FORD SENIOR PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

July 11, 1997

John Jacobs

JOHN JACOBS: Yeah, it was very friendly. I played very well.

JOHN JACOBS: You know, I didn't have a -- I don't have a very good feel for Nicklaus kind of courses because I'm a hooker and all of his courses are fading courses. I was kind of tentative yesterday. I hit the ball all right, I just didn't -- you know, I kind of tiptoed around today. I just made my mind up, hell with it, I'm just going to take my shot. The weather was perfect for golf. I'm sure you'll see a lot of good scores today.

JOHN JACOBS: Does he? It must be because he put all these bunkers in for guys that hook the ball. New bunker on 18, I mean, three or four holes he put bunkers down the right side. So maybe he thinks it's a hooker's course. Anytime greens are hard to get at pins, it's a fader's course, believe me. Don't ever think that when greens -- you can't get at the pin very well, it's a hooker's course. It ain't.

JOHN JACOBS: Yeah, I'm starting to change my mind. You know what, I moved to Scottsdale so I played some of these courses a few more times. Me growing up on the west coast and quitting The TOUR when I did, I didn't play many Nicklaus-type courses, so I never really changed my game. I've always been a low-ball hitter. You really have to get the ball up in the air on these kinds of courses. I'm learning. I'm 52 and I'm smartening up.

JOHN JACOBS: I drove the ball very well. And, you know, I made a few putts. I really played good. I missed -- I missed a few putts the front nine. I bogeyed the 1st hole. I probably could have birdied. Except for 9, I could have birdied every hole.

JOHN JACOBS: No, no, not really. I'm just playing. You know, the money is so lucrative out here, I don't really think about winning. I know some of the mistakes I've made when I've got close to the lead. Hopefully, I won't make them again. A couple times I've tried to play the guy that I'm trying to beat instead of playing the golf course.

JOHN JACOBS: I didn't try to play him. At The Tradition, I tried to play Gil Morgan instead of the golf course. I mean, it was a mistake. David Graham, I mean, he eagled the last hole to beat me. You know, what are you going to do? The Lord was smiling on him, not me.

JOHN JACOBS: Okay. I bogeyed 1. I hit -- drove it left, kind of went up the side of the bunker on the side hill. Wasn't in the sand, but it was just on the side. Wasn't a very good lie. Hit it in the other bunker, made bogey. 2, I made about a 25-foot putt from the left side of the green.

JOHN JACOBS: Left of the pin. Let me think. I hit an 8-iron.

JOHN JACOBS: 3rd hole I hit a good drive and I hit a really nice 4-iron, but the green, it was downwind, the green was hard, it hit fairly close to the pin and bounced to the back bunker. I blasted about four feet from the hole, made that for birdie. And let's see, that's 3. What's 4, the par 3? 4th hole, I missed about a 3- or 4-footer for birdie. Then the next hole over the water, I hit it in there. I hit a hell of a putt from about eight feet. I don't know how it stayed out. Rimmed the hole. The next hole, I missed about a 12-footer for birdie. Then the par 5, I hit just a very easy 3-wood about 18 feet left of the hole, and I just 2-putted for birdie. I had a perfect read. Larry Mowry putted right on front of my line in front of me, just yanked my putt. The par 3, did I birdie that?

JOHN JACOBS: I hit a 9-iron about - I don't know - 16 feet maybe short of the hole, made that. Then 9, I parred. 10, I hit a big tee shot. I hit a sand wedge, really hit -- the ball backed up - I don't know how - downhill line to the fairway, the ball went up three feet from the hole, spun back, and I made it. 11, I hit a wedge about - I don't know - eight or ten feet left of the hole, made that for birdie. Let's see. I parred, parred, parred. Then 16, I hit it about -- I hit a 9-iron about two feet from the hole, made birdie there. Finished par, par.

JOHN JACOBS: I might go back, I don't know. Those guys, they're all complaining they're not going to be exempt for the SENIOR TOUR, maybe some of us can play a little bit, ought to go back on their TOUR. I played from '69 to about 1979, '80 on the regular TOUR, but I really only played enough to keep my card. I kind of slipped off to the racetrack. If I'd have known they had a SENIOR TOUR, I think I would have stayed around and played a few more tournaments to accumulate a little more money. The way they have it, the only way you can be exempt out here is money from the other TOUR. And then, after 1980, I went to Asia. I didn't play golf for about five years. Somebody said even though they're starting a SENIOR TOUR, I was 40 years old, they said you ought to start playing a again, get a little competitive. I hadn't lost my game, I could still play. I went over there and won the whole money title in Asia. That exempted me for Europe. So I'd go over and play my 11 or 12 tournaments in Europe, because my girlfriend - who is my wife now - lived in London. So that was my excuse to go to London, play a little golf, see her, eat some bangers and mash.

JOHN JACOBS: I did a lot of things. I lived the Life of Reilly with no money. Had a hell of a time. Then I tiptoed around Asia a little bit. I had a name over in Asia, and I had a few guarantees, a few little tidbits here and there thrown at me. Then I got ready for this thing. This TOUR here is getting more competitive, more competitive. I tell you, the guys out here, I don't see any different from the other TOUR. You know, they can ride in the cart, don't seem to get tired. I can see it every few tournaments, they're getting better and better and better out here. Guys that are kind of set in their ways, used to be when I was a kid on the other TOUR, the big names kind of scared everybody off. But, I don't think that happens anymore.

JOHN JACOBS: That's it? Thank you, very. Hope to see you in the next two days.