GREATER HARTFORD OPEN

July 24, 2003

Peter Jacobsen

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Past champion, Peter Jacobsen, thanks for joining us, great round today, 63, tied with Mr. Haas there in the clubhouse. Start with some opening comments. Birdied the first 2 out of the gate.

PETER JACOBSEN: As I said, I birdied one and three and parred 3, I'm doing good. I look at Jay walking to the fourth tee he is 3-under, I said, oh, God, I can't touch this guy. Jay and I come out of the same tour school back in '76, so I have been have impressed and have inspired by his play this year. He has had a chance to win probably 3 or 4 times, it hasn't happened to him. If he wins this week it wouldn't surprise anybody out here as well as he is playing.

But I have very comfortable here. I'm a former champ here in '84 and I loved coming back to Hartford. So it feels kind of like one of my home courses.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Take some questions.

Q. Stadler won last week, Kenny has won three times, Couples has won, you and Jay, is there something in the water of the 40-year-olds?

PETER JACOBSEN: I think quite honestly when the PGA Senior Tour came on how many years ago, 20 years ago maybe, I think a lot of players in their 20's started saying, wow, there is life after 50. Because early on in my career when I came out in '76, '77, '78, a lot of players when they reached their mid 40's they lost their card, they stopped playing, family became a large part of the equation. Players would just go home. I think you are starting to see a lot of guys our age that have put in the time and the effort to keep their game sharp because they know at 50 have you a chance to compete and a chance to win again. Because you look at guys probably around 43, 44, 45, chances to win this way. That's why as I said, Jay has been such an inspiration and Stadler winning last week, how great is that? So you are seeing a lot of players who have worked on their games hard to be in that position. It's shown up.

Q. Stadler kind of blows the theory on his conditioning though, doesn't he?

PETER JACOBSEN: Well, one of the things that is have interesting to me out here is everybody talks about physical conditioning. Physical conditioning takes a backseat to mental conditioning. I mean, I can give you an lot of names of kids out here that are in great shape that will never win because you know what I'm saying. You take someone like Stadler, Jay Haas, Kenny Perry -- to me Tiger Woods is not the champion because he's so gifted physically, he is gifted mentally and emotionally. He handles everything that is thrown at him. You can laugh at Stad and say the physical condition is not a factor to him. It may not be a factor of him but he knows what's going on in here, and he has it here and he has it here.

Q. So Peter there is really no reason why it should go away at 44 or 45. It can stay for you, it can stay for Jay and stay for other people, right?

PETER JACOBSEN: I agree. I agree. You know back when there was no such thing as a Senior Tour. Sam Snead won on the TOUR in his 50's. Nicklaus, look at Nicklaus. Jack has had some physical problems, his hip and back. He has had some real physical problems, but when you watch Jack play in the Masters and he is 2 off the first rounds lead or near the lead in the Memorial, it doesn't surprise anybody in the locker room. The guys in the locker room knows who can play. It doesn't matter whether you are 48, 49 or 29.

Q. Peter, you had a couple of top-10 finishes this year, some places you were familiar with. What has changed about your game? What have you done?

PETER JACOBSEN: When people ask that question of older players, I really can't say that I have done anything different. Life happens to you. My kids are all out of the house. I have one child out of the college and 2 in college so your priorities change a little bit. I'm a little more selfish again. I can worry more about me. I can spend more time working on my game and practicing whereas before when you are home, you are running to Chuck E. Cheese and dance recitals and baseball games. So my wife and I have a chance now to spend a little more time with each other and be a little more selfish. I can say I haven't done anything differently but probably just worked a little harder on my game.

Q. Did the lesson with Bill Murray help at all?

PETER JACOBSEN: The tips that Bill Murray gave me at the clinic were huge. They were huge. That was fun yesterday. Bill Murray, all you have to do is roll Bill Murray out and let him go for an hour. You should have seen him yesterday, that was great.

Q. Peter, you have been have involved all this week with the event going on. I know it's not your first time here, do you sense a different mood with Suzy playing, is there something different about it?

PETER JACOBSEN: I think any time a tournament has a special attraction like a Bill Murray or a Suzy Whaley, it's only a good thing. I think what Annika did for PGA TOUR and for golf in general at the Colonial was awesome. I think Suzy playing this week, I played 9 holes with her on Tuesday, her attitude is fabulous. She doesn't really care about how she plays. She would love to shoot near par, that's going to be tough for her because she is playing from the back tees, and it's wet, the ball is not rolling very far. She is playing for different reasons. If she qualifies, she deserves to be here, I think it's fabulous.

I just want to say that I'm really excited that Buick -- I have been hearing all the reports that Buick is going be the new title sponsor. This tournament has been going on for so long, Ted May and Dan Baker do a good job here. This tournament deserves to be. That's Dan Baker right there. Thanks, Dan. Since he has come on as tournament director, he and I worked together on the GHO past champion pro-am a couple of years ago. Ted made all of the Jaycees -- chamber of commerce. Jaycees Service Organization, they have done a fabulous job to keep this thing going and I am so glad to know it is going to continue on. This tournament has to continue.

Q. What went right out there?

PETER JACOBSEN: I drove it in a lot of fairways, I hit my irons great. I putted really well. What can you say about shooting 63? Everything went right.

Q. When was the last time you had a tie or a share of the lead during this year or recently?

PETER JACOBSEN: I don't know.

Q. Tin Cup?

PETER JACOBSEN: I saw it on TV the other night, I won that son of a gun again. I'm really good on that U.S. Open. I honestly don't know. It's probably been a while. I had some good chances last year on TOUR. I had some, I think a couple 3 or 4 Top-10s I have had some good tournaments this year. It's getting tough out here. There are so many good young players now that as Jay said he was 3-under after 3, and he looks on the board he is already 3 back. That's the way it is every week. The guys are good out here.

Q. Have you had a 63 before?

PETER JACOBSEN: I don't think so. Not on Tour. I have had some 64's or 65's. But I haven't had a 63.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Can we go over your scorecard, birdies on the first tee?

PETER JACOBSEN: I birdied the first hole. I had a 7-iron to 20 feet.

The 2nd hole I hit a sand wedge to about three feet.

5, I hit a 3-iron in there about 20 feet. I made that.

6, I hit a 9-iron to about 15 feet, made that.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: 9.

PETER JACOBSEN: 9, thank you for reminding me. I hit a 9-iron to about 20 feet. I made that.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: 15.

PETER JACOBSEN: 15, I hit a driver. I hit a driver on the front edge of the green. I hit a really nice running chip-up there to about a foot, tapped that in.

I bogeyed 16. I hit one of the best iron shots of the day. It was too long and it went down over the green into that little gutter, and I chipped it up about 15 feet, I hit a bad chip and I 2-putted.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: What club off the tee?

PETER JACOBSEN: A 6-iron.

17, I hit about a half 8-iron to that pin. It's a very tricky pin and put it in there about eight feet above the hole and I made kind of a wish putt. You just touch it and hope it goes in, it caught the hole and went in.

18, I hit a mid-iron from the middle of the fairway to two feet.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Nice way to finish, 2 birdies.

PETER JACOBSEN: Absolutely. Started the day with 2 and finished with 2. The redesign on this course is so good. What I love about the fact on 15, you have a chance to make an eagle, you can drive the green. 16, is an extremely difficult par-3. It's hard to pull the right club there. If you miss the green, it's hard to get it up and down. 17 is a very difficult hole and 18 is a spectacular hole. You have to drive it in the fairway. If you hit it in the fairway bunkers, you've got some problems off the tee.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: Any more questions?

PETER JACOBSEN: Anything to add, Dick? Are you sure? We got everybody here?

Q. Peter, is your family with you this week?

PETER JACOBSEN: No, they are not. No, they are not.

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