THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY SOUTHERN COMPANY

October 28, 1999

Fred Funk

FRED FUNK: Well, it was definitely an emotional morning with the service. It was a beautiful service we had for Payne. It was a very emotional time, and it gave a strange start to the tournament with emotions flying so high, or really, so low. Dealing with this thing, definitely hard thing to get through. But once the golf started, you know, you went out there; you concentrated on what you had to do. It is funny, I concentrate -- I would think everybody out there would probably say the same thing, but I could never get Payne out of my mind when I was playing. It was -- I would hit a shot, concentrate over my shot, but just seemed different knowing what happened. I know that he would have wanted us to play. There is no question. It was the best thing. I think as a group, we needed to play and go through this together. That is the biggest thing. It would have been a lot harder to deal with this, this situation, the tragedy we had losing Payne if we were all either -- if they cancelled the tournament and we all had to go home in our separate ways and have to deal with it that way. It is a lot easier as a family that we have out here to deal with it. That was the theme of Tom's talk last night at the informal dinner we had, and this morning, dealing with this as a family. And we are a big family. Once we got through that, getting out on the golf course was good. But at the same time, I could not forget that Payne wasn't there.

FRED FUNK: No, it is totally different, but the golf course, I played it Tuesday for the first time in the Pro-Am, and love the golf course. I heard so much about it. Actually came out here in 1997, I was in town during THE TOUR Championship. I walked around, but that was outside the ropes. I really didn't get much of a feel for what the course was like. I didn't even walk the front 9; I walked the back 9. Playing the golf course it is just right there in front of you. It is in fantastic condition. It's got to be one of the Top 5 golf courses I have played, and condition-wise, you can't beat the condition of the golf course.

FRED FUNK: I am usually a good long-iron player; so I don't mind that. It doesn't really bother me. Usually keeps the scores up a little higher, anyway. And I usually like golf courses that play a little more difficult as far as the overall score.

FRED FUNK: I wish I had that in my swing. (Laughs). I don't have that right now. Especially right now, I am really struggling with my setup right now, and I am not able to really -- you know, I want to go after it, but I just can't. I am not hitting the ball -- I don't seem to be in position where I can be real aggressive. I was just trying to make sure I didn't make too many mistakes today, and I actually got -- other than a short putt I missed on my 9th hole this morning on 18, I got just about everything out of my first round of golf. And then I had some birdie putts beginning of that last nine holes, but didn't make those, but I finished with a birdie. So I feel pretty good about -- overall, I am very pleased because I am not playing -- I am really not playing that well, but I mean, I managed to try not to make mistakes and play within myself right now.

FRED FUNK: I birdied 11 and 12. That seems like forever ago now. I don't even know what I hit in. I think I hit a 4-iron in on-- I didn't hit that good a drive on 11. I hit a 4-iron about 20 feet; I made that -- no, I remember that now. I hit 6-iron over the bunker and it almost went in but it went by about probably ten feet behind the hole because it released with the greens. I made it coming back. Then I hit 5-iron on 12 about 15 feet and where else did I birdie?

FRED FUNK: I hit wedge, hit a good drive downwind; hit a wedge about six feet and then 17, the pin was-- I had a putt there, I was about-- hit a 4-iron in; should have hit a 5, but I hit a 4 and went by about 15 feet behind the hole and I had about an eight-foot break to it and made it. It was an amazing putt. That was one of the best putts I have ever hit. Then I had 5-iron into 18 and I missed it to the right, hit a good chip about four feet by and missed it coming back. I had some birdie putts early in the round but on 7 I hit a little 7-iron about 20 feet, 25 feet probably, made that. Then 9 hit it just short of the green; chipped up about three feet past the hole made that.

FRED FUNK: Then I hit a terrible 5-iron on 16 about 100 feet from the hole at least, 3-putted. I hit 3-iron about three feet and made that one.