ENERGIZER SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 9, 1996

Jay Sigel

JAY SIGEL: Well, first four holes were -- first 3 were kind of routine and then birdie at 4 from about 20 feet and then a one on 5-- 6-iron hit just in front of the hole about eight feet. They say it just rolled right in the hole. Then I played pretty steady rest of the front side, all pars. I had hit close at 9 by five feet and missed it. Only chip I had all day was on 10 - chipped it up about four feet for par. Just missed birdie on 11 and 12 and 13. 14 was a routine par. 15 was a par routine. 16 was-- just missed it. 17 was routine. 18 was routine par. So kind of a nice round. If you said I will give you 69 before I played, I would have taken it.

JAY SIGEL: They were tough from the standpoint the wind couldn't make up its mind which way it wanted to go. I believe that the wind, from the time we started, 'til the time we finished probably changed. As I recall, it was out of the north early this morning; then it switched around and became similar to what we have had, so it was -- it was switching around much of the day, which makes it more difficult. I mean, strong wind is fine, but if it is going to be strong and then switch its mind, that is kind of frustrating.

JAY SIGEL: I did. I did. It was disappointing. I hit a good putt at 8. I didn't hit a good putt at 9. I guess I hit a good putt at 11, very good putt, and hit an okay putt at 12. 13, I lipped out. So, you know, that was disappointing, but, you know, maybe my one would have been a 3, and, you know, sort of equals out. All in all, I putted the ball pretty well. I had a bunch of putts that could have gone in. So that is all you can do is hit them.

JAY SIGEL: Well, yes and no. I don't think that is true on the par fives because number 4 has been into the wind. We haven't -- although the first day I knocked it on with a wood, but, you know, I mean, I couldn't hardly reach the bunker today, 235 into the wind. The 9 -- 8th hole, I had a pretty good shot at it, but I sort of had a downhill lie on my second shot. 13, no way. I almost made it yesterday, but that would be a fluke and 15 I could have, but I didn't hit a real solid drive. So, depends on the wind.

JAY SIGEL: Well, the change is difficult. I think we will be more accustomed tomorrow and certainly far more accustomed on Monday (Laughter). The big drop in temperature is difficult. I overdressed today purposely. I don't know how Frank Conner did it with just a golf shirt on. It made me cold looking at him. But I try to stay warm all the time, so -- but that is a good question. It was difficult.

JAY SIGEL: Those kinds of things, you know, you always hear about them happening and you never think it is going to be you, but you know, it was right on line. It hit in front and the crowd yelped. It didn't sound like a hole-in-one yell that I have heard before. The guy -- Vicente Fernandez, he said, "that is in the hole." I said, "no." The other guy said it was, so we did a few high-fives and I guessed it was. I wasn't even sure because those things are hard to believe. Holes-in-one happen so quickly, you know, sometimes you can't believe it.

JAY SIGEL: Sure, we have got the Commissioner's dinner tonight and drinks are on me.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah.

JAY SIGEL: I think I have been tied. I am not sure -- I don't know, Dave.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, then I ran out of gas physically. It is nice, as I say, to get yourself in position and then you know, see what happens. It is fun to have those experiences and then see how you do.

JAY SIGEL: Sure I will be nervous, but I am not sure that -- I mean, I think I'd like to utilize that to my ability, so, yeah, I am going to be nervous. I am not playing 'til tomorrow, so, you know, my routine would be to try not to really think about it and focus on other things - talk to my girls tonight and see how they are doing. You know, it is just -- try to act as if it is just another evening - which it isn't (Laughter). Mind over matter.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, I tried not to look at the board, but I got to 9 so quickly -- those boards are kind of big. You walk in front of them, while you don't want to look, yeah, it was kinds of a shocker. But I was pleased. I didn't play safe. Hit a lot of good shots, so I felt comfortable with it. I was amazed that I managed myself after having the ace. Sometimes that can, you know, get to you. You know, that is -- pretty exciting thing to have happen out here, you know, a separate tournament in itself and money to charity, it is kind of a nifty thing, so I didn't want that get to me, which it didn't.

JAY SIGEL: We played the first two rounds and he played so beautifully. I mean, the ball never left the pin. He plays everything with a draw and where he could work the ball he did and it was just magnificent today. He hit it close. He putted exceptionally well. Bob is not going to back off and he will be right there and of course there are other players in the field too. Everybody talks about his short game. I mean, his whole game is dead solid. I don't think he drove it out of the fairway the first 36 holes. He didn't miss many greens and those that he did, he got up-and-down most of the time. So he will be there. His game is solid. I watched him play in Hawaii. That was a great victory, but I thought he played better the first two rounds than he did when he won, so he is playing very well.

JAY SIGEL: Yeah, particularly from 30, 40 feet, 50 feet, yeah, exactly.

JAY SIGEL: Geez, isn't that too bad. (Laughter) Whatever.

JAY SIGEL: I think that would be terrifically ironic, terribly ironic, but there is a lot of things -- a lot of things to go yet.

JAY SIGEL: Great question. We have been treated terrifically. The folks in town, the folks here at the Dunes Club, just unbelievable. In fact, it is almost too good. I think the golf course -- I don't think. From my standpoint, this is my favorite course. I think it is the best course we play. I think that the players would agree with that. It is certainly one of the tougher ones. So we are delighted to be here. We would like you to turn up the temperature a little. (Laughter)

JAY SIGEL: I understand. That is better than four cold days.

JAY SIGEL: Sure.

JAY SIGEL: I think what has kept me from winning is other good players. I didn't catch the second part of that.

JAY SIGEL: I don't think so. Since I haven't won in a while, I don't know what it will take other than one shot at a time and do my best.

JAY SIGEL: Well, I walk for the most part and take a cart primarily if we get behind to try to catch up. But I think I walked every -- Maybe I rode one hole today. I don't remember that at the Cadillac, but I think Murph just beat me. I am not sure that stamina -- I think the stamina that I was referring to was referencing Philadelphia. I was very busy that week. That is a hilly golf course. For some reason or other, I tried to walk it. I had a lot of social functions it being my home. We had people in for dinner. I had a number of ticket requests, so the adrenaline was flowing, but it ran out and I shouldn't have tried to romp those hills like a teenybopper.

JAY SIGEL: Well, there are no courses that I dislike, just some I like more than others. So this is clearly one of those and I mean, we don't know where the wind is coming from tomorrow, but for the most part, you know, while it is a long course, there is ample room in most spots. However, in some spots there is a lot of limited space, so I think, you know, it is going to take a lot of fairways and greens.

JAY SIGEL: Well, you know, you have got some -- there are some easy pars because you have got some rather large greens, in spots. So, if you are trying to putt it 20 feet, you can many times 2-putt from there, but where the pins have been, it has been rather difficult. They have selected the best spots and there have been a lot of ridges so you putt a ball up and it would peak and go down the other side. So you are putting into the grain most of the time up that hill. When it gets to the top, then it is going down grain, grain being drainage green, so it is difficult. The speed is difficult, so -- I have seen it all week. I have had the problem, you hit a putt going uphill and just as it gets to the hole it picks up as it is dying; then it starts to pick up space and goes six, eight feet by. We saw that today.

JAY SIGEL: Well, I mean, there are going to be 18 holes out there tomorrow but certainly you want to get off to a good start. If one does, fine. If one doesn't, fine, there is still 16 more of them.