ENERGIZER SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 6, 1996

Jim Colbert

BOB MURPHY: (Continuing conversation that took place at the BOB MURPHY press conference). The door is open for all the good players coming in. The ones that you have to have. They are in. And the dropoff comes on the far side.

JIM COLBERT: Right.

JIM COLBERT: Yes.

JIM COLBERT: Well, there those eight guys are all in every year there is actually 16 of them. That is part of the makeup of the field those eight fellows and there are 16 of them if they are not all playing they go to 70 then they fail from the qualifying school so there is really 16 of them. So that avenue is always there. Since you have the very best players already exempt you have the top 31, you have 31 off the money list, you have your 8 qualifiers, the sponsors still has, in the worst case, two exemptions and in most cases four and since you have everybody you want, then you have room for an Andy North and Gary Koch in case they didn't make it at the school. Or in this case, Tony Jacklin is back at school, but if he doesn't make it, I think this is a big asset to the circuit. So, I mean, the door is open every year. How many guys, we got what, five not counting super seniors, we have five new guys in the top 31.

JIM COLBERT: Right. So there are seven absolute new players in the top 31. That is a big number. So obviously there is an avenue when you have a reputation of Dicente, all he did, play couple of times; people started looking at his record and he got invited to the tournaments. He qualified for the other ones. Brian Barnes same way; Tony Jacklin when he came over, so there is an avenue in case a guy doesn't play good in that one week or what have you to participate and then in a year if he can't do it, then it is a little different story.

JIM COLBERT: Yeah, handling the guys that can play it drops the ones that can't play irregardless of personalities or time spent or however you look at it. Guy comes on, this guy goes off. It is a hard part. I mean, I played with the guy two weeks ago, ask him for something in Florida or something, no, no, 40 years I lost that. Can you believe that 40 years I lost my exemption. And I thought you play yourself on, you play yourself off. You really do. And when I was on the board of directors all of the time I used to have to handle all the players meetings; I became known as well, guys, you got to play better. But you have to be competitive, I mean, this is a competitive business.

JIM COLBERT: Well, in the criteria on the other circuit we are playing for a million a week. They are playing for two million a week. So the criteria is different over there. We are playing half the field; they are playing for twice the money. You know, but if you want to talk about something that is difficult, they play 156 players a week. They end up a year with 125 of them exempt. God, if you can't do that, you know, we play a field of 78. We end up with 31 of them, except you talk about something that is hard to do. And that is the way that other circuit used to be when they had the top 60. That is when they really developed some players. But think about it. 156 guys tee off and they exempt 125 of them.

JIM COLBERT: Yeah. I mean, I was involved when they did it. It was like, well, that is only way we can get it past the players because the players vote a year or two we will cut it back to 90 or 80 or even 100. Of course that never did happen. But they need something like that.

JIM COLBERT: Five wins, five seconds and about 6th, 11th or 12th. So when I was good, I was real good. You know, I don't know how to reflect on it because it is not over. I have had a personal best season to this point in tournaments won, and I have won more money than I have won last year. I'd like to take some of those five seconds -- well, either that or send John Bland back home. (LAUGHTER). Then what it could have been, you know, five first and five seconds, all 9 seconds I believe were one shot. I think, as far as I can remember, every tournament I have won the top fields, have played Hale, has been in every one of them. Raymond, John Bland, I have been in every one of them they have won. The - believe it or not - the 6th, I think it was 6; I was looking at it last week on my personal record. There were I have got 6 places, either 11th or 12th. They would be a lot better if they were 8th or 9th; it would look a lot better. But I guess I have been a little bit more inconsistent, but if you are going to be consistent in the proper way: when I was good, I was real good. Observation, I have watched the super seniors pretty close in the last couple of years, and they can really hit the ball. I mean Don January, he hit advantage; he played as good 18 holes than I have ever seen him play. In the second round, I believe it was, he was terrific. I have played a lot with Miller, Barbara, Arnold, Gary Player, and Bob Charles, Jimmy Powell and all those guys. It is not a strength problem. They still hit the ball. I still best-on-best can't outdrive Arnold or January or Miller. I have never been able to. I mean, I don't think I am getting any shorter. I just still can't outdrive them best-on-best on best. So as they get older, I have determined that it is not a physical problem, at least not at that age, Joe Jiminez at 71 still can't outdrive him, 72, however old he is. For the guys that have kept themselves in shape, as you get a little older, it's not a physical problem. The other problems I haven't experienced yet so, I don't know what it is.

JIM COLBERT: I don't know. I haven't been there yet. I am just watching. They can still hit the ball, and they still play really, really well.

JIM COLBERT: Well, if I did exactly, I probably wouldn't do it. Probably a little bit lack of mental toughness or something, you know, I am well into my 6th year, 5 and a half years - a little over - I have played a lot. I probably need a little bit of a break. When we finish here, I am going to play in the Shark Shootout. Then we got those two tournaments in California, Diners and Lexus. So I was looking at my schedule for next year, and maybe I will play the first couple in Florida, the Tournament Championship Cup, and then I could take two weeks off. And then there is two open weeks and, you know, somewhere along the line I can get five or six weeks off which I probably need just to get away from it a little bit. I don't really feel that way on a week-to-week basis, but I have asked myself the same question and maybe just a little bit stale, not this week.

JIM COLBERT: Could have fooled me.

JIM COLBERT: Well, I don't either. I mean, we are trying to win as many tournaments as we can win. I mean, that is the name of the game on a weekly basis. And the money title - it is not the title - it is just another way of keeping score. The last few years we have all had a lot of fun with it. And I mean, we kid about, we got him out of his house in St. Louis. He went to Hawaii, played in a $600,000 tournament. Went to Sacramento, played there, you know, they said if he - it didn't make any difference, than why didn't he enter on Tuesday the last day. I mean, it is fun. I mean, why not is it okay to want to do that. It is not personal. Doesn't have anything to do with it. I can live with the results. I just enjoy the chase. I mean, as we talked nobody knows what anybody is going to shoot this week. You know, if you say one thing, if you were going to bet on one person you say Hale is going to play good because he has played good every time out. So, I mean, you figure he going to play well.

JIM COLBERT: He doesn't want to do that and neither do I. I am sure he was trying to say that. You are trying to win the golf tournament. You don't need to get caught up in a Match Play deal and to avoid that, I looked at the money breakdown down, first and second, and there is enough room. If I win, I can get the title. I didn't do any figuring. Haven't looked past that. Why would I want to know where I have to finish, or he has to finish for me to make up the 60 some thousand it is. If I get first there is enough room, doesn't matter who finishes second. I don't want to get caught up. He doesn't want to get caught up in that and with me it has nothing to do with Hale Irwin or anybody, it is just somebody is in front of me. And I know I am a lot closer to those guys than I used to be and I like it.

JIM COLBERT: Yeah, most all of them have said something. They think it is great for the game. I mean, it got some attention, because six months ago everybody had already given him the title and this tournament wasn't going to be that much, the fall wasn't going to be that much and between Tiger Woods and my month last, I mean, we have gotten a lot of coverage, all the tours have even the Nike Tour and LPGA, I mean Tiger has done a lot of that. We are on the tickertape now and they are mentioning us on Sports Center since they were mentioning the other one, they are including everybody. I think it has been terrific for the game, and we are professional athletes, but it is business. It is good for business. I think the interest is good for business. It is fun. I enjoy I get nervous and everything but I feel alive. I can live with the results no matter how I want them to come out. I am not going to be distraught or cut my throat or something if I don't get there.

JIM COLBERT: You would have to ask them about a preference, Mike, I wouldn't be into that. They have -- an awful lot of them have commented on the interest, you know, there is a game up until last week. John Bland was in there too. If John won last week we, you know, really be there, so I think all of that is good and I agree wins are the most important thing and -- but it is another title. It is, you know, it's got Arnold's name on it. I like that trophy. Can't have too many of those.

JIM COLBERT: I really hadn't thought about it because -- I thought about it and I knew that is the way it is going to be. That is the way they do it every year, so I really haven't thought about it. It would be more important the last couple. The first couple aren't -- I mean, they are important, but not from a Match Play sense, but I don't know how you can duplicate what happened last year. We came down to the last three putts on the last green for the whole year with Rocky Thompson caught in the middle because if Stockton had made his, if Rocky make his, I still win. If Stockton makes and Rocky misses Stockton wins, and Rocky knew it. We discussed all that. Before anybody hit and then when Dave missed, Rocky still made it because it was a huge putt for him. He won one hundred some thousand dollars. He hit a 6-footer before anybody putted. Rocky said, you know, boys, I think I am in middle here. He says, if he makes, and I make then you win - he was talking to me. He says, Dave, I am sorry, but I have got to go with Jim. He says, I have I need to make this putt. I don't think that will happen this year with the same attitude.

JIM COLBERT: Well, Stockton missed and so he slipped down a spot and I don't know how -- but if he had made the birdie and Rocky had missed, he'd probably jumped up then he would he would have been first I would have been second; Ray would have been third, something like that. So it was again, I didn't have it all figured out. Except with Stockton that if I won he had to finish third by himself to retain the title. That, I remember.

JIM COLBERT: That somebody else to decide. I know how I would vote, but that is for somebody else to decide. I know what I think, but they are all here. You can ask the guys. So..... It would be fun if it is good, if we both play well. It would be good for everybody.

JIM COLBERT: Changed a lot.

JIM COLBERT: I think you misunderstand whatever it is you are trying to say was positive from the past because during the competition, it has always been very, very competitive; always has been; always will be. The only thing that has changed is the cocktail parties, and all that stuff. The guys don't go every week to every cocktail party they are not expected to, but in lieu of that. They select a few guys to go each week and they actually get you and say hello and give a little talk and they are a presence at the cocktail parties and the Pro Am draws so that is actually a better deal than just having people milling around and strangers walking up trying to introduce themselves and nobody knowing anything. So the social events work very, very well. There are four Pro Ams now that the guys play in each week. That is a huge attraction for the corporate golf and for the community; huge way to raise money, so all of that stuff is enhanced that you are trying to say is the pizzazz or the nice stuff. It is actually better than it ever was. We have got a Monday Pro Am, Super Senior Pro Ams; got two Pro Ams in the tournament. So from the community involvement and all that, you must understand the Tour now is exactly like the other circuit. When we come to town it is the PGA SENIOR TOUR. Last week in Pensacola, 1,200 volunteers, they buy a ticket, they buy a uniform. Okay. They have all the corporate sky boxes all the corporate tents, the four Pro Ams, it is a week-long party in the community, with charity being the beneficiary. So that when the Tour is coming into town, it is not that Colbert is coming to town or Nicklaus or Palmer. It is the Senior PGA TOUR is coming to town. If you are not at that golf tournament during the week, you might as well live somewhere else because it is a total community commitment to actually a social event and charities is the by-product. So we have attained that status as well, if not better than the other circuit because of the added Pro Ams. That is why it works so well. You can take Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer and play an exhibition in Tampa, Florida and you might sell 5,000 tickets. We drew 150,000 for the week. The Tour is very, very healthy, both sides. See they make sense, they make sense on television. They actually -- TV makes money rather than losing money. It makes our business make sense from the players to the media to the communities to the charity. It is good when business makes sense.

JIM COLBERT: What were they or are they?

JIM COLBERT: Well, I mean that is just your opinion. I just -- I covered it for three years and I have played out here five and a half years, I have never thought of it that way. Just never have. I watched guys get mad; watched them throw clubs; watched them play good, smile, laugh. I watched them play as hard for 100,000 as they are for a million. Between the ropes, I haven't seen it any other way.

JIM COLBERT: Just two weeks. It is not a month. I mean, I played good for a month and then I have played -- I had two bad rounds in the last two weeks. I don't know. I would have taken the position I am in right now, any time during the year because I was way behind and as a matter of fact you guys were a great motivator because you had already given it to him, so I don't know, I had a hell of a month. I am trying as hard as I can this week. I am looking forward to the opportunity and I don't -- I don't how to explain it other than I can tell you I can live with the result. By that, I mean, sometimes I am just off watching me do it. Okay, you know, I feel like I can do it and I try real hard, but I am loose enough to do it. I mean, I am intense, but not tense. And there is a huge difference. And I enjoy that time in my life when I am doing it. Professional athletes, no matter what you might observe from the side, they live to do it, you know, and you watch a football game; somebody gets blown out, everybody is up there, boy, I am telling you when they are losing they are trying twice as hard as they ought to be. I mean, it is not lack of effort, you know, but, boy, things aren't going well and you really look bad. Then you start overtrying and you know, then you get blown out, and in the stands people are, "oh, those dogs." Believe me, they are trying a lot harder than they ought to be trying, you know, what they do didn't work, the momentum is built on the other side and these guys feel like they are in a cake walk and the other guys that are getting beat are trying 10 times as hard; just didn't work. And it is hard to explain in athletics, but I have met very, very few, if any, professional athletes that didn't overachieve and overwork. Overwork. We don't underwork - the ones you hear about.

JIM COLBERT: Everybody has got a pretty good record so I don't think there is any sleepers, but I mean, John Bland, you got to figure he is a force. I mean, if the wind doesn't blow, mock 2, he really is playing well and he is a good putter. All the obvious names. Raymond has won here and has had a lack luster year. Stockton is probably mad as hell and so he has always got a little extra when he is reaching down. Say what you want, Trevino got to be on a high. I mean, he is a whole new guy. Just all the obvious ones. I mean even some of the guys that -- seven guys that just got here, I mean, they are so happy to be here. I mean, first time all year that the pressure is off. You know, I mean, they are here. They either may relax and not do worth a damn or they might relax and play like crazy.

JIM COLBERT: Obviously, the three Charles, Powell and Gary Player and Gary is playing good. I mean he has been playing -- I played with him at Vantage; could have won the tournament. Jimmy Powell played pretty good for several years. Of course, Charles won two weeks ago.

JIM COLBERT: Well, like I said earlier, the length isn't their problem.

JIM COLBERT: So can Jim Ferree. I can't drive close to him. I mean, that is not -- see, that is what I am saying just as in-house observer, playing golf with him, strength is not causing the game to slack off a little - it doesn't look like to me. Now, maybe the physical strength playing day after day all that, I don't know, but the actual propelling of the golf ball doesn't look like it is the major problem.

JIM COLBERT: Speed is distance. Like Tiger Woods, the quicker that you move out, starts from your feet, comes up through your body, starts with your legs. The quicker you move - Chi Chi - the farther the ball goes. Speed is distance. Some people have muscles that coral (sic) and spring pretty fast and others aren't. It is not a strength thing per se. A guy I played a lot of golf with over the years, Bobby Verwey, you know, Bobby won the British Seniors, what have you. If you want to lift weights, there is a big strong guy, but the -- his muscles moves slow. His club moves slow. Speed is distance. So it is getting all that put together. That is how Don January can hit it so far. Miller Barber, boy he can move. Jim King that played out here, big guy, prize fighter, couldn't hit it anywhere. His muscles go slow.

JIM COLBERT: You can max out your deal. Scott Simson, I mean, he plays really good but you don't see him -- he is pretty good size guy. But he is not a long hitter. His muscles, they just go a little slower. His technique is good; all going in the right direction, all that, but he doesn't have that zip. But I am sure he is getting the most can get. Now as a kid you might do a few other drills and maybe he can get 5 miles an hour faster or something, but you know, a lot of what we do as professional athletes is a gift, 90 percent of it, at least is a gift. We have a talent or tendency to be able to do those things. And the other 10% will kill you. That is the part that everybody is working with. But there is -- it is a physical gift, a lot of it.

JIM COLBERT: Yeah, doesn't have anything to do with his hands. Like Chi Chi. An announcer says he has got the greatest arms in the game. Doesn't even move them. His body is just getting out of the way. It is like Hogan said, he wished he had three righthands to hit it with. The left side in this game has to get out of the way. You want all the power behind the shaft. Anything that this does coming down is blockin it. Get it, everything out of the way. That is one of the differences in the senior circuit that the guys that maybe played good and surprise you and the ones that don't, they at least understand their golf swing as opposed to a guy that played a field all these years and did all this and never completely understand cause and effect. Knowledge at our age is really important: Where you are trying to put it and how you are trying to put it and when and all that, very, very important. You don't want to be -- when I go out to hit some balls right now which I am going to do, I know what I am going to try to do. I am not out looking for a way. I am just going out to make sure I can do what I am trying to do. It's not a big search for a new technique. Guys, I got to go hit some balls.