great golf course. And then go to Aronimink, and I thought, damn, you can't get any better than this. And after playing this golf course today, they could play this place every year. Every kind of tournament you want to play, they've got it right here. This is a fabulous venue for a golf tournament. Now getting back to what Jimmy said earlier about where I hit it on some of the tees. I'm kind of glad I played with him today, because after I drove the ball pretty good today, he's going to make this course so long for the Senior guys that I'm going to have to beat about 20 guys, because I guarantee I can't drive it like that every day. Anyway, any questions?

JULIUS MASON: Let's go through your card. We want to know what you hit.

JOHN JACOBS: This is fun for me, because there were no cameras out there, nobody can see, so I can lie a little bit. Should I go through where Jim drove it or me?

JULIUS MASON: Jim did the hole-by-hole before the press conference.

JOHN JACOBS: Actually, we had a bet out there and after about five holes I gave him my spare driver because I thought he needed a little help. No. 1, I hit a driver as good as I -- it was a little cold out there. Right fellas? I hit a good drive. I hit a 4-iron as good as I can hit it, and I was about 20, 30 yards short of the green, and I thought this hole is too long. I did make par, though. The second hole, I hit -- I probably would have missed it. I didn't know where to go and I pulled it, and it went perfect down the left side and I hit a 7-iron to the green. That's as good a 4 par as I've ever played, or as long a one. I hit a 7-iron to the green. I hit it a little left. Believe me, if I hit it down the right side, it would be a 3 or 4-iron to the green.

JULIUS MASON: Did you 2-putt there?

JOHN JACOBS: No. Almost. Par 3 up the hill, I hit a 6-iron, no birdie. The next hole was a little dogleg -- well, it's not really a dogleg. The second shot is kind of to the left. I hit a driver and wedge, a very good drive. 5, I can't remember 5. I drove it to the bottom -- that's when he tried to get me to go right. I hit driver and wedge in there real close and made birdie to go 1-up on my opponent. The next hole, it's a dogleg right. I tried to lay-up off the tee. I hit a 7-iron, made par. I hit a 5-wood off the tee. The next hole, if it's not the longest par 5 in the world, 10 is. I hit a driver as good as I can hit it, I hit a 3-iron as good as I could hit it, and I hit a 6-iron to the green. That's some kind of hole. I can attest that is a long hole. 8, I hit a 6-iron, maybe par. 9, I hit another good drive and 7-iron up the hill and 2-putted. M.G. showed me the line. I would have hit it 10 feet by if I didn't see his putt first. No. 10, I drove it in the right rough, hit a 5-iron out, and hit another 5-iron on the green, and made about a 10-foot putt for birdie. Those are the two of the longest 5 pars that I've played in my life. 7-iron up the hill on the next hole and made par. The next hole, I hit my second shot kind of to the right and they put my ball in their pocket. We never found it. We played 6th hole robin. That was the 6th hole of our robin, and I never found my ball. By partner casually made 6, I thought it was a snow job there. 13, I made birdie. That's the little island green. I hit a 4-iron off the tee and a wedge, and I made about a 2-footer -- made about a 25-foot putt for birdie. Next, 4-iron, that's one of the best looking 3 pars I've ever played, beautiful looking hole, a little bank up to the left. I loved the look of the hole. I missed a short putt for birdie there. 15, I parred. 16, I parred. 17, up the hill -- actually, 16, there is a new tee. I hit a drive, I probably had 6 or 7-iron to the green, and Jimmy showed me a new tee back there about 70 yards and I thought Christ Almighty.

JIM AWTREY: There's another one behind that that I forgot about.

JOHN JACOBS: Some of these players, everybody is talking about the equipment and everything else. One reason these guys aren't hitting it so far, they are in better shape now than the guys 20 years ago, too. These guys are working out, they're bigger, taller, stronger. Probably the best athlete in the world golf has got. I think Tiger could have been a basketball player, football, baseball, whatever you wanted him to play. Anyway, 17, I made par out of the bunker. 18, I'll tell you when I watched Tiger and May play off in the tournament, the TV doesn't do 18 justice, because on TV I thought when Tiger hit it left, it was flat over there. I didn't realize how lucky he got. He just flat got lucky. On TV you can't see any of that all over.

TOMMY RAY: You'll see it this year.

JOHN JACOBS: After they told me where he hit it, I hit it straight over in the right rough and made par. I had a wonderful day. They're going to have a wonderful championship here. It's a dynamite venue, and I'm really looking forward to it. I can't tell you the last four courses, they just keep getting better and better and better. I don't think it can get much better than here.

JULIUS MASON: Thank you, John. I think we'll be save to say you shot even par, give or take, today.

Q. Walt or Jim, can you address ticket sales, how many total tickets available how many have you sold up to today?

WALT GAME: From what I understand, around 10,000 at this point in time. We're shooting for 20. That will be available. My interpretation, tickets are available still.

Q. Mr. Awtrey, talk about your commitment to Louisville, why you're so interested in this community, how it's gone so far, why you're so optimistic about the future that you bring the Ryder Cup here. This is an unusual situation where one course, any course in America, would host so many different championships over such a short period of time?

JIM AWTREY: First of all, the modern day Major requires a large venue. If you look at the places where we've been going in the past few years, you'll see 36-hole venues. The infrastructure requirements are so big, and then today with the players, watching John play, he's a wonderful, talented player, 59 years old, you heard some of the shots he hit into the green. You have to have a venue that has room to adjust. And it's a wonderful thing about Valhalla, if you look around out there are no homes, we have plenty of room, we can continue to go back indefinitely. Somewhere it has to stop, but so far we haven't seen that. People say the equipment is going to stabilize, but I'm not sure the players are going to stabilize. I think they're getting stronger, as John said. So you have to have the space for a future championship. Then you must have a community that will rally around events and make them Majors. When I say that, we can bring the outstanding events and the rich history of the PGA Championship Ryder Cup, but every time we come, we have a community and a state that turns out and makes it very special. I think Tommy pointed that out very well, having a big gallery, having the excitement, the energy level that we've had here, makes it special. Corporate community is part of it, the infrastructure, the city and the county and the state government has been very important. When you add that up you have a venue here that in my opinion can continue to meet Major Championship demands for the next 25 or 50 years. Take 16, as a great example. Those of you who remember the old days with the house back there, now it's cleaned up. I took Johnny back there, and honestly, I don't know whether I forgot or didn't want to recognize that there is another tee back up on top of the rocks that must be 535 back there, but I personally believe that if we weren't afraid of numbers, we would be playing par 4s right now at 530 for players, because when you're talking about 530, if there's nothing to lay-up and you're hitting a drive, and the average drive on the Tour is 280, and players are hitting it over 300 yards -- Johnny how far will you hit a 4-iron?

JOHN JACOBS: I can probably hit it 230, 235.

JIM AWTREY: So if you take 230 yards with a 4-iron and you add in a 300-yard drive, I think that's about 530 yards. Some of us can remember, and Johnny, certainly, we can remember years ago when you used to hit 4-irons and 2-irons to par 4s. It's not acceptable yet to play a par 4 at 535, but if things don't change, I think some day it could be very acceptable. Because a long par 4 is driver and 4-iron. For most of us in the room driver, 4-iron, is not an uncommon thing. For these guys, very rarely does it happen. So that space is a part of it. And you asked a question about why Valhalla for the future. I think that's the No. 1 reason.

Q. Mr. Jacobs, just talk about -- most of the guys that will be here haven't seen Valhalla. What will it take, what do you think after playing today, what's it going to take and is there a number that might be good here?

JOHN JACOBS: After seeing the golf course, I think they can control the scores pretty good where they put the pin placements out there. I don't think links -- I mean, they're going to go back. I was kind of kidding about 20 guys can win this tournament. It will be a little faster when we get here than what it was today. I mean, they can totally control the pin placements here. I saw a couple of these greens that would be, if I was hitting an 8-iron to the front, it might be a 6 or 5-iron to the back of the greens. That's a big difference. If I had to guess, I would probably -- if the weather was good, 6, 8, 10, somewhere like that, if the weather was good. Those things are hard to say. I know one thing, if I was in Jim's shoes, or whoever sets these pins, I could torture these guys with some of these pin placements.

Q. You mentioned that the course might play a little faster. Our caddies said it might be as much as two points, is that how you measure the Stimp meter, the points, quicker; is that accurate?

JOHN JACOBS: I would think so. The Senior Tour, we play the greens fast every week. On the kids' Tour, I know they're faster than we are. As long as the greens are smooth, I don't think speed is a problem. The faster the greens the more putts you can make, because you don't have to hit the putt hard. The softer you can hit it to make it go further, you can keep it online easier. I don't know if that would be a problem. These greens, I don't think speed is going to be a problem. I just think you've got to put the second shot under the pin most of the time, and who does that the best will probably win the tournament.

Q. Mr. Jacobs, you're going to have some first-time golf fans at this venue, I'm sure you do every week, but for those coming out it might be watching a tournament like this for the first time. Can you tell in terms of the competition and shot-making what they can expect to see?

JOHN JACOBS: Well, they're going to be shocked, because most people -- I know when I was 30, I didn't think a 50-year-old could do anything in life. Sex was really out of the question. I mean, these guys can really play. I was telling Jim earlier, Tom Kite if he could putt at all, he hits the ball better now than he did when he was 30 years old. Gil Morgan, he's still got that long, fluid swing. They're going to be shocked, first-time people, I'm sure a lot of you guys have seen the Seniors play, they can still play. We can't sustain it day in and day out like the kids, but one round of golf, there's not much of a difference, as far as getting the ball in the hole from us and them. They're going to beat the majority of the Senior guys because of the length, but they're going to see wonderful golf from the Seniors.

Q. Last year and today you mentioned your brother a couple of times. Can you just talk about how emotional that was to achieve what you did --

JOHN JACOBS: It's pretty emotional because I saw that up there. I was getting tears when I said that before. He called me in my room the night before -- he played in the tournament. He said good luck and this and that, and I was thinking before, I was a kid, but I watched, you know, how disappointed he was not winning the Open. He had a couple of chances at the PGA and then Nicklaus beat him in the Masters. It would kill him, because he kind of quit at 32 after 66 when Nicklaus beat him. He just gave up. He quit. Who knows what you think of at certain times. I didn't think it on 15, 13, or 17, I thought about it after I hit the second shot on 18. I was just thinking, damn, this is something. My caddie was asking me a question and I was trying to look away. It's funny how those things work.

Q. Was there ever a time that you thought you might not be able to pull it off?

JOHN JACOBS: You mean the golf tournament?

Q. Yes.

JOHN JACOBS: Shit, all the way around. When I made the putt on 15 -- you know, it's funny, I felt like I was still kind of chasing all the way. And when I made the putt on 15, I thought, damn, I've got something to lose now maybe. It's funny, the whole mindset changed. I hit a good drive -- I was hitting woods on the 16th hole, and I hit a drive with a 5-iron, and there was no difference, the tees were the same. You talk about adrenaline pumping up, from hitting woods to that hole to hitting a 5-iron is unbelievable. When I hit the green, I pretty much -- you kind of know when you're playing in these Major deals that somebody is not going to make eagle on you or two eagles or chip in and do that stuff. When you get to the lead, par or birdie now and then, you're going to stay in the hunt. With that mindset playing, you can play that way, you don't feel there is a whole lot of pressure to go birdie, birdie, birdie to win or something. I was worried all along, especially on 18 when I hit the second shot. My caddie wanted me to chip out. I just didn't do it. I couldn't hit that shot two out of 20, 30 times that I hit it up on the edge of the green, but it happened. I just figured it went back to my old roommate, Jim. We were destined to be on that stand together.

Q. What change or changes to this course do you think will have the biggest effect out here?

JIM AWTREY: Well, I think that the second hole going from a par 5 to a four 4 will have the most impact on scoring. I think today Johnny hit an absolutely perfect drive. I don't know that you can do that every day without one getting away from you and going in the creek. But if you play IT a little further right, he had a great drive, hit a 6-iron, I think. They could be back there hitting 4s. When you do that four days in a row, I think that's going to have the biggest impact out of all of the holes. The guys are very, very good. I agree the greens are going to be fast, but they're used to fast, the course will be long, that will be all right, but in the one particular place, I think it will be No. 2.

Q. John, if you could comment on the perception of mind is that while I appreciate the young kids and the TOUR and I love watching them play, I'm not sure from a fan perspective they won't enjoy the Seniors a little better. You guys have got some huge names on the Tour, and it's just my perception is you've mellowed, much more at ease with the crowd, much more willing to have a give and take with them?

JOHN JACOBS: The guys on our Tour still interact with galleries a little bit. Fan friendly is kind of what we try to base ourselves on. Most of the guys on the Senior Tour, they have plenty of money, the kids are grown. If you find a jerk on our Tour, he's a jerk, because he's got nothing to complain about.

Q. You had mentioned, I guess, some of the telegenics of some of the holes. What holes in particular do you think will be visually appealing on television?

TOMMY ROY: Like the island green out there. Again, when you go to a lot of golf courses, from the TV camera angles, they look similar, the holes look similar, so we're trying to educate the viewers so that they know as we go to another hole, they automatically recognize it. That's one great things about Augusta, everybody knows each of the holes on the back nine when it pops up on the screen. When we come to a new venue and it's not the same course year after year, we have to educate the viewers that this is a key hole. That's one of them. 18 is another critical hole. Those are the type of things that will really stand out.

Q. Mr. Awtrey, you talked about the lengthy Par 4s and so forth. There are certain courses, maybe Marion, that are maybe outdated by the lack of length. Do you see that being a real problem in the future, and will there be very many courses that can stand up against equipment?

JIM AWTREY: Well, you have to look at Oak Hill. Oak Hill played just under 7,200 yards, 7157, something, as I recall, something like that. The rough in June is usually very thick, has a lot of moisture in it. We caught some rain in August for a thin rough. That's an example of a great old traditional golf course, small greens, the rough was pretty tall. That course stood up pretty well and has forever, so I don't know that length is the total factor in today's play in some of the old courses, but it certainly is going to limit courses like Marion. Kerry Hague, who does our golf course setup, is one of the best, if not the best, out there. We went in there a few years ago and looked at Marion, and for us it's a great golf course. Looking at the 18th hole, I think Ben Hogan hit a 2-iron, and stood out as one of the great ones. Johnny probably hit an 8-iron or a 9-iron into the green. So yes, it's taken some of those great old courses out. But even if you had that length, you look at a modern day Major and the infrastructure requirements, it's just not about money and tents and all that, but the space. And here we've got 45,000 people around, sell 35,000 worth of tickets, you have all the infrastructure and the other people. Those courses, if we went to Marion, we gauged that the gallery would have to be limited to about 18,000 to be able to actually move them around. Their range would have to be moved down a mile away, for example, because the range for their doing, Johnny would hit a 4-iron over the fence onto the railroad tracks. So yes, it has hurt some of the great old courses, but so has the growth in size. It's good about the game growing, but it's a concern that if we keep going to where you have to have a 535-yard par 4, that will take a lot of golf courses out of the mix. So hopefully we'll see some stabilize but it's something we all should be concerned about.

Q. Mr. Jacobs, I think 12 played the toughest hole in the 96 and 2000 PGA Championship. Was there any hole that jumps out at you? I think it was 12 that played as the toughest hole in 96 and 2000 in the PGA Championship. Any hole that jumps out you as the toughest?

JOHN JACOBS: Well, I thought it was a tough hole today. I'll go back to what Jimmy says, the second hole is going to be the hardest hole out there. I kind of think -- was it 2 and 12? 12 is going to play hard, too. Any time you elevate greens, you're hitting low to highs pretty hard and then when you go back 200 yards it's going to play hard. 2 is going to be the hardest. Like I said before, if I hit my drive the same hardness that I hit it, and I hit it just where the fairway go to the right, I hit a 4-iron to the green. I just happened to hit it left, and then I hit a 7-iron. That ain't happening anymore. I was just lucky I didn't know where I was going. They've got plenty of hard holes. I didn't see what kick-away hole on this golf course, usually there is a letup hole somewhere. There's no let up out here. It's 18 holes of concentration or you're a dead duck out here.

Q. This is for both Jim and John, the Senior PGA, just like the regular PGA, is unique with the inclusion of the club professionals in the field. Can you talk about what a special opportunity it is for them and how do the players view the club professionals that are in the field. I'm sure you must appreciate what they have to go through.

JOHN JACOBS: I can answer that pretty quick. The people that are playing in the tournament that are club pros, they are friends anyway. It's a pretty close fraternity of us out here. We know each other out here. They're very well received from us who play full time. You would be surprised. There's probably -- I would say there are a few club pros that can win this tournament. If they had a few section tournaments or something to play a little bit, to warm up to, there are plenty of players that can play. Some of them don't choose to, some don't like the travel, they don't like the lifestyle, but they're more than welcome from us, the players. I'm sure Jimmy would welcome them, too.

JIM AWTREY: In my opinion, there's a pretty good number of club professionals. If you could go around the country and pick out the best club professionals in every section, I believe there are 15 or 20 capable of winning on the Champions Tour. Many times you have a club professionals in their younger days, the time wasn't right, something in their life wasn't right going back, and then they hit 50 and then they get another chance. And we've had some great -- Bruce is an example of one, Tom Horgo, Larry Gilbert was from this area, and certainly, John was -- when we were living together, he was an assistant golf professional. So if you go back to the beginning and you look at the video again, you'll see that most of those players winning in the early days were club professionals, because you couldn't make enough money playing the TOUR to survive. There's a rich history between club professionals -- there's a fine line between winning at that level and ending up in the business of golf. I think Johnny put it very well. If you can play, there's nobody out there that's going to regret you being there. If you can stand the test and walk up 18 and beat somebody, you're welcome, it's just hard to get there.

JULIUS MASON: Just a couple of thoughts, ladies and gentlemen. If you're exiting right now at the conclusion of the news conference, please make sure you pick up a media guide, media kits, and a gift selected especially for you.

End of FastScripts�.

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