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BELLSOUTH CLASSIC MEDIA DAY


January 20, 2003


Retief Goosen


JOHN MARSHALL: Before we get started, I would like to recognize LeAnn Hansen of BellSouth Corporation and Debbie Lane who, like me, is a consultant. Both of them will be working with me in the media center this year. I appreciate them joining us on the call as well. As many as you probably know Retief has gotten off to a terrific start this year with a tie for 4th at the Mercedes a couple of weeks ago and tie for 20th this past week end at the Sony. He is currently 8th on the money list with 270,000 which is a whole lot better month than I have had so far. He's fourth ranked player in the world and of course, won the U.S. Open in 2001. And is just a third foreign player in BellSouth Classic history to win this tournament and the last one was Dave Barr 16 years ago. So it was a nice refreshing touch to have a non-American win. Anyway, Retief, what I would like to do is have you make a comment or two. Maybe talk a little bit about your final round last year when you began the day with a two-shot lead over Mickelson; then started out bogey, double-bogey; then came back with a whole bunch of birdies the rest of the day to pull it out. It was certainly an up-and-down day and a difficult day on a very difficult golf course. If you could talk about that for a minute; then I am going to have our tournament director Dave Kaplan say a few words how things are shaping up for 2003; then we'll open it up to question and answers.

RETIEF GOOSEN: I really enjoy the course. It's a wonderful golf course and I think it's great preparation for the Masters. It's a similar sort of run-off areas around the greens and bump-and-run shots you have to play. It was a bit of a disappointing start last year. I know from going ahead to going behind in two holes. So it was a bit of a shock for the system, but I knew I was playing well and I was putting really well and I think the chip-in I made on the 4th hole, the par 5, from over the back of the green, that really got me going again, it got me in front. From thereon, I played very nicely and steadily, and in a way lucky Phil didn't play so well from there on. It was really nice to walk up the last hole with a comfortable lead.

JOHN MARSHALL: I'd like to think that your performance at the Open a couple of years ago and winning the Playoff after obviously a very disappointing 72nd hole, certainly was one of the most courageous performances I have ever seen in golf; that's got to help you in situations like this when you are in the hunt, I would think?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah, definitely. I know I can come back from disappointments on the golf course. I have learned to think that it's not only one hole and you still got holes ahead. Yeah, the U.S. Open really helped my confidence a lot and I have been playing quite nicely since then. And even before the U.S. Open I played pretty good in Europe. It's nice that it's all now falling together and I am becoming a lot more consistent and steady player. Obviously last week in the Sony Open was a bit disappointing in the last two rounds that I just couldn't get anything going. But it's a very okay start for the season and I am looking forward to what is lying ahead.

JOHN MARSHALL: We're certainly looking forward to having you hear again to defend. Dave Kaplan, our tournament director, will now talk about some of the other players that will be participating this year in terms of people that have committed early or requested sponsor exemptions.

DAVE KAPLAN: As the Tournament Director I can tell you we have 69 1/2 half more days to go before the tournament starts. We start building out there on February 24th. A couple of comments about last year - the charitable contributions from last year's tournament is $835,000; $717,000 for children's health care. Retief, we got a little competition for you coming. At the beginning of the year if you look at the world's Top-10, I feel fairly confident that as of right now we have five of the world's Top-10 that are going to play in the tournament. I feel very confident Phil Mickelson is going to play Retief. Of course, David Toms has already committed. Padraig Harrington and Colin Montgomerie will receive exemptions. So that's a pretty good start. I know Rich Beem and Jose Olazabal are already committed and quite a few others - I don't have the commitment sheet in front of me. But I would say we'll have a very good field as we did last year and in all the years we played the week before the Masters. The golf course is going to be in really good shape for the overseed. It's been pretty wet recently, but that just makes that rye grass grow more and grow thicker, and it should be in great shape for the golf tournament. I am very confident and optimistic about this year. Our sales are about where they were last year at this time. So I feel pretty good about the golf tournament.

RETIEF GOOSEN: That sounds great. It is nice to see that the guys are playing before the Masters. Like I said, the course is -- a lot of the shots you have to plan a play -- it's very similar to what you have to play on at Augusta so it is great preparation.

JOHN MARSHALL: Let's open it up to questions.

Q. I always wondered about reputations that guys get stuck with. You have been characterized, at least by some players, as a very steady course management type player who is conservative on the course. And I am wondering you had quite a breakout the last couple of years in terms of recognition, particularly in the United States. Do you think that's an accurate description or was it ever an accurate description?

RETIEF GOOSEN: It's definitely, you know, people recognize me a lot more, obviously, since the U.S. Open, and now over the last two years. Before when I came over here, you know, nobody really knew me. But it's nice to have that feeling that people recognize you and they appreciate you playing in tournaments and give you support. It's a great feeling. I don't think I am probably as well recognized in Europe as I am in America now. I think maybe England and those places, yeah, people do recognize me, but in general, the reception I get at golf tournaments now has been great.

Q. Talk a little bit about your playing the week before the Masters. A lot of guys don't like to play the week before a major. Talk a little bit about your decision to play and why, you know, what goes into the factors of why you'd rather play the week before a major and why do you think some guys don't?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, I just feel playing too many practice rounds when I am on the golf course, on a major golf course, for me, it just doesn't benefit. I feel I might be too mentally tired by the time Thursday arrives. For me, I feel like -- I am somebody that must have the form before the major arrives instead of trying to find some form during the major tournament. I like to play the week before and getting a feel of my swing.

Q. Given the results you had at Augusta last year it paid off for you?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah, went into Augusta with a lot of confidence and you know you were playing well and putting well, and that's what you need around Augusta; especially on the putting side. And it helped me into the Masters.

Q. Is the recognition that you get, you know, in the U.S. and elsewhere, since the U.S. Open, the biggest change in your life? Is there something else that you would think is a bigger change since winning that tournament?

RETIEF GOOSEN: No, obviously winning the U.S. Open added a lot to my career. It's great getting the recognition around the course and mentally-wise it has improved my game and hopefully that's what will help me into the future, into more majors, and when I get into situations I have been in or I was at the U.S. Open, I will be able to handle it a little bit better from the experience I have picked up.

Q. Are you still working with the sports psychologist from Europe?

RETIEF GOOSEN: With Josh? We have been taking a bit of a break. We haven't really worked together now for the last sort of five, six months. We felt like it was just time for a bit of a break. He's really helped me out of the hole I was in. That's what I hired him for, to help me with the problem that I had with the mental side on the course and he's really helped me out of that situation now. And we felt it was time for a little break. But we are planning to see each other again this year, but just sort of on a once-a-month or once-every-two-month-basis.

Q. In what way did he help your attitude on the course or during the course in terms of competitive golf?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, I just found that my golf swing was always there, but I was just not thinking really properly around the course; getting a bit ahead of myself, wandering around too long on bad shots instead of forgetting it immediately and getting on with what is lying ahead. He's really helped me in that way to really keep focusing on what is lying ahead.

Q. Players like yourself and Ernie a lot of the Australian players have to do a tremendous amount of travelling if they are playing in the United States and in Europe. Talk about how difficult that is. Do you ever get used to that? Talk also about the reluctance with a lot of the American players not wanting to travel and not playing very much overseas?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, at the end of the day I think it all comes down to the prize money. If we were playing for this sort of money in Europe, they would be travelling to Europe. So we are coming over here, we are all trying to make a living. We have to travel over here to do that and play for the biggest prize money. So I think, like I said, if it was in Europe, they would definitely be travelling there. But I think we have done it for so long now, we sort of know how to get over the jet-lag pretty quick and get into your swing pretty quick after a six- or seven-hour jet-lag. So we have learned how to cope with that and in a way I think that has probably made a lot of us a little bit stronger players. But a lot of the guys now are really trying to base themselves a little bit more, longer periods of time in the U.S. to make travelling a bit easier. I know I am cutting back on my schedule a little bit this year to try and make my travelling a little bit easier. It's been very busy for me the last four years travelling -wise.

Q. Talk a little bit about how your game, the strength of your game and the weaknesses of your game match up with the Sugarloaf layout; how you approach it?

RETIEF GOOSEN: The greens are very tricky so I think your iron-play to the greens has to be very good, to place yourself on the right side of the hole, to leave yourself the best putts. Driving on the front 9, especially, the driving on the front nine has to be very good. There's a lot of holes that you can get into a lot of trouble very quickly - the 9th hole; 4 and 5 are pretty tough driving holes. The back nine seems to be a little bit more open and a little bit more forgiving off the tee. But second shots into the greens have to be precise to leave yourself birdie putts.

Q. Is this the kind of course that challenges all aspects of your game?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah, definitely. It's not a course that you hit any irons off the tee really, so it is a course that you have to pull the driver out and drive the ball well. It's definitely very demanding on driving and sometimes you know, during that time of the year, the weather can still be a little bit on the cool side so the course plays very long.

Q. You will bring us four days of sun though, aren't you, this year?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I would definitely hope so.

Q. I saw in a bio of yours that you were struck by lightning when you were younger. Can you talk about that? What happened? What did it do to you?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, I was about 17, 16, we were playing golf with a friend of mine and there was a thunderstorm and we stopped play and we sort of went in a hiding area and then we sort of really felt like that the lightning had passed because everybody started playing again. We went back on the course and we teed off on the 7th hole it was, and while I was walking to my tee shot at that -- I was walking past this area where they had a bit of trees, and one last lightning bolt hit this tree that I was just walking past, and blew me out of my shoes. The next time I woke up I was in the hospital. Luckily it was nothing serious on the burn side. I had some skin burns, but that recovered pretty quick, and I did have a crack in my heart beat, but through exercising and working out in the gym, that's all recovered now.

Q. Was that in South Africa?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah.

Q. The fact that you have won the U.S. Open now you have got a major championship, do you now prepare any differently for the majors? Has that taken a higher priority for you or do you approach them pretty much the same just before you won the Open?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I try and approach them the same. Obviously courses I haven't played I try and get two or maybe even three practices rounds in. But like Augusta, I will probably only play one practice round. I feel you have seen the course enough; you know where to go. But I try and prepare just the same as I would for any golf tournament. It doesn't matter what tournament I tee it up in, I try and do my best and try and win the event. I don't play the BellSouth before the Masters just to try and warm up for the Masters. I play the BellSouth to try and win it to get myself in the best shape for the Masters. Every event I play in is important.

Q. How do you mentally prepare for any day, as you just said it doesn't matter whether it's the BellSouth Classic or the Masters, you gear up, so having worked with a sports psychologist and having been playing for many years, do you have a little set regime that you go through mentally or physically before you start a game?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, I try and stay pretty fit all year-round. I try and work out in the gym quite regularly. I am not somebody that's going to work out in a gym before a round of golf. I always try and work out after the round. I do lots of stretching and things like that, so -- I think 80% of the players on Tour now is in some sort of fitness routine. Yeah, I try and work with Josh whenever I feel it's necessary to work with him. Otherwise, I just approach it the same as I would for any other tournament - I try and play a practice round early on Tuesday and then Pro-Am on Wednesday and then off you go.

Q. What I was sort of getting at is what kind of goes through your mind before you play in a tournament, do you --

RETIEF GOOSEN: My practice round --

Q. -- do you think about the course you are playing or you kind of like let your mind go blank and just immerse yourself in the fact that you are about to go play?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah, I don't focus too much on the golf swing side in practice rounds. I am not always too concerned about how I hit the ball in a practice round. My main focus is when I walk around the course is just to work out areas around the course; what's the best side to go down on the fairway, or which side; try and sort of mentally visualize the green, so when I play the tournament and which side of the flag is the better side to be on. My practice rounds are more just sort of trying to get a good sort of feel and try and visualize the course.

Q. Is there a hole or two at Sugarloaf that causes you extra work?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I would say the 4th hole is a very tricky par 5. That's a hole that you've got to be very careful on because you can make a 7 very quickly now since they have changed it with those new bunkers on the right. The 9th hole I think is another hole that's extremely tough, second shot with the creek down the right, and very difficult to get close to the flag. And then the 18th I think is a great finishing hole. It's a hole that gives you a lot of options and like last year, I was well ahead walking down it and I just felt like there is no need for me to take any chances and then just hit an iron off the tee, laid up so I knew I was just going to try and get my third on the green and go. I was not even thinking going in two. It's a great finishing hole and a lot can happen on it.

JOHN MARSHALL: Retief, I sincerely appreciate you joining us today. We all look forward to seeing you in a couple of months. And thanks to all the participants as well.

RETIEF GOOSEN: Thank you.

End of FastScripts...

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