THE PRESIDENTS CUP

November 20, 2003

Charles Howell III

Kenny Perry

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Both you guys came out on top in your matches today, Charles, along with Tiger Woods defeated Stuart Appleby and K.J. Choi, 4&3 and Kenny along with Davis Love III won 4&2; could we quickly get a couple opening comments from each one of you, and then we'll take a few questions.

KENNY PERRY: Davis and I got off to a really good start. We were 2-up after the first two holes and that kind of set the tone for the match. They were kind of always trying to catch us and we were able to get up as big of a lead at 4-up through 11 holes.

You know, we won a couple of holes here and there, but every time they won a hole we were able to win the next hole, it seemed like. So we counteracted them every time. I think it was just a nice, good match for Davis and I. We're a good team, we are a good match. We are a good fit.

And I was impressed, on the second hole he hit a 6-iron right on the front of the green and he looked at me and he said, "Knock it in." And that took me off guard for just a minute because normally a guy will just say, "lag it close, don't worry about it" or anything. But he had a fire in his eye and he just said knock this putt in. And I could hit that putt 100 times -- they said I made it, it was an 80-footer over a big knob and it fell in over the last roll. It was pretty interesting. He's very calm. He's got a lot of fire and he really made life a lot easier for me today. It was good being with him.

CHARLES HOWELL III: This was my first time ever playing alternate-shot in a professional event, and I didn't know -- I didn't know what to expect. We had plenty against Appleby and K.J. choi, two fiery guys that have been playing great at the end of the year. You know, it's a weird feeling playing alternate-shot. You know, you are always want to go help your partner out and not leave him in bad situations.

But playing with Tiger has just great. I wish I could remember all of the things that he says out there. He's so competitive, you can't imagine. As competitive as everyone thinks he is, you can just triple that. It's amazing that when the gun goes off on Thursday, he's not the same guy you see on Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, and that got my attention. That was good to see that.

You know, we played good today. I believe we shot 4-under, and with alternate-shot and we'll take that every time.

Q. Those two putts and some outrageous approaches, you really looked comfortable and really in control of your game, did it feel that way, like nothing really could go wrong?

KENNY PERRY: We were very calm out there. He chipped it beautifully. He's got a very soft touch around the green. I hit a beautiful shot on the 12th hole. It landed -- we walked it off, 4 1/2 feet left of the hole pin-high and it went in the creek. It went off the green and went in the hazard down there. He hit a shot out of the hazard up there for a gimmee, a foot and a half or whatever. They told me to pick it up. You know it's your day when you see shots like that come off. I didn't hit that poor a shot, but yet we were able to recover. It just seemed like the way the whole round went.

Q. Playing with Tiger Woods, the South Africans were obviously behind the Internationals, but in your match, it seems they were behind the Americans, largely because of Tiger's aura, did you feel that; that the public was behind you guys rather than the Internationals?

CHARLES HOWELL III: You know, I felt like they were kind of equally split. They definitely were not favoring the Internationals, I'll say that, and that's because of Tiger obviously like you said. Tiger has so many fans around the world that it's amazing. So walking up to the green, you get people yelling, "Go, Tiger" and on every tee box, "Go Tiger." I think the South Africans love their sport. They love this down here. I know there's no guys on the International Team from South Africa, but it's great to see that. I don't obviously have any other experience. I've been told stories of Ryder Cups where they have been booed and certain things, and it's good that it's not that way. I don't think really anyone likes that.

But to answer your question, people love Tiger everywhere, and rightly they should.

Q. When you guys finished, and Charlie and Tiger had finished, and you guys looked like you were in control in three other matches, to be where you are now at the end of the day is it any kind of a letdown?

KENNY PERRY: I just think that shows the beauty and I the format of the competition. You know, you think you're in control and you think you're a couple up, but you know what, you're never out of it. They proved it with two matches. They came back and won two matches being a couple down. So you have to play every hole and you have to be focused and you have to just keep in rhythm out there and try not to let them get the momentum.

No, I don't know it's a letdown. The history of the Americans is we've always struggled in this format in alternate-shot, but we have always done pretty good with four-ball and with singles. I thought it was a pretty good day, 3 1/2 to 2 1/2. We are only a point behind, so we'd better get up and be ready to fire at them in the morning.

Q. Some players have a rule about apologizing to each other in alternate-shot, just wonder whether Davis has a thing or Tiger does, like when he drove you in the bunker on 7 and you had a sand wedge out, do you have a thing about that? Do you apologize to each other if things go wrong? Not much did today.

CHARLES HOWELL III: I didn't say it once and he didn't say it, no.

Actually, I wondered about that before playing, this being my first one. I wondered what you did if you did knock one right in the bunker or whatnot. The whole dynamic changes when you're actually in the competition where no matter where the ball is, you just take it as it's your shot and I've got to hit it out. It's hard to explain why that is.

And I think on the other hand with the golf course like we are playing now, if you had to apologize for every bad shot, you would hear it so much you would be tired of it with the bounces you're liable to get or whatever. We didn't, no.

Q. What did you hit in on 3?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Pitching wedge.

Q. Can you tell us what you think about the course related to other major courses of the world?

KENNY PERRY: It's very unique, it's a lot like Scotland. Gary, he accomplished what he was trying to do, I believe. He tried to make it a lot like some of the holes he played in Scotland, the British Open, and that was kind of what his whole theory of building Fancourt was.

I think it's a very fair golf course. You look out on all of the par 4, you know where the bunkering is. You know where you have to drive the golf ball or the ones you need to carry. There was only one green I questioned, the 12th hole, I hit a beautiful shot in there today and it went in the hazard. It shouldn't have gone in the hazard. But other than that, I mean, the golf course is very rewarding for good shots. I played St. George's this year and I got penalized for all of these good shots I was hitting, but where Gary made it to where if you hit good shots, you get rewarded for it.

We all play the same golf course. It doesn't matter if it's pristine or not. We've all got to play from A to B and hopefully we can make some birdies.

It is unique, with all of the hills and the grass, I was not expecting that type of terrain when I first showed up here from America. I played good at St. George's, so I felt pretty good here, I don't know.

Q. Tiger made it sound like on TV that you carried him today; true?

CHARLES HOWELL III: Did I carry him? Oh, how can you carry Tiger? Are you kidding? No, we both played well.

Q. He made it sound that way.

CHARLES HOWELL III: I played well today. Yeah, I did. I did play good. But if you shoot 4-under alternate-shot, geez, this is Tiger you're talking about here. He hit a lot of good shots today. I would say equal contribution. I'm not going to say I carried him.

KENNY PERRY: Come on. (Laughter.)

Q. Can you talk about your experience being paired with Tiger --

CHARLES HOWELL III: Tiger first said something to me early in the year by saying, "Get on that Presidents Cup team and we'll play together." You know, that was a very big incentive for me to make this team, obviously. Now, granted, you can't tell eight months in advance who is going to play with who, but then we played a bunch of practice rounds together as the year went on and we played another practice round together at TOUR Championship. We came down here together a few days early; so we spent four days together in Cape Town. And, you know, we get along well. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm younger than him. I think Tiger, he calls me "Kid." (Laughter.). So I'm a bit younger than him and he knows I still have a bit to learn from him.

So, hey, I mean, I'm just enjoying it. I just want to play well and all we can control is the one point in front of us and that's it.

Q. You've got to know Jack very well, his tournament, obviously and Charles touching on Tiger's competitiveness changes once he tees it up, did you see any difference in Jack the way he prepared you for the event, obviously not feeling well yesterday but once he got inside the ropes and had some advice or input, is it different than what you expected as a captain?

KENNY PERRY: Well, we had a little team meeting. At the meeting, he said, "This is my last event"; meaning, playing or captaining. And that inspired me. I wanted to win. I would rather win this for him than anything because probably this is it. He's going out. So that motivated us all a lot just by hearing him say that. But he was really sick yesterday. We have not seen a lot of Jack. He has been in his room mostly.

He was out today on a golf cart just kind of getting around a little bit. It was nice to see him out today feeling a little bit better. Barbara was out, I spoke with her more than I did Jack. We all know how he feels and what he's thinking. We all know what he wants us to do. We just need to do our job and go out there and play better tomorrow.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Kenny, Charles, thank you very much.

End of FastScripts.