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WACHOVIA CHAMPIONSHIP

May 2, 2007

Skipper Beck

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

Q. Just like Saturday morning out here?
SKIPPER BECK: Yeah, just like Saturday morning. I finally got a breath about the 4th or 5th hole. People asked me yesterday was I ready, was I nervous, and I said, yeah, I'm stoked, I'm ready to go, I don't get nervous.
I saw Michael last night and I hit balls this morning, and as I was walking to the putting green I felt the butterflies coming on and just wanted to hit a good shot at 1 and start walking.
By 4 or 5 I finally got my breath.

Q. You went to -- that shot at 1, what was that feeling like?
SKIPPER BECK: Well, I mean, it was what it showed. I had butterflies and I just wanted to hit a good shot for myself and for all my friends that were watching, and the team, too, but I just felt good that I hit a good shot. It was kind of like, take a deep breath and grab some oxygen and now you can finish the round.

Q. What's it like doing what millions of golfers have dreamed of? Was it what you thought it would be?
SKIPPER BECK: Yeah, it was a match made in heaven. I've got to give credit to Wachovia for letting us do it, number one, and allowing us to put the group together.
I invited Michael to play. The last game of the season for the Bobcats, I walked into his box, and he said, "You ready, partner?" I said, "Yeah, I'm ready." He said, "Who are we going to play with?" I said, "We won't know until Tuesday." He said, "Do you want to play with Tiger?" "Really?" "Yeah, I'll be in touch."
Then the rumors started floating around and I confirmed it about four or five days ago, and that's when we started going, hey, this is for real. I had a member from Augusta last night, who's a good friend of mine, and he said, "Skipper, this is the biggest Pro-Am that's ever taken place with this group," and I think the crowds out there proved it today. I've played in a lot of Pro-Ams, but I can tell you when they're down both sides of the fairway and all around the green, it gets your attention.

Q. So it was a little different than what you expected?
SKIPPER BECK: Yeah, it was definitely different. The good part about it was being friends with Michael and him being friends with Tiger, it loosened the group up and we did a few things that we wouldn't ordinarily be able to do.

Q. How long have you known Michael?
SKIPPER BECK: After he got out of college and got into the pros, we started selling him some cars early on when he was still hanging out in this area, so I've known him for quite a while.

Q. Of the two, Michael and Tiger, who won the war of the words today?
SKIPPER BECK: I think we were pretty even. I got beat. I tried to put in as much as I could. I wasn't intimidated by Michael, and I threw punches at him pretty good. I didn't throw any with Tiger. I tried to get a bet with him on the first hole and I asked him to give me two shots a hole, and he didn't really want to do that.
After 6, somewhere along in there, he looked at me, and he said, "14 handicap? Uh-uh." So that made me feel good, too, that he thought I was playing better than I should have been.

Q. He thought you were sandbagging?
SKIPPER BECK: Well, he didn't use that word, but I would say that's probably what he thought. I just said, "That's the way we play around here."

Q. Have you played with Michael before?
SKIPPER BECK: No, I have not played with Michael before, no, just been around him a lot, and we're in the Bobcats together. He's actually in the car business like I am, so we talk and we have a lot of fun and enjoy doing the Bobcats stuff with him and he's become a good friend.

Q. Any way for somebody who's an amateur player to prepare himself for an experience like that?
SKIPPER BECK: No, I don't think so, and I thought that I could prepare myself for it. In my experience speaking in front of a crowd or playing in front of a crowd at anything, I thought that I could handle it. Again, I laid my head on the pillow last night and I had about four alarm clocks set and I had somebody calling from my office, and I was just scared to death; I had this vision of me running down No. 3 going, "I'm here, I'm here," and missing that 7:30 tee time.
I don't think you can prepare yourself for it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. A lot of us talked about what would it bring in a charity auction to be able to play with those two guys in a threesome. I'm very fortunate to have the opportunity, and again, I thank Wachovia for letting that happen, Mac and Johnny and Kym and everybody here at Quail Hollow for allowing us to pre-pick the team and do what we did.

End of FastScripts

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