GARY PLAYER: That's why I said, "mission accomplished."
Really, Jack and I from the very beginning, we stood on the first tee today and you know, we're the best of friends. We both sincerely said, gee, I'd like to win, you'd like to win. But if we could have this go down to the last two matches, close, just real close, we'll both be very happy, whatever the outcome is.
I think the camaraderie amongst the players, they are finished, they are out there walking with the guys, the teasing of each other, even at the prize giving, winners and losers, really, I don't think there were winners and losers. They were all winners. Everybody was a winner, I do. The galleries were so enthusiastic. There was a vibe today, I mean, the excitement was quite unbelievable. You think of all the holes when you put all of the holes, you work out how many holes were played in two Presidents Cups and it goes down to the last hole, with a 25 foot putt, whatever the distance of the putt; that's self explanatory. We could not as captains be happier, and to see our guys, you know, with so many millions of people, tens of millions of people watching on television to see the players as such great role models and the way they behave in victory and in defeat.
You know, just last night, the team, for example, they gave you know, the story that they gave Jack, in memory of his grandson, Jake, which is very touching. Mine was touching in another way; that they know how much I love racehorses and what great competitors racehorses are, and to give me this magnificent painting by Stone Reeves, who is probably as good as there is in the world today of Secretariat, who I consider one of the five greatest athletes of my 50 years of progressional golf. And President Clinton endorsed it. He said when he was in the White House, he voted for Secretariat of the five best athletes when they asked him to vote.
I'm building a new house on my farm right now in South Africa, I'm building a very beautiful study and that will be a prominent part, and it will bring back great memories of this Presidents Cup, being captain twice and being associated with such wonderful young men, and wonderful young women. All of their wives are absolutely darlings, and the way you guys in this room and the just the media in itself, we realize, we realize just what the media does and it's something that I'll never take for granted and what you guys do to enhance the tournament and make it go from strength to strength and what you do for golf in my 53 years, I say thank you.
Q. Speaking of the media, we were told that all 12 International players would be coming here to talk with us, can you tell us why they are not here?
GARY PLAYER: Well, I think the guys, really, you look at the time now, it's a quarter to 8:00, we want to go back and have a shower. We want to go back and have dinner together. We've asked Peter Thomson and his wife to join us, and we just felt that two guys representing the team here was sufficient.
Q. Would you be willing to do it again next time?
GARY PLAYER: How can anybody ever say no if they were ever asked? This is just it's an honor and a privilege to be captain.
I'd just like to say that my vice captain here, Ian, did a great job, a great job with our team. Thanks, guys.
End of FastScripts.
