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CHRYSLER CHAMPIONSHIP

October 31, 2003

Retief Goosen

PALM HARBOR, FLORIDA

TODD BUDNICK: Thank you Retief for stopping in, you got off to a great start with three birdies on the front 9 there and another three before that. Let's talk about the course today.

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes. The front 9 played quite similar to yesterday afternoon and then on the back 9 the wind really started picking up from really No. 10 onward. It really started blowing. I was a bit better in my iron play today, I seemed to hit it a closer today than I did yesterday. It makes the putting easier. Yesterday I hit it a long way away a few times and 3-putted four times. So I played well yesterday, really to shoot 2-under and still have four 3-putts.

Q. You have an a career high seven Top-10's on the PGA TOUR, one win in Europe but no wins here; is that something you would like to get done these next two weeks?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, it would be great if I could get that done these last two before we get into the Mercedes next year which is a great start. It's a long way to go. It's only going to get tough on the weekend. See what we can do.

Q. You didn't commit here until fairly late; was there some thought you would play Europe this week; how did that all come about?

RETIEF GOOSEN: The plan was to play Valderrama, the Volvo Masters. But it was pretty bunched up between 26th and 30th on the money list to get into next week. Last week I had a poor last round which really got me nowhere. If I would have had a good round last week I might have gone back to Europe and played the Volvo Masters, but since I can't win in North America this year I thought if I could get into the Top-30 or get a win to get me in Mercedes. I felt like I'm playing okay. I felt like I really need to get the ball in the hole.

Q. If there is any consolation they had two inches of rain and canceled the round at Valderrama?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, it's amazing, the driest summer of all time, now all of the rain coming at once when the event gets there. We seem to get rain at that time. We get rain at the weirdest places on the European TOUR. It rained at Dubai once. It was like a rainout day.

Q. And you bake at the Open?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, so Valderrama is not my favorite course but I heard this course this week is a great course and I really needed to in a round fairly well to score well. It's not like last week. It was mostly a putting competition.

Q. What did you think before you arrived here? I'm sure you heard of Innisbrook as a Florida resort; did you have any idea what would it be?

RETIEF GOOSEN: People told me it's like Hilton Head, narrow, winding little fairways, the greens are very tricky, very quick. I got here on Wednesday morning and played my Pro-Am Wednesday afternoon and I like the course. You got to hit the ball really well off the tee and keep it in play, especially the way the wind is playing. It's mostly blowing across on the whole course so it's difficult to get the right shots going sometimes.

Q. What's the difference if a golfer gets seven or eight Top-10's and a guy that wins maybe a couple of times?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, I think my putting has not been up to standard this year. I felt like I drove the ball pretty well this year and do what I've done in the past. My iron play is probably not quite up to standard which leads you long imperfect putts on the green, but I think my putting has not quite been what it should be and if you look at the guys winning, their putting stats are right up in the Top-10 probably and that's why they are winning.

Q. There was, perhaps a possibility that you would have left Orlando going to Spain and then come back to Houston?

RETIEF GOOSEN: That probably would have been the plan, yes.

Q. Playing both tours, how hard is that? Obviously you have done it quite well winning money titles over there, twice?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, it's tough, but I mean you can fly from Miami straight to Madrid which is only about a six-and-a-half hour flight or something, and pop down to Valderrama.

It is always a little more difficult going from jet lag and coming back here to get over it. I have done it so many times now. If you fly for from the East Coast or West Coast you fly four hours or four-and-a-half hours you might as well fly two-and-a-half hours further and be in Europe.

TODD BUDNICK: We will go through the round, birdie on No. 2.

RETIEF GOOSEN: 2-iron, 6-iron to about 15 feet.

Q. 5?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Driver, 2-iron hit low pitch to about ten feet.

Q. 7?

RETIEF GOOSEN: 7, I hit a 3-wood off the tee, wedge down to about 18 feet.

Q. 10?

RETIEF GOOSEN: 10, driver, 8-iron to 25 feet.

Q. 12?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I hit a 5-iron off the tee and then a wedge down to about ten feet.

Q. 14?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Drove it in the rough, chipped out iron to about ten feet.

Q. Bogey on 16?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Driver, 5-iron just off the green left and hit a poor chip down to eight feet and missed the putt.

Q. Retief, do you speak Afrikaans?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, I speak Afrikaans back with my parents.

Q. Does everyone in South Africa speak it or is it just different parts of the country?

RETIEF GOOSEN: No, I would say 50/50 really. Pretty much everybody that can speak Afrikaans can speak English. I think the other way around, there is a lot of English people that probably aren't that good with Afrikaans.

Q. Now would Nick speak Afrikaans?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I think Nick has a few bad words of course but no, any grew up in English, English speaking family.

Q. Retief, your considered one of the longer hitters, are even you guys fascinated by Hank Kuehne?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes I played a practice round with him last Tuesday actually. As it feels he gave me 50 yards or so. He can hit it a long way, a long way off line, but he is young, he is just going to have to control the distance a little bit. But his length, a lot of times he can hit a 2-iron or 3-wood off the tee and doesn't really need a driver. He hits his irons a long way, so I'm sure give him a bit of time where he knows he is except and doesn't have to try to really grind it out there. He can release and gets into the swing of things a bit. It will be good.

Q. Sit surprising how hard he swings at it or hits it?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, he is not a huge guy like Ernie or anybody. He is a pretty fair-sized guy, but obviously he's doing something. I suppose it's (inaudible) he grew up with which is like John Daly. But he quits hits it a long way and not really hitting it as long as John in the swing. John you can see where the length comes from but sometimes he hits one that just doesn't come down.

Q. When you were coming up, would Ernie and you have been considered rivals or is that too strong of a word, friendly rivals?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, we used to be friends really. I only met Ernie when we were about 14 years old, he just won the Junior World and that's the first time. We were on opposite teams. He played for a different team than me. I played against Ernie once as an amateur and lost against him. But we didn't really play up against each other that much. But we played on a few teams together afterwards, and then together in the military.

Q. When he won the first U.S. Open, what did that say to you, was that sort of a boost?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, he was ahead of me, when he won his first time, '94, '95. I just started getting into the swing of things Europe. He has always been a few years ahead of me. But you know, he has been a great player for a long time now. So it was great that he won it and obviously a lot of us guys coming from South Africa gave us a boost.

Q. What military?

RETIEF GOOSEN: We were both in the Air Force, really.

Q. Ernie was?

RETIEF GOOSEN: He was, yes.

Q. What years for you, how old were you?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I went in when I was 19. He went in when he was just turned 19.

Q. Is this required service?

RETIEF GOOSEN: It was at the time in '88.

Q. What did you do?

RETIEF GOOSEN: The first three months is always tough. You get chased up-and-down and get a good old waxing.

Q. Boot camp we call it here?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, pretty much something like that. And then you get distributed out to the area you went to. Myself and Ernie were fairly close together. We played golf Wednesday afternoons and on the weekends and when it was amateur we were allowed to play for Air Defense Force events.

Q. What did you do on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Sit around, do a few things, maybe polish the colonel's shoes or something.

Q. Retief, what kind of feeling did you take away from the President's Cup three years ago, considering the margin?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, it was good fun. I really enjoyed it. Especially this time being in South Africa, it's going to be good. We are looking forward to that. It's going to be great and everybody goes on about safety and stuff. It will be fine down there. It's a great place and we will all enjoy it.

Q. Is there any type of revenge mentality?

RETIEF GOOSEN: No, I don't think so. There isn't any sort of revenge feeling. Obviously both sides would like to try to win, that's what it all comes down to. It will be nice if we can win it outside of the U.S., but it's going to be a tough match. It's very bunched up, always on paper. The U.S. side looks very strong so it will always comes down to the single matches on Sunday, I think.

Q. The international side doesn't look all that weak.

RETIEF GOOSEN: No, that's true, but you know, like you say, all of these guys can play. You are going to have to play hard to match.

Q. What would be your observation? It seems like the Ryder Cup not always comes down to the Sunday singles, and the last two President's Cups have been decided by breakfast?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yes, it's true the last two -- the foursomes and best ball is poor. You can get your point up there, it makes it easier on Sunday.

Q. Why do you think they haven't been very close the last two, anyway?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I don't know. I think this time it will be a little closer. I think everybody -- new golf course, U.S. guys out of their home town basically. So I think it's going to be closer this time.

TODD BUDNICK: Thanks, Retief.

End of FastScripts.

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