U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 18, 2000

Michael Jordan

MICHAEL JORDAN: Actually, I just started playing. I'm busy, as you guys know. I've been back and forth to Washington D.C., And just really have not had the opportunity to play as, much as I normally play. I've played a lot, but have not played as much as I normally play, but right now, I'm starting to play a little bit more.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I haven't sank a freethrow in a long time. It's getting close, but I still think that teeing off in front of so many people, with some great pros is a lot more intimidating than me making a freethrow, only because it's not my profession, and I have a lot of chinks in my armor. But it's fun. I love the competitiveness about it, and one of these days I will feel a lot more comfortable.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I don't need much humbling. It's always great to play amongst good, talented golfers. If you look at how easy it becomes to them, and I guess a lot of it has to come from, you know, just practicing so much. Basketball seems easy to me;it's the same for them. As a spectator and lover of the game, you know, it looks a lot easier than I'm pretty sure it appears to be.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I hooked it. I've had a problem for some time with a closed club on top. If you don't play golf, you won't understand, but you golf writers who know the game will understand. I have a closed club up top and that causes my hook, you know, and until I can correct that, which takes a lot of practice and things like that, I'm going to have those type of shots. But I'm a good enough athlete to make compensation sometimes to get through a round, but in pressure situations, those types of things come out.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I was worried about the gallery more so than they were worried about me. It was deep in the rough. I don't think I could have gotten the ball out.

MICHAEL JORDAN: It's going to be a good test for the women. I think it would be a good test of the men. If the wind kicks up, it can be really, really tough. The greens are very subtle; it's hard to read. The rough, if you lose your ball just by driving, it's going to be very difficult once you miss the fairway. But these women are very accurate in their tee shots. I think they will stay in the short grass as much as possible, but it's a golf course you can score on. You've got to be very smart and putt well and position the ball on the greens to where you have good putts uphill and not leave yourself too many downhill putts. But in some holes, you've just got to play for par, and a lot of holes you can play for birdie to go at it. But it will be a good test. I'd like to see the wind kick up, just to see how the pros adjust to the wind.

MICHAEL JORDAN: The rough, it's tough. You don't need wind for that to be tough. I think getting in the rough is going to -- you have to be creative and very conservative coming out of the rough so you have to be very smart how you play.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I knew that. I'm very proud that he's taken me as a motivation piece. I've met him once. I look forward to playing golf with him, as long as I get enough shots. 58, that's pretty good. (Laughter.) I scored 58 one time. (Smiles).

MICHAEL JORDAN: Coaching is not my bag. I don't think I have the patience to sit down on the sidelines and yell and scream. I like to do it at home in the confines of my own house. But I'm a fan of the University of North Carolina, you know, and I think Mad Dog is going to do a great job. I think he will continue to maintain the intensity and the success at North Carolina; so I feel proud that they went to a guy like that.

MICHAEL JORDAN: Frustrating, very, very frustrating. I mean, I come from a team sport, where if I have a bad night, I've got guys that can pick me up, where in golf, if you hit a bad shot, you've got to play. One of the baseball players told me: "You've got to play all your foul balls." No other chances of getting around it. It's a challenge against yourself, and the course is going to be consistent. It's going to shoot par, and you can fluctuate back from par back to 100-something. It's all a battle and when you think you've got the game, you don't have your game and I think that's what drives me nuts.

MICHAEL JORDAN: Depends on the winds. You know, the normal winds are coming from the north. I think 8 would be an easy birdie for the women. I think 3 is going to be the toughest hole out there, because of the conditions, because of the possible wind conditions. It's a three-shot hole, no matter how you look at it. And if you get in the rough or the sand off your tee, you've got to really, really play it smart to play your next second shot. And the green is no easy cake, either. Anything left in the left side of the greens rolls down into the water and the bunker, all right. It's just a great hole. I think it's going to be a defining hole for the a lot of the ladies.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I have not talked to Eddie Jones. I saw that in the paper and I didn't even know he was looking to talk to me. And I'm not here to try to contribute to the situation. That's between Eddie Jones and the Bulls. My experience with the Bulls is totally different than what his experience would be. I'm not trying to give him any advice in which direction to go. He probably will call; I will probably avoid his phone call, because I hate to contribute to this process, because my opinions are my opinions and I don't want to anyone to take it and try to utilize it for their influence. In terms of the corn rows, if that was said, you know, I don't know, I wasn't there. I think it's something that shouldn't have been asked or made any kind of emphasis towards. If we have had -- if we ever had a hair code here in Chicago, Dennis broke that about 15 million times. I don't believe in that. I think that, you know, people are going to have their own different way of living their lives. Corn rows are part of our society now, just like pigtails, braiding of women's hair, a long time ago. I think that's a bad criteria to decide if you should draft a player or not have a player be part of your team.

MICHAEL JORDAN: It's certainly not my place to criticize what's happening here in Chicago. I have my own opinions, and I would rather keep them, and I don't want to create any controversy. As you know I have my own situation in Washington that I have to deal with. And my experience here, it's been a good experience over the years. You know, why other players come here and they couldn't or don't feel the same type of experience, you know, or dedication, love for the city, I can't comment on it. I'm pretty sure people are going to try to point fingers in a lot of different directions. My experience here in Chicago in terms of the Bulls is over and done with. I'm still a fan. I still try to support, but I still try to beat them in terms of the Washington Wizards. Whatever opinions I have, I'd rather keep it to myself. You have guys have enough controversy. Last thing I want to do is add to it.

MICHAEL JORDAN: Actually, I played last night. I'm sore today. No, the adulation and admiration from kids is always admired. I think it's truly a compliment for what I did for 15 years here in Chicago, and even before I came here. I hope that some day it does die down to some degree where I can be. It's embarrassing to step on the tee and know that everybody wants you to hit it 300 yards on the green with the lady pros. And I'm out of my element to some degree, and I would love to live up to their expectations, but I'm nervous; they can't tell. If they can, they understand. I'm always willing to please, and I hate to be put in situations where I don't really know if I can please them somehow. But they still cheer and they still give me inspiration to move on. And to me, I think that's a tribute to what I've done over the years for what I've given to them, their parents. And a lot of them, they never saw me play, but their parents talk about me quite a bit, and that's the best comment that I can ever receive. No other trophy that I can receive can top that, that admiration from the parents, and right down to the kids. So it will continue for some time, but eventually when I get old and gray, it will die out, and I can move around in Chicago and be happy, I guess.

MICHAEL JORDAN: Let me just speak on what I know in terms of Washington. I'm not going to speak in terms of what the Chicago Bulls did. But I think if -- I have to let the player see what system we have in place, you know, and what we feel could enhance their basketball talents in their lives. Aside from that, it's their choice from that point forward. And I don't want to mislead them. You know, I want to be honest with them about our program and where we're trying to take this program. And then, it's your choice. You know, it's turning into like a recruiting process. And, you know, is that the way it's going to go from now on? Maybe, maybe not. Myself, I come from the old traditional place, where you drafted here, you come here and you stay here, you try to make things work the best way possible. And then if you have to be traded, then you have to be traded. But I'm not going out and try to serenade anybody. If you want to come and play with regard to the circumstances I've built there, all fine and good, but I'm not even going to try and compete and persuade, you know, these kids who either accept or not accept. You know if you step into a program that it fits you or doesn't fit you. But I don't believe in serenading athletes and trying to persuade them to come. If the business is not right then don't go.

MICHAEL JORDAN: My intimidation came from my work ethic on the basketball court. And contrary to what some of the coaches may have thought, I didn't calm my opponents. I didn't take them out to dinner to try to persuade them to play against me any less than what I would play against them. Tiger is very similar. In Tiger I can see an unbelievable worth ethic to be the best golfer he can be, and that's intimidating enough. You know, some people don't have that. Some people try and take the shortcuts to get to the goals that way, or to the successes that way. And nine times out of ten, they fall short because of the work ethic that someone else has put into that profession. That's the intimidation, that he works hard. He doesn't get complacent at what he's achieved. I didn't get complacent to what I've achieved. I felt like I wanted to be the best basketball player. Whatever weaknesses you guys ever came up about my game or said about my game, I corrected it. Tiger is the same way. I think he's -- over the years, I've heard that he can hit it long, but he can't control his driver. Well, he's controlling his driver. And somebody says, well, his short game is not quite as consistent. Well, his short game is consistent. And his putter, he's aggressive the way he putts. Probably is one of the best putters on the TOUR. That's the attitude he takes; that whatever you say are his flaws, he works on it, to create it to be one of his strengths, and that's intimidating when a player takes that type of approach. So I don't think he has to say anything. I think he's just got to continue to work on it, just as I had to continue to work on it. My representation preceded me because everybody knew I've worked hard to achieve what I've got, and you can believe I'm going to do this tomorrow, night and the next day.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I would have loved to. I got beat by everybody else. She could have, too. I've heard great things about her. I wished I could have had an opportunity to meet her and play with her. But I know somewhere in the future I will get a chance to meet her and possibly play more than three holes. But it was fun to be out there with the ladies, and it's truly a pleasure just to see how they have perfected their profession. I have unbelievable admiration for the way they approach the game and how well they play.

MICHAEL JORDAN: I am hooked on golf, but I've also come to the realization that I'm a hack. (Laughter.) It's just that simple. But I still love the game. Believe me, I love the Ryder Cups. I love everything about the game. I love the education of that the game provides, the opportunity it provides for a lot of people. I would play it every single day if I had the chance to. That's how much I still love the game. Even though I am a hack, I still love to play.

MICHAEL JORDAN: No. I was totally surprised. Peter didn't -- he didn't make me aware that there was this many people out here. I knew there were going to be some clinics and some kids out, but this is more than I ever saw at this golf club. Normally I can come out and play 81 holes and never see anybody. This is far more people than I've ever seen on this golf course, and a lot more kids than I ever anticipated, but that just shows the fans have taken on the game and certainly have come out to support the cause.

MICHAEL JORDAN: No. The game is too short. (Laughter.) But hopefully somewhere down the road we'll meet again, as long as she gives me my shots.

MICHAEL JORDAN: The rough is the only thing I've noticed that's changed. The rough, and then they narrowed the fairways, which is, I think compliant to the USGA in the U.S. Open, in terms of what they needed to do, but everything else is pretty much the same. I'm very proud that they came here. I'm very proud that someone gets a chance to see this golf course the way that I see it, as a competitive golf course. I've had some good scores here and I've had some bad scores. And if you play it smart, you can score well; and if you play it aggressively, then you'd better be aware that you can score some big numbers.

MICHAEL JORDAN: Yeah.

MICHAEL JORDAN: Here? 69? Believe me, but it's hard to tell after those three holes I just played. I do play better in certain situations.

MICHAEL JORDAN: That's three years ago when I didn't really have a job. (Laughter.)

MICHAEL JORDAN: It's hard to say. Whoever hits it straight and putts it good. I mean, Karrie Webb is probably the favorite, but I would not rule out Juli Inkster. This is a putter's course. If she gets that putter straight, then she can shoot some low numbers. So I would put the emphasis on the putter. I would pick Juli right now.

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