september 27 - october 3, 2010
madison, mississippi866.898.golf
IN THE NEWS
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASES
12/15/2009
Viking Classic Announces 2010 Dates, Chef Emeril Lagasse to Headline Viking Culinary Tent
Madison, MS
December 2009
Viking Classic, Mississippi's premier sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. are pleased to announce the event dates for the 2010 Viking Classic. This year's event will be held September 27 – October 3, 2010, at Annandale Golf Club, making it the first event of the PGA TOUR's 2010 Fall Series.
Viking Classic is also pleased to announce that renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse will headline the Viking Culinary Tent's lineup of cooking demonstrations during the 2010 Viking Classic.
"We are so pleased that the PGA TOUR thought so highly of the Viking Classic by naming it the first event of the 2010 PGA TOUR Fall Series," said Randy Watkins, Viking Classic Tournament Director. "And having the world-famous Emeril Lagasse on-site at the Viking Culinary Tent is such an honor for us. It's the icing on the cake for our event."
The 2010 Viking Classic and Viking Culinary Tent weekly event schedules are currently being finalized and will be announced in the following months.
For tickets and information on the Viking Classic, please click here or call the Tournament Office at 601-898-GOLF (4653).
For images from the 2009 Viking Classic, please contact Cary New, cnew@vikingrange.com or 662.451.1628.
3/10/2008
Viking Classic announces charitable donations through Birdies for Charity Program
Madison, MS
March 2009
Viking Classic, Mississippi’s premiere sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. are pleased to announce that the 2008 Birdies For Charity program raised $499,509.61 for the 72 participating Mississippi charities. 1,885 birdies were made during the course of the Viking Classic, September 15-21, 2008, at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Mississippi.
The Kindness Foundation in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, was the highest fund raising organization. Kindness Foundation members Ralph and Frances Brown were presented a check for $23,440.06 at a luncheon hosted by the Viking Classic at Annandale Golf Club on March 3. Tyler Brady, also from Hattiesburg, won the Guess the Birdies contest and received a choice of any one major kitchen appliance from the Viking Range Corporation, as well as a Viking Culinary Package of cookware, cutlery, and countertop appliances. Mr. Brady also received a “Southern Hospitality, Viking Style” package that included a two night stay in an elegant suite at The Alluvian Hotel and Spa, spa treatment for two in the luxurious “Couple’s Suite”, dinner for two at Giardina’s Restaurant, and a custom-designed cooking class for two with an Executive Chef from the Viking Cooking School.
The benefiting charities are those who participated in the Birdies For Charity program, the fundraising arm of the Viking Classic. Implemented in 2001, the BFC program has enlisted more than 350 charities and is available for any 501(c)3 organization, church or school in Mississippi. The primary goal of the BFC program is to successfully solicit and collect pledges of at least two cents per birdie based on the number of birdies made at the Viking Classic or a donation of $25 or more. Each charity receives 100% of collected pledges and donations.
The 2009 Birdies For Charity program is ready to kick off. The dates for the 2009 Viking Classic are October 26 - November 1 at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, MS. For more information about the Birdies For Charity program, please contact Doug Garner at 866.898.GOLF.
For more information on the Birdies For Charity program or the Viking Classic, please visit www.vikingclassic.com
For images from the The Viking Classic, please contact Cary New, cnew@vikingrange.com or 662.451.1628.
12/17/2008
VIKING CLASSIC granted new date for 2009
Madison, MS
December 17, 2008
The Viking Classic, Mississippi's premiere professional sporting event, is pleased to announce that the PGA TOUR has granted the event a new date for 2009. Next year's event will be held October 26 – November 1, 2009, in a stand alone position on the PGA TOUR schedule.
“We are so pleased that the PGA TOUR thought so highly of the Viking Classic and its past success that it decided to award our tournament a new date,” said Randy Watkins, Viking Classic Tournament Director. “Being an unencumbered tournament will attract much more attention from the golf community around the world, which will only increase the excitement and success of the Viking Classic.”
The Viking Classic earned this stand alone date based on its success over the past two years and its storied history.
To learn more about the tournament, purchase tickets, volunteer or donate, please visit www.vikingclassic.com
For images from the The Viking Classic, please contact Cary New, cnew@vikingrange.com or 662.451.1628.
12/02/2008
Viking Classic Presents Check to
Blair E. Batson
Hospital for Children
Madison, MS
December 2, 2008
The Viking Classic, Mississippi's premiere professional sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. is pleased to announce the presentation of a check in the amount of $140,000 to the Friends of Children's Hospital (FOCH) and the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.
“Century Club Charities and the Viking Classic are honored to be associated with the Friends of Children's Hospital and the Blair E. Batson hospital for Children,” said Bill Latham, President of Century Club Charities. “Naming them the primary beneficiary of the Viking Classic was a decision the members of Century Club Charities have been extremely proud of, and we are pleased to be able to present them with the initial check of $140,000. We look forward to increasing this amount over the years to come and working with their dedicated staff to promote such an amazing medical facility right here in Mississippi.”
Earlier this year FOCH was named the primary beneficiary of the proceeds from the Viking Classic. FOCH is a non-profit organization created to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Batson is Mississippi's only hospital built specifically for the care and emergency treatment of children. FOCH ensures their patients have everything from stuffed animals to state-of-the-art medical equipment.
“I was really pleased and excited when Century Club Charities chose Children's Hospital as their designated charity,” said Dr. Bob Abney, President of FOCH. “This was such a natural association with precedence at several other PGA TOUR events. These tournament proceeds will be used to make each child's hospital stay the best it can be. We enjoyed working with the Viking Classic staff and look forward to next year's event.” The check presentation took place on Tuesday, December 2, 2008, at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children.
11/13/2008
Viking Classic earns “Best Of” award at
PGA TOUR Tournament Advisory Committee Meetings
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
November 13, 2008
PGA TOUR's Mississippi event
honored for Best Title Sponsor Integration
The Viking Classic (Madison, MS) was honored by the PGA TOUR at the TOUR's Tournament Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings this week. The Viking Classic earned the award for “Best Title Sponsor Integration” in 2008, given to the tournament that best melds the title sponsor's product with that of the PGA TOUR.
The theme at the The Viking Classic was “Professional Cooking meets Professional Golf.” The tournament had celebrity chef demonstrations throughout the week, awarded a Viking kitchen valued at $50,000, with proceeds going directly to the tournament's charity, Friends of Children's Hospital. The Viking Classic also tied the two products of cooking and golf throughout their advertising thematic.
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to acknowledge and congratulate the outstanding job and special recognition the Viking Classic has received for its efforts,” said Rick George, PGA TOUR executive vice-president and chief of operations. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud for being recognized as the best among their peers on the TOUR.”
The The Viking Classic, captured by Will MacKenzie, was held Sept. 18 – 21 at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, MS. Since becoming an official PGA TOUR event in 1994, champions have included Fred Funk (1998 and 2004), Luke Donald (2002) and Chad Campbell (2007).
“On behalf of the Tournament Staff, Century Club Charities, Sponsors, Volunteers and Fans, we are very proud to have a Mississippi based company like Viking Range Corporation as our title sponsor,” said Randy Watkins, Tournament Director. “This award is an indication of their dedication and commitment to making the Viking Classic the pride of all of Mississippi and the PGA TOUR.”
About the PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is a tax-exempt membership organization of professional golfers. Its primary purpose is to provide competitive earnings opportunities for past, current and future members of the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour and Nationwide Tour; to protect the integrity of the game; and to help grow the reach of the game in the U.S. and around the world.
In 2008, the three Tours will compete in 108 events for approximately $355 million in prize money. Tournaments will be held in nine countries outside the U.S. and in 37 states.
In addition to providing competitive opportunities for its membership, TOUR events also generate significant funds for local charities. In fact, the three Tours have surpassed the $1 billion mark in overall charitable contributions. The PGA TOUR's web site address is www.PGATOUR.com and the company is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
09/21/2008
Viking Classic Winner Will MacKenzie Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 21, 2008
Final-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH WILL MacKENZIE
The Moderator: We would like to welcome the champion of the The Viking Classic Will M ac Kenzie into the interview room. Will, first of all, congratulations on what was a great week for you. And if we can just get some comments on what's going through your head right now.
Will MacKenzie: Yeah, I mean, we came here to win and we won. I mean we got lucky, very fortunate. I played such good golf of the most all week. I attribute it to again some good tempo in my golf swing. I didn't feel good; I told my wife "I'm not hitting it that good". You know how you do hoping she will say, "Oh, you will hit it great don't worry". I didn't feel good about my practice last week, and it slowed my rhythm up a little bit, my golf swing, and I started flushing it. Today I knew it was going to be a gut-wrencher for me. I just wasn't feeling perfect. I had such a great two days in a row, and then it ended with that beautiful 8 on 18 yesterday. And I sort of went out of there with sort of sour grapes in my mouth. And I am just trying to put it in the past. Trying to do it last night, but I was a little frustrated and a little angry. And, you know, I just persevered today. And I felt a little funky early and then towards the middle of my round I started really getting good again. I got my rhythm back and started feeling confident. I was like, who cares, I will just finish in whatever place I was going to finishing in. I was six behind at one point.
Q. When you left the 14th green he was at -21 and you were at 16?
Will MacKenzie: I was five behind then.
Q. Did you see the score board at that time?
Will MacKenzie: Yeah. I saw when he was at – didn't he go to 22 and I was at 16?
Q. Yeah. That was earlier in the round.
Will MacKenzie: I remember seeing 21 and 16 and that is when I was sort of chocking it up. You know, play well down the stretch Will, maybe you can get a couple more birdies and then you will have a solid week. Let's turn it in – I didn't want to sit there and hang my head because I still had a lot of work to do if I came in third, fourth, fifth, or sixth place. I still had a lot of work to do for the rest of the year. So I wanted to be really positive and, you know, know that if I came in here and finished fifth, which it was looking like I was going to do, somewhere around there, I was going to take a positive from this week, and go into that fall finish, you know, a little bit closer to my ultimate goal, which is retaining a PGA tour card.
The Moderator: So talk a little bit about that. $648,000 that moves you to 97th on the money list. It has huge implications.
Will MacKenzie: I had a break here and $648,000 is unbelievable. The tour exemption you go to Maui, and I love going to Maui. We will go early. And it's the way to start the year off. It's just, you know, a win that is huge out here. It's all about winning. You know, coming into town at 125 on the money list is great, but I want to keep my card. But ultimately I want to win. I am a winner. I won on the mini tours. I won on the second year on tour. And I believe I can win. And, you know, this is just huge for me to get a win.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Will MacKenzie: My opinion was never sour on 18. I was not going to let that little blunder yesterday get me down. I mean it was – it got me down, but I still loved the golf hole, and I love the idea of the golf hole and the idea of you being able to make an eagle on that golf hole or hitting the green in two. There is so much, it might be one of the better finishing hole on the whole PGA Tour. It makes for a dramatic finish, and it turned out to be pretty dramatic today, I guess.
Q. Will you talked about you frequented 14, and you are standing on the tee at 15, how mad at yourself were you at that point?
Will MacKenzie: I was about to pull a Steve Payne with the volcano. I was about ready to erupt. That 3-putt was pure idiocy. What is 14?
Q. A long par 4?
Will MacKenzie: I had a dicey shot, that pin you really don't have that much room behind you at the right or you go in the hazard. I had like 198, but I mean I was hitting 198 with my feet together. I was really strong out there. Toward that time around I was pretty fired up, and I was trying to chip that one in there, and I was scared. I was trying to be too chippy with it and lose it right, and I sort of pulled it. And that was a tough putt. It was going to be really tough to get the speed right. And obviously I didn't. And I hit a good second putt, and it didn't go in. And my head almost got hung there, and I was pretty, pretty frustrated. And then on the next hole. I hit a great iron shot. I was just starting to complain, but I made the putt.
Q. How far was your putt on 15?
Will MacKenzie: How many feet would you say?
Q. Does it say there?
Will MacKenzie: No, it doesn't say. It was probably 12 or 15 feet at least. It was a dicey little downhill, downgrain, dusty green putt, and I, for some reason, read it right.
Q. (Inaudible).
Will MacKenzie: What did I say, 12 or 15 feet?
Q. The double bogey was what opened the door?
Will MacKenzie: Yes, ma'am. You know it was terrible for him. I felt awful. I said earlier Marc and I grew up playing mini tour golf together. There was a time today I really wanted him to win the tournament. You know, I was so far behind, and I didn't have a chance anymore. It was like it would be great for Marc to win this golf tournament. You know, get his first win sort of just like me. This is his first year on tour and we live down in Jupiter, Florida. And you know he is a really, really, really great guy, and he played his heart out today and that is what happens in golf. You just have to think bad things happen like that. It happened to me yesterday and it happened to Marc yesterday.
Q. Did he putt very well?
Will MacKenzie: Marc? Oh yeah he putted beautifully.
Q. Can you discuss the final playoff hole?
Will MacKenzie: I forgot what I even had yardage. I think I had the same thing, like 240 hole, maybe 245. It was like I was so pumped up there I could hit that hybrid over the green. I had to really smooth it. And it's tough to smooth a shot when you have water left and water front, you really can't move that pin. I just figured I was going to put the pressure on them because I knew they didn't really have the fire power to get there in two. I knew they could. But if they didn't hit perfect drives, Brian Gay and Marc, they probably weren't going to go for it in two. I didn't had a perfect drive, I was going to go for it, especially with ball in hand. I knew Brian was just going to hit a drive off the tee, and hit a 7-iron and hit a wedge up there about 8 feet and make it. I mean, he is like money with the wedge. He is one of the best wedge players on tour and putters. So I was like, shoot, I don't want to get in a wedge contest with Brian, maybe he will make par one time and I will just keep 2-putting. Or if I hit it over the green or maybe I can get it up-and-down. All of those scenarios are running through my head. You just couldn't go at the pin. There was no way if I would had tried to hit one and sort of cut a little hybrid in there, I might may have double golfed it into the water. I just had to be smart, hit at the little Viking sign in the middle of that green, and maybe I could pull one in there. That is what I was thinking. Maybe I would mishit and pull one over there close and make equal. But I was being smart and, you know, just letting him know I'm going to hit this green in two, you all are going to have to get it up-and-down for birdie. I was going to 2-putt. There was no chance I was going to make one of those for eagle, I was 50 or 60 feet.
Q. That first putt on the 2nd?
Will MacKenzie: Both of them were long breaking putt. I hit pretty good speed putts. I wanted them closer obviously. When Marc missed his putt on the second playoff hole, and I went to hit my putt, I was pretty scared. I was trembling a little bit. I was just like, you know what, you have done it before. You have made these putts before. Go through your routine and do it. Just do it. Don't think about it too much. Just go do it.
Q. How far away was it, 59 feet on the first one and 63 on the second? How far was the final birdie putt? 3 feet or a couple of feet?
Will MacKenzie: Probably 3 feet. 3 feet 9-inches.
Q. You can do that in your sleep on the practice green.
Will MacKenzie: 3.9 you might want to look at my stats for 3.9 it is 96%. When you are all amped up. I wanted it to be 1 foot 9 inches. I just couldn't get the putt high enough.
Q. There is nothing this game doesn't have a lot of justice to it. You talk about Marc, he led almost the whole tournament and made one bad swing. You felt like you earned this thing this week. You played really good?
Will MacKenzie: I think I may have played the best golf this week. You know Marc made great saves out there today. And I made some good saves early as well. This game is fair. Simple as that. You know my two-stroke penalty yesterday, you know, it will come back. Marc, something great is going to happen to Marc. You know, he showed it today. He is a champion. He is going to win out here. It's a tough deal.
The Moderator: Anything else? All right. Congratulations Will MacKenzie.
Will MacKenzie: Thanks.
09/21/2008
Marc Turnesa Round 4 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 21, 2008
Final-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC TURNESA
The Moderator: We have Marc Turnesa with us here in the interview room of the Viking Classic. Marc, I know a lot is going through your mind right now, and if we can just get some comments on your day, and then also the playoff.
Marc Turnesa: I played well. I played well most of the day until that 17th hole, and just made a mistake you can't make. And, yeah, it cost me the tournament.
The Moderator: We'll go right into questions.
Q. (Inaudible).
Marc Turnesa: I had a good 2-iron down there, just what I wanted to do. And I had a 7-iron go right-to-left wind. And it was kind of in between clubs. I thought – well not really, it was either a real big 8, which wasn't the play. I right the right club, but I just didn't hit it very good. I hit it fat. Yeah, I knew I had to take a little bit off it, but in hindsight I would have been better off hitting it in the grandstand.
Q. How far did you have?
Marc Turnesa: 167 left-to-right wind a little hard.
Q. How had you played that hole the first three days? Had you pretty much used that the same routine 2-iron?
Marc Turnesa: The first day I hit a 3 wood down there. The 3 wood the first two days, and a 2-iron the last two days.
Q. Were you happy after the tee shot, did you feel pretty good? Did you get what you wanted to do?
Marc Turnesa: Yeah, I was in perfect position there really. It's an important fairway to hit because if you hit it in the rough there, you don't know, it's a guessing game. So, you know, I did what I wanted to do off the tee.
Q. Can you take us through the playoff? Talk about Will's reaching the green in 2, and the advantage he might have had there. And did you have any thoughts at all in trying to get there in 2?
Marc Turnesa: In regulation I hit a poor drive on the fairway. At the playoff I was just at a distance. I could have reached it with a 3 wood, but I didn't think it was to play. Because I didn't know if I could hold the green so I figured lay it up, and give myself a wedge. You know. I'm going to give myself a pretty good birdie chance with the wedge.
Q. And on the second time through there, how far was your putt, the one you missed, how far?
Marc Turnesa: I would say about 16 feet.
Q. Did you hit a sand wedge?
Marc Turnesa: A lob wedge both times in regulation. I hit it better the first go-around. The second go-around I didn't hit it hard enough. And it spun the second time. Whereas the first time it didn't spin. But, yeah, I left myself an easy putt. It was longer than I wanted.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Marc Turnesa: No, I don't think I misread it. I may have pulled it a little bit. Right off the blade it felt like it was going a little bit left to where I wanted it, but I thought I still had a chance. But you know, I mean just barely.
Q. How would you describe your putting overall today? I followed you around?
Marc Turnesa: It was phenomenal. I putted the best this week better than I have all year. Yeah, it's a shame you can't get a win when you putt that good, because that doesn't – yeah, you are not going to be able to putt like that every week.
Q. What did you learn about yourself especially the last two days?
Marc Turnesa: I guess I can play out here. You know, I have played well. So, you know, I learned I can play with anybody out here, but I came up short this time.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Marc Turnesa: All of them. Six, I believe.
Q. How much money? You will get three or four? Two or 300. You have a ways to go?
Marc Turnesa: I have work to do.
Q. When you were – you got to 22 and you still coming off the 14th green, you were 21 and Will was 16 and Brian had dropped to 19 at that point, were you watching the scoreboard? Did you know you had the lead? Did you care or were you grinding away?
Marc Turnesa: I wasn't too concerned about the leaderboards. A few times I couldn't help but look at it, it was right in my way. I was aware of what was going on.
The Moderator: Anything else? That has got it.
Marc Turnesa: Thank you.
09/20/2008
Marc Turnesa Round 3 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 20, 2008
Third-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC TURNESA
The Moderator: Okay. We would like to welcome the leader of the Viking Classic after the third round Marc Turnesa into the Media Center, 6-under par 66 today, if we could just get some comments on your day.
Marc Turnesa: It was a good day. It was a great day actually. Yeah, I played solid again. Just kind of plotted along, and hit it better today and continued to make putts. So, you know, 6-under is a great score out here.
The Moderator: Go ahead and take us through your birdies. Starting on the 2nd hole par 3.
Marc Turnesa: The 2nd hole is a great birdie because I had it relatively close on the 1st hole, and didn't make it, lifted out. And the 2nd hole is one that you don't really expect to make, it's probably 40 feet or so, left to right, and it went in with perfect speed. And kind of got the day on a good note.
The Moderator: Birdie on No. 3.
Marc Turnesa: I hit a pitching wedge to 8 feet, I would say.
The Moderator: Your only bogey, No. 4.
Marc Turnesa: What is the fourth hole? I don't remember my bogeys. That is a fairway, you have to hit, and I did it. It was perfect with the 7-iron and I tugged it just enough and I got down in the thick Bermuda. It really, to be honest with you, it wasn't terribly difficult, it's always tough to judge how they are going to come out of there, but I thought could up-and-down and it came a little soft, and I had I don't know 8 feet right up the hill, right to left, and it was par putt.
The Moderator: Par 3, 8th hole?
Marc Turnesa: Par 3, 8th hole I hit a 6-iron perfect 10 feet right of the hole pin high.
The Moderator: No. 11, par 5.
Marc Turnesa: Yeah, I birdied that hole the first time all week. I finally hit it in the fairway. And it was a good thing, we played it up today because was mud balls all over the place. And the previous days I was getting mud balls in the rough, but today I got to clean it, and hit it in the fairway and hit I don't know 20 feet, right-to-left putt.
The Moderator: Par 3, 12?
Marc Turnesa: Perfect 9-iron, 156 downwind perfect and it trickled up there about a foot and a half two feet.
The Moderator: Par 4, 14.
Marc Turnesa: That is a tough hole. You got to hit the fairway there. I did that. I was into the wind. I hit a 5-iron 25, 30 feet.
The Moderator: And the last birdie on 17.
Marc Turnesa: That is a good one too. I hit the fairway there. It was a perfect number for a 7-iron, and I hit it perfect. And probably had 3 or 4 feet up the hill.
The Moderator: A lot of "perfects" in that round.
Marc Turnesa: I wasn't really paying attention to it when I was out there. I was doing a lot of things right.
The Moderator: Questions?
Q. Do you watch the leaderboard at all?
Marc Turnesa: I do and I don't. I was watching it, peeking at it here and there today. I know today it didn't really much matter. Nobody is going to be a winner after today. So I knew I had to keep making birdies. Today I looked at it here and there, tomorrow it just depends on how I'm playing really.
Q. Do you know what happened to Will?
Marc Turnesa: Yeah, they told me after I played. I didn't know while I was out there. That is a shame, really. To get a two-shot penalty and the guy is leading the tournament. You hate to see that to happen to anybody. I think Bill Haas got a two-shot penalty for a wrong ball or something, changing out to a different ball. It's unfortunate and I've been in that situation, actually last week I was in that situation. And you hate to see it happen to anybody.
Q. It seems like your nerves held up well today after that start, maybe because the long birdie helped. What do you think about tomorrow now because you made it through today, is that a huge thing for you, and does it help you tomorrow?
Marc Turnesa: Well I think it's a huge thing whether or not it will help me tomorrow, probably not. I would like to say it will. But, you know, tomorrow is a new day. I'm proud of the way I have played to this point, and you know, I'm going to try not to think about tomorrow until tomorrow. And maybe watch some football tonight and try to get on some sleep.
Q. Have you at this point had an opportunity to look at the money?
Marc Turnesa: The money list or the money breakdown?
Q. Yeah.
Marc Turnesa: No, because I know what it is. I know what it is. I know if you win you get a nice big check. Yeah. You want to be, you want to win that is for sure.
Q. You feel your game is ready to win on this tour now, now that you have won last year? You played three solid rounds?
Marc Turnesa: I think so. Absolutely. To hold the lead out here for three days in a row is not an easy thing to do. If you can hold the lead in any round of a tournament you are capable of winning. Every player out here is. Sure.
Q. What did you do if at all anything differently today than you did in Memphis? Anything at all?
Marc Turnesa: Um, not really. I played better. I don't know, I made more putts. I was more comfortable out there I would say, for sure. I don't know why, but I feel pretty good out there. And, well I guess when you are playing that kind of golf and making a lot of birdies and not many bogeys it's hard not to feel good. It's hard not to think about the future out there. Everybody does it and I'm trying to do a better job of not doing it. So, you know you can't let your mind wander and you have to stay in the present and that is important. The guy that wins this tournament this week is going to be in the present.
Q. Are you and Will friends, good friends?
Marc Turnesa: I'd say friends or good friends. He lives down in Jupiter as well. And I know him from down South Florida and, you know, he is such a great guy. And will I be paired with him tomorrow. Will is a great guy. As you know, you have seen him in the media. He is easy going and nice guy.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Marc Turnesa: No, I give them the advice.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Marc Turnesa: My great uncle and my grandfather they are all dead, they are the ones that have been there and they can't help me in that regard. My parents and my family, I just get a lot of support from them. I think that is as good as advice.
Q. When you saw Will moving up the leaderboard were you surprised at all? You figured someone was going to get hot? Were you surprised it was Will, you know him, and you know his game.
Marc Turnesa: I wasn't surprised. But I was pretty impressed. I think I peaked at the leaderboard somewhere in the background, and I had just made a few birdies, and I had a one next to my name, and then I looked again and I was two back, And I said, wow! I said get 'em Will. He is playing great obviously.
The Moderator: Anything else? Well, Marc, play well tomorrow.
Marc Turnesa: Thanks guys.
09/20/2008
Will MacKenzie Round 3 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 20, 2008
Third-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH WILL MACKENZIE
The Moderator: All right. Thank you Will for joining us for a few minutes here in the Media Center at the Viking Classic. You had a great run going this afternoon and kind of a disappointing finish. Do you want to that talk about that a little bit?
Will MacKenzie: The great run or the finish? I have my usual two press people here. Oh, my God, this is funny. I just spaced out, big time. After a long day of lifting and playing and touching the ball I hit a bad shot on 18, I hit a bad second shot, got lucky actually and my ball was sort of like half in the hazard, and half out of the hazard, touching the red line. There was a little clump of old grass, like trimmings. It wasn't even enough; I'm anal about picking up around my ball for some reason. And it wasn't enough to affect my shot. And I swept it out of the way just for – I just sort of looked at my line and swept it out of the way. And I go – and I stood up and I didn't think anything of it. And then I thought, did I just touch the inside of the hazard line there? Oh, golf is a game of you gotta to tell the truth or it will come back and kill you. So I was like, I called the rules officials over and said, I think I touched inside the hazard, what is gonna happen? Two shot penalty. Great. I was already hacking on my home-made bogey, and turned it into a triple. And went from 8-under to 5-under. That is what happened.
The Moderator: So basically you brushed –
Will MacKenzie: A little tiny impediment.
The Moderator: It wasn't like bits of grass.
Will MacKenzie: It was like bits of grass, like old dead grass. There is a lot of that.
The Moderator: Which is a loose impediment?
Will MacKenzie: Yeah.
Q. Would you like to talk about how your ball got to that place?
Will MacKenzie: I got lucky. I hit a bad & I started off the tee ball just fine. Thinking I will hit a Bahama out of there, I'd hit a hybrid on the green, make birdie that is what you do out there on 18, no problem. For some reason I made par there yesterday when I had mud on it. But I knew it was lift, clean and play just tried, I did a stop driver swing, and I hit this sort of a lame duck out of the right, and I was like no big deal 3-shot hole. And I got over there and I had to hit a weird shot under the tree limb, and that awkward little lay-up and I think I laid up on that once ever. If you hit in the fairway you can go for the green. I had an awkward little lay up and, I may have gone through the motions with my caddy not knowing what to do. And had 160 to that little bridge and I tried to hit it so it chip a 6-iron and I hit it too hard. I actually bounced off the rocks, it was going in the hazard, it almost would have been a blessing for me. It would have been one, two in and three out and a good lie because I could have dropped it back on the fairway. I really thought I would have made 8, but it bounced out, and right, right on that red line and that is when I went looked to my right and brushed it, two shots. And then I was dead. I mean I had a bad, bad lie. And I had to hit it over the green and hit a lame bunker shot, and hit a good play, and it just didn't go in.
Q. (Inaudible).
Will MacKenzie: Yeah. Like I said, it was lift, clean, and place all day. And that is not something we usually do on this tour. I'm used not touching my ball and all day we were allowed to touch it. And it gets you in the mind-set of touching your ball. I don't know I made a huge mistake. A very costly mistake.
Q. Even with the mistake your two shots out of the lead. You hit the ball so well today, how do you feel about tomorrow? You said yesterday you can win again on this tour? How do you feel about tomorrow?
Will MacKenzie: I feel good that that is past me, cruddy finish. And I mean, I know I am still hitting it well. I will go out there tomorrow and just try to get in my little comfort zone and hopefully I will be the one that goes low tomorrow.
Q. How well did you hit it from the first 17 holes today?
Will MacKenzie: I flushed it really nice. I hit it really well. I putted nice though too. You are only as good as you putt.
Q. It seemed like you gave yourself a lot of 30-footers.
Will MacKenzie: I made it lucky out there. I made a good putt on 1 and then I chipped in on 2 out of a dead zone. I was in a good position and I chipped in out of a bad lie, and then I hit it close a lot, and made some putts. It was a great day. I'm just really bummed.
Q. (Inaudible).
Will MacKenzie: It probably would, but I'm going to do everything I can tonight to not even let it bother me. It is what it is. It's over with. I can't do anything about it. I will get over it sooner or later. I will be mad for a little while, and I will pick up Maverick and stop thinking about golf. Sometimes playing from behind is good. I definitely wanted to be in the lead. I was spacing people out. Every stroke you figure you are going to go low. You have to shoot 20 under to have a chance if conditions are tough tomorrow.
Q. (Inaudible).
Will MacKenzie: Marc Turnesa? Yeah. I am proud of him. He is a great dude. I lived down in Jupiter with him. I want him to play great.
09/19/2008
Paul Stankowski Round 2 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 19, 2008
Second-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH PAUL STANKOWSKI
Joan Alexander: Thanks for joining us for a few minutes in the media center at The Viking Classic. A nice round out there today, 65. Yesterday no birdies. You had a couple of bogeys today but bounced back with a lot of birdies. Obviously playing well the first two days, what are you doing?
Paul Stankowski: Well, I rolled some balls in the hole today which is nice. The thing I struggled with all year has been putting. It's kind of been my weak link early throughout my career. I had a month off and finally got a putting lesson for the first time in my life and actually started working on my putting for the first time in my life which is probably a good thing. I drove the ball okay. It was pretty much normal for me. I hit irons which is pretty normal. But I made a lot of putts. I think I average 50 to 70 feet a putt a round in my career. Every week a good week is 60, 70 putts, and I think I made that in four holes today. It nice to make a couple of 30 footers which hasn't been the norm. But I hadn't 3 putted which is nice, things I've been used to doing over the years, so it's good to finally roll it good, see some fruits for the effort that I put into it the last month or so.
Joan Alexander: Questions?
Q. Did ending the way you did yesterday carry over? Is there no consequence at all, or is it in your mind, hey, a great shot, I made a great birdie?
Paul Stankowski: Yes, it doesn't hurt. The shot I hit was, you know, any time you pull something off out of the trees, out of the rough and it works out better than you anticipated, it's usually a good thing. I was just trying to get it up there around the green yesterday. You know I hit a great shot. I hit a lot of good ones yesterday and really only made 2 putts all day. I rolled it nicely though. I was encouraged by that. I made two 10 footers, one for birdie, one for par. I had a chip in which was foreign. And that shot on 18. Yesterday was a good solid day. I was really encouraged by what I saw, especially on the greens. My speed got better and that carried over as well. But yes, that shot, I was trying to hit a good one but it's a little bit lucky when it turns out that way. When it hit the pin, I don't know how hard it was going when it hit the pin and stopped a foot. It was a great shot. It would have been better had I hit a perfect tee shot, perfect 9 iron to a foot. I probably would have taken that. It's hard to take a pulled draw into the trees and a hack out of the trees to a foot. I'm not sure how much encouragement is in that other than the fact that I can make birdie from anywhere.
Q. What club did you hit on that shot?
Paul Stankowski: 7 iron.
Q. The putt you made today, can you go through the card, I guess that's the best thing?
Paul Stankowski: Started on one, I made a 30 footer.
1, I made a 10 footer.
2, I hit a 4 iron.
3, I hit a driver, wedge, seven feet.
5, was a par 5. That one is downhill. I hit driver, 4 iron left rough, chipped it to about seven feet, made that. Par 5, 7, made about a 12 footer.
8, I hit a 4 iron in the front bunker and missed about a six footer.
9, driver, 6 iron, 30 feet.
10, drove it just in the bunker. I had one foot in, one foot out, batted it short in the rough, knocked it in.
Par 5, 11, I hit a pitching wedge to 12 feet.
15, I hit an 8 iron, ten feet.
18, I hit 3 iron to the back fringe and 2 putted from just off the green on the fringe; three feet.
Q. Can you talk about the struggles you have had. Also pain free for the first time since 2002, what ailments have you been battling?
Paul Stankowski: First I tore a cartilage in my left wrist in the fall of '02. I had my first surgery in May of '03, scope, clean it out. Retore it. I had another surgery in June or July, somewhere in the summer of '04. They completely rebuilt the wrist basically. I don't have much cartilage left. Return to play at Pebble in '05. The first day I tore a tendon in my finger. That put me out the whole year. The same hand, left hand. While I was out, I had my left shoulder scoped. I had a torn muscle in the shoulder. Came back in '06, nothing major, nothing that Vicodin and Celebrex would help soften. '07, I tore my right AC joint. It was completely jacked up. I had that scoped and had a resection of the clavicle in October. I just tried to play through it to get in the playoffs. So it's been just one thing after another for so long. In spite of the pain I was in, I actually played decent considering. Last December, after my shoulder surgery, I started practicing again to get ready for this year and my wrist was hurting me worse than it ever hurt, and I went to a doctor in Oklahoma and had an MRI, and he said I got couple of torn ligaments in my hand, but the pain that I had was completely different. It was in here (indicating) and the ligaments were up here (indicating.) I said, doc, I don't hurt up here, I hurt down there. He said you have nothing left from all of the surgeries. So he gave me a new tape job, had me tape it a certain way. Literally a week later my pain was gone. So I tape it every day. I don't have any pain. I'm baffled as to what the heck this tape job does, but it obviously creates a little more stability and keeps the ECU tendon from banging around and it's gone. I am pain free and I hope for a long time, and I finally got my wish and it looks like I'm going to get to play at least one full year without any pain. It's been fun. This year has been a struggle professionally. Obviously, I played very well. In '06, my teacher and I changed my swing to kind of a more of a one plainish (phn) kind of deal to take the stress out of the left side of my body, being that all of my injuries are on that side. I struggled going in between that swing and my old swing and now that I don't hurt I kind of go back to my old swing again. It's been a weird transition trying one thing for a year and a half after doing some for 30 years and now trying to go back. It's been a struggle to say the least. But I really haven't hit the ball poorly this year. I just wasn't putting good. I'm ranked 190th or something in putting, and we all know that's where it's at. Tiger Woods wins tournaments. If he putted from where I hit it all year he would have won 3 of the 6. If I putted where he hit it, there is no chance he would have won. I've come to the conclusion that's the one aspect of my game I've never worked on, and I am committing myself to, and we will see how it goes. Obviously to win week in and week out, or contending week in and week out, they're all putting good. I have had a couple of good putting tournaments in my career and that's pretty poor to say that. That's my focus and today went well.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Paul Stankowski: I know about the wrist. I've got a guy in Dallas named Troy Van Desen (phn). He got me out of retirement. In '05 when I tore the tendon in my finger, I couldn't hold the golf club up in one hand, let alone hit it. The ring finger tore up under the muscle valley of the deep tendon. I couldn't hold a club without feeling the forearm. Greg Rose, out of the Performance Institute in Carlsbad told me I needed to go see a guy that does ART. He printed off of page of providers, and I called one of these guys, and I look at the list and Troy Van Desen said he was the chiro for the PGA TOUR. I called him. I started seeing him. 3 weeks after seeing him the pain in my hand was gone. Something that no doctor I went to could help with. He basically gave me a second life there. Had I not run into Troy I probably would still been on the Golf Channel because I wasn't very good. I would be doing something else. I owe a lot to him. My point is when guys hurt with their hands or elbows they go see Troy and he takes care of them. I learned a lot through all of the crap I've been through. It's been great. I have two kids at home. Playing poorly gives me more time at home. Being injured gives me more time at home. Josh and Katy love the fact that daddy gets to be home more. It's tough when I have to leave. I'm trying to find a silver lining. It's always nice to look at the bright side.
Q. When you call them today, is the good news you made the cut or the bad news?
Paul Stankowski: My son doesn't care how many birdies I made. I can make 80, and he will go, "all right." He will be excited I made 9 birdies today.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Paul Stankowski: Cameron Doan (phn). He is in Dallas. I wanted him to take a look at it, and over the last few weeks I found a few things wrong in my grip that caused me some headaches and I fixed them. It's an unorthodox style right now but it's working.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Paul Stankowski: My grip is different. I'm gripping it differently.
Q. You've made a lot of birdies, Will is, there is a lot of birdies being made. Is it because the fairways are softer the ball is staying in the fairways? We thought it might be difficult to score this week with the rough the way it is.
Paul Stankowski: The rough is brutal but the greens right now are really soft. The thing about coming here, back in the past when it was Bent, it was like shooting darts. There was no pin you couldn't get at. They are pretty soft right now, and as long as you don't land on a down slope on the green, you can get it to stop. The greens are really nice. They are rolling perfectly. The fairways are soft, you can fire at pins right now. If we don't get any rain, and they continue to dry out, it will get tougher come Sunday, I think. They are very receptive, which is nice. The combination of soft greens, soft fairways and perfect greens is a recipe for lots of birdies.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Paul Stankowski: All it is is a category. I'm no longer in that. I burned through that halfway through the season. All it is, it gets me into events. When I failed to achieve a number I was looking for, I just felt that category was good enough to get into.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Paul Stankowski: Absolutely. I'm just like anybody else. I just get into events maybe a little bit later.
09/19/2008
Will MacKenzie Round 2 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 19, 2008
Second-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH WILL MACKENZIE
Joan Alexander: Thank you, Will, for joining us for a few minutes at The Viking Classic. A good start to the week 70, 64, not a single bogey on that card. Lots of birdies, you're going to tell us about later. Tell us about what you're doing well out there. A 30 th morning on the front 9.
Will MacKenzie: Joan, I hit it in the fairway a lot, and I hit it. If you are hitting it well out there, you have some wedges, you know how this golf course is. I played here in '05. I didn't play in '06, '07. Obviously, since they changed it, the greens are so good now. I mean they changed it to Bermuda which made it firmer. It was soft this morning, you can attack the pins and it was soft. I hit it in the fairway. I hit good shots on the green, and I am playing with a claw which was working for me pretty good. I won my only tournament with a claw but I actually switched back for some reason. That's the way I am.
Q. Are you changing putters when you change your grip, or do you try different putters?
Will MacKenzie: I tried different putters. This year, in general, has been real tough for me. I have played poorly. It's been a wonderful year, too. We had our baby. I've changed a lot of putters. I have gone back to my old Scotty Cameron, I will probably use. I brought it with me this week. I brought about 3 putters. It's all about getting a feeling for me. If I get a good feeling, then maybe I can putt great.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Will MacKenzie: You are right, at the John Deere. I was really close to getting it done at that tournament. I just didn't quite do it. But, you know, I told them I worked with a Dr. Gio Valiente (phn). He helped me out a lot. I haven't been playing or practicing much because I missed the FedExCup and we had our baby. I'm not using all of the information he gave me, but I'm trying to do a little out there and get back into it. We have six more events. Obviously I need to play great and that's what I intend on doing.
Q. What did you do, you had knee surgery, scope?
Will MacKenzie: May 1st, scope. It was a pretty naughty injury. It was the medial meniscus, a small tear in the lateral. The medial, on a 10 scale of 10, it was a 10. I went to Dr. Pat O'Connor, he sewed me up. Fred Funk had similar surgeries. He had his knee drained four times since the surgery. He is working out harder than me. He is an animal. I am just waiting for the replacement, full knee replacement.
Q. Can you talk about why you switched your grip?
Will MacKenzie: Because when one is not working I go away from it. It's tough to weather the storm unless you are typically one of those great putters. Guys have been putting with the same putter, like Tiger Woods, he has been putting with the same putter forever. The classic guys use the same putters, they always stay with, where many with the same deal weather the storm. I'm not like one of those guys. I know what got me on TOUR. I got a certain little stance that I call the bad.com stance. It helps me with consistent set up. When I switch from conventional to claw, I try to keep that same stance. So I can claw it or go conventional. The reason being, you know, sometimes I feel better with conventional. Sometimes I feel better with the claw.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Will MacKenzie: I use about 95 percent of the time. I hit a few regular out there, just a few.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Will MacKenzie: Complicated? Probably. I guess so.
Q. Is your game ready to get back to win again. You said you were close? Are you there?
Will MacKenzie: Who knows? I did not really practice much this year. It's been a weird year. I went and bought a house in the off season. I just didn't practice. She said, I can learn from that. I mean to get out there and be ready to play. I tried to switch my swing the first event this year. I hadn't practiced all season and I chopped it up. I didn't work with a coach. I will win out here again I think. I think I have the ability to. I got to hurry up and get off the stand. Joan is ready for me to leave. I think soon. I don't know if I'm going to win one of those six or seven but hopefully I can stay on this TOUR and balance my time between my family and my career. I don't want to look back and say, I could have done this, and I could have done that. I want to get back to working hard. The injuries and just everything has sort of halted my being really devoted.
Q. Was it a knee injury from golf or some of your other activities?
Will MacKenzie: It was not from golf, just from fooling around, just messing around. A little bit of abuse. I tweaked it in the off season. And I retweaked it at my little brother's wedding. I slipped, it was raining like crazy, everybody was dancing and I slipped.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Will MacKenzie: Yes, no warning.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Will MacKenzie: I get hurt dancing now, that's pretty lame.
09/19/2008
Dickie Pride Round 2 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 19, 2008
Second-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH DICKY PRIDE
The Moderator: Let's talk what you have been doing well, and how excited you are about the weekend.
Dicky Pride: I'm excited about the weekend. I have just been doing a good job of holing shots. Actually I had a starting off I missed 2 two inside of 3 feet. And I was able to that out of my mind, and just keep playing and good things came around. And so I played real well and everyone is talking about the hole in 1 on No. 2, and we had it adjusted downhill 203 yards, a roll right to left, the wind into us. And I hit a 4-iron and hit it on the exact trajectory to where I wanted it to hit, on the downhill slide slope from the bunker, and kicked a little right, about two feet. And obviously it was the right kick so it went in and we're pretty happy about that.
Q. (Inaudible).
Dicky Pride: The pin was on the left side. Hang on I will tell you. The pin was 28 back and 7 from the left, and the ridge the bottom of it is 22, to get over it was about 20. And I hit it about middle of the ridge. It was kind of good.
Q. Have you made one out here before?
Dicky Pride: I made one in 1994, what was that called?
The Moderator: The Buick Classic.
Dicky Pride: At Pine Mountain Georgia and that was a good one, I won a car. And the night before my fiance, or were we married? She was my fiance at the time, and she said, I really need the car. I know I won, let's see where we get to at the end of the year and we'll go from there. And I won a Buick, and I called her and I said, how about a Buick? And I want this one too.
Q. (Inaudible).
Dicky Pride: I don't think I should. I think we should. I think we should talk to the Viking people and say, hey look, I'm here for you. And I would really like my wife to like me that much.
Q. You got to like that hole. You hit it well yesterday?
Dicky Pride: Yes, No. 2 and my 4-iron are getting along well at this moment. Hopefully they'll be conducive to yardage in the next few days.
Q. Let's talk about the amount of birdies that have been made out there, and what it might take for this weekend if weather stays the same and the course conditions stay the same?
Dicky Pride: We're not getting as much mud on the ball rough is difficult and the greens got backed and hard this afternoon. And so if we keep the same conditions the greens are going to be firmer and firmer, and they'll get a little tighter on the different pan positions, and it's going to play harder.
Q. How much harder? I mean what kind of a number.
Dicky Pride: If I had a crystal ball, I could just see one day ahead I would never work another day in my life. That is all I need. I'm going to have to go out and play good. I have no idea what the other guys are doing and I know there are a lot of low scores and I don't know how many birdies everyone is making. I just got to try to take care of what I'm doing, and I need to putt a little better so, I need to go. Practice that a little bit when I finish here.
09/19/2008
Marc Turnesa Round 2 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 19, 2008
Second-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC TURNESA
The Moderator: All right. We have Marc Turnesa, with us, our leader at 11-under par after a 4-under 68. Marc if we can get some comments on your day.
Marc Turnesa: It was good. It was good. I started out with a bogey, and then kind of got it together after that. I hit it pretty well, and made putts again. I got up to 12 there, and I missed a short one on 8, my 17th hole to keep it there. But it was a good day.
The Moderator: Any long birdie putts of note?
Marc Turnesa: Yeah, I did make one on the 5th hole, the last of the 3 birdies I made in that stretch.
The Moderator: 6th.
Marc Turnesa: Yeah, it had to be 70 feet or 55? It felt like a lot longer. I was just trying to lag it up there close and it went in.
The Moderator: All right. Questions?
Q. (Inaudible).
Marc Turnesa: I don't know. Do you know?
The Moderator: I sure do. 26.
Marc Turnesa: That putter feels good. I had that one hiccup on the 8th hole, and other than that I have been putting great.
Q. (Inaudible).
Marc Turnesa: I hit a bad drive. I hit my drive right, pretty far right actually. It was sitting down pretty good in the rough, and I actually had a tree limb in my way. It wasn't a good situation. I was just trying to chop it down there somewhere close to the green, and I really didn't come close to the green, I was down there in the rough, 55 yards to the hole from my third.
Q. Was it nerves?
Marc Turnesa: I don't think so because, no. I was losing my driver already all day when I was missing. And it seems like I'm loosing my driver to the right and when I miss 'em, and I'm losing my irons to the left when I miss. And I did it a few times today with the driver. That hole is a pretty straight-forward hole. There is not much trouble out there. I wasn't really - I didn't have any negative thoughts or anything going through my head, I kind of got ahead of it and it went right.
Q. How do you feel like you handled it today and what will you do tomorrow? You are in the lead and just some thoughts on that?
Marc Turnesa: I'm looking forward to it. What I'm going to do. I don't really know what I will do. I hope I shoot a 5 or 6-under tomorrow. But either way it's going to be good for me. Anytime you are in the lead, and being in the final group tomorrow, no matter what happens it's going to be a good day.
Q. (Inaudible).
Marc Turnesa: Yeah. It was a good 2-putt. I didn't want to finish off with two bogeys in a row. I wouldn't have been feeling too good about that tonight. But yeah, I pulled an iron in there, again, like I said, I pulled a 6-iron way left, and it was just in the rough there and decided to putt it, and it came out a little dead. To make that iron, I was 8 or 10 feet. And that was good. That was nice to make that. So I held the lead by myself. And you know, it's the difference between being in the final group and, I don't know, maybe 3rd or 4th from last.
Q. You held the lead this year at Stanford the St. Jude Championship, and is there anything that you can pull from that experience this weekend?
Marc Turnesa: I think so. Just the fact that I have been here before makes me a little more confident. And you know, hopefully I will finish off stronger this week than I did there at St. Jude.
The Moderator: Anything else?
Q. On 8 did you 3-putt in?
Marc Turnesa: No, I pulled a 5-iron in to the back bunker, and I hit a great bunker shot to about 3 feet. It couldn't have been more than 3 feet, I don't think. I just pushed it.
Q. Did you talk to your dad last night?
Marc Turnesa: I did.
Q. Did he have any advice?
Marc Turnesa: Well he just tells me he is proud of me. He says keep going. Keep doing what you are doing
09/18/2008
Marc Turnesa Round 1 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 18, 2008
First-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH MARC TURNESA
John Bush: We would like to welcome Marc Turnesa in the interview room here at The Viking Classic; 7 under par 65, our leader in the clubhouse. Marc, if we can get your comments on a great day of golf.
Marc Turnesa: I putted well today. I didn't really feel that comfortable in my golf swing but I started hitting it a little better as the day went on. But I putted well all day long.
John Bush: It's always nice to close out the round with three birdies, too, if you can talk about that stretch.
Marc Turnesa: Well, we had a short par 4, 16. I hit a 3 wood in the fairway, a perfect number for a pitching wedge, six feet. I had an inside left putt and made it. The next hole I hit a good 3 wood down there and hit 8 iron, five feet, a little right to left and made that. 18, just a three shot hole today into the wind. Driver, 5 iron and a little lob wedge. I had a putt straight up the hill. I hit it pretty hard but it went right to the back.
John Bush: Before we open it up for questions, comments on your season up to this point.
Marc Turnesa: Shaky. It hasn't been that great. You know, I've had a few good weeks, a few good weeks that I really didn't close out, and I had a few weeks where I just really wasn't hitting the ball well. But overall this year I think my ball striking has been holding me back. I have been working on it on the range. To be honest with you, I'm surprised I'm at 7 under today because I didn't really feel like I was hitting it great, and I didn't hit it great. But, you know, putting is a great equalizer. If you can make putts, you can get away with a lot of things.
John Bush: Do you remember a round where you only had 22 putts before?
Marc Turnesa: It's been a long time. I think I might have done it, but it's been a long time. I think 22 putts shows that I putted well. But it also shows that I didn't hit very many greens. So a couple of putts standing from the fringe, that number looks pretty impressive. I'm going to work it out on the range and hopefully tomorrow hit it better and putt just the same.
John Bush: Questions?
Q. Talk about what it's like to be out here as a rookie and it's been kind of a rough year; what it's like. You won last year on Nationwide. It's not like you haven't won a tournament, you know how to win. There is a difference between winning out here as opposed to there, and tell us what you have gone through this year.
Marc Turnesa: I think it's a pretty big adjustment for me, anyway. It's just the biggest stage. You know, the golf inside the ropes isn't really that much different, but it's everything that goes on outside of the ropes with much bigger production. It's a bigger stage. To be honest, I haven't hit the ball as well. So I think that the golf isn't that much different really from what I can tell. You play good golf courses on both tours. The courses overall are a little bit better out here, but you got to play well on either Tour. Guys can play down there, and they can play up here. So I think outside of the ropes is the biggest difference.
Q. I haven't looked at the statistics today, but you did not hit a lot of greens, is that what you are trying to tell us?
Marc Turnesa: I don't think so. I didn't count them up.
John Bush: 11 of 18.
Marc Turnesa: Fortunately, when I missed I wasn't in bad spots. I missed in the right places. So when I missed the greens, I had relatively easy up and downs. I like the Bermuda. I can tell you that. I don't know. I'm from New York, but I started playing professionally on those mini tours down in Florida, and I have come accustomed to it, and I live down there now obviously. I got good vibes with Bermuda.
Q. Talk about your goals for the fall series starting a seven tournament stretch. Are you playing all of those?
Marc Turnesa: I am playing all of them. I don't think I really give myself much of a chance. Of course, if I win this week I would be able to take a week off. In the position I'm in, I need to get up there on that Money List. Obviously, I'm going to start with trying to get inside the Top 150 and then Top 125. That's the goal. When you come to play on Thursday you're not really thinking about that. I'm just trying to play solid golf where I value each shot and try to do the best I can.
Q. Looking at your bio, your family history of golf, were you going to play golf your whole life? Did you play other sports and say, hey, I like golf better or were you a golfing pro from age two on?
Marc Turnesa: Yes, I was pretty much a golfer. I played other sports. I wasn't very good. I played Little League baseball and soccer. Golf was always my thing. I was hoping that I'd always be a golfer. It's nice to be out here. But you just never know. You got to play well to get out here, and you got to play well to stay here. Yes, golf has always been my thing. I just enjoy doing it.
Q. Usually in a round like yours today, there is a break here or there, or you catch a good lie in the rough, or you chip in, you make a long putt. What were your moments today? Was there anything that stands out?
Marc Turnesa: You know, I only had one real moment there. I made a good birdie on 10 with a pitching wedge. I hit it three or four feet. The 11th hole, par 5, I bogeyed. I wasn't really feeling too good after that, giving one back on the par 5. I missed a 4 footer for par. I was pretty disappointed with that. But on the very next hole, the par 3, I missed the green, just off the fringe left. I didn't know if I wanted to put it or chip it. I could have done either one. I decided to putt it and I made it. So that was probably, I'd say, 25, 30 feet. It was pretty straight forward, but you don't really expect to make it coming out of the fringe. I hit a good fringe putt through. That was nice. I probably gave one back on the par 5 on the previous hole.
Q. (Inaudible)?
Marc Turnesa: No, I take it out. I generally always take the pin out when I walk the greens, if I'm just off, unless I have a horrendous lie.
Q. With your family history growing up, are you always talking about golf, or are you always playing golf, everybody's topic?
Marc Turnesa: I was always playing golf. Not always talking golf. My dad golfed professionally. So I grew up on the golf course. But, you know, my immediate family, I got my dad who is a golf professional and my brother is a professional. But it wasn't always golf talk. I was the one most interested in golf. To be honest with you, there wasn't much golf talk going on around the house. I was always on the golf course.
John Bush: Thank you.
Marc Turnesa: Thanks, guys.
09/18/2008
Brian Gay Round 1 Interview
Viking Classic
Annandale Golf Club
Madison, MS
September 18, 2008
First-round leader quotes
AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN GAY
Joan Alexander: Thank you, Brian, for joining us for a few minutes here at The Viking Classic. An awesome finish with 2 birdies. A 6 under 66 for the day. A great start for the week, talk about what you have been doing well.
Brian Gay: Joan, it was a good day today. I stayed out of trouble, made a few putts.
Joan Alexander: Questions?
Q. Coming into this tournament I know you had a good year, you've won this year; what were you expecting coming in this year?
Brian Gay: I just took last week off, the last week of the playoffs. I wasn't sure I was going to play. My record is not great, and I decided to come play.
Q. Did you have a feeling you were playing well?
Brian Gay: I've been playing well. Like I said, I hit balls once in St. Louis coming into here. I just needed a break.
Q. How was the course for the day? The rough was an issue this first couple of days and the practice round.
Brian Gay: Yes, it's soft. The fairways are real soft. I had an issue of getting mud on the ball in the fairways. Luckily I stayed out of the rough. The rough is thick. You definitely want to stay out of it.
Q. When you say stayed out of it, did you hit every fairway?
Brian Gay: Not every fairway. Where did I miss the fairway? I missed the fairway on 9, but I made birdie. That might have been the only one I missed. I hit it in the first cut on No. 1, that was it.
Q. Did you catch it on 9?
Brian Gay: I caught a decent lie. I was able to chase it right up on the green.
Q. You said you haven't played well here, different courses suit different players, is it one of those occasions?
Brian Gay: I don't dislike it. I don't love it or dislike it. For some reason I've never done great here. Hopefully that will change.
Q. Do you remember playing here before they changed the greens? The greens are totally soft, different, does it make it a different course for you?
Brian Gay: After they changed them to Bermuda they were really firm, especially the first year. Like I said, they are soft this year. I was glad to see them change it, although I haven't done well the last two years since they did change the greens. I would rather putt on Bermuda. I'm fine with that.
Q. Last year 13 under won. Before the change, 22, 24 was winning. 13 last year. I think the scores may be lower than we expected today. What do you see from this week if it continues to stay the same?
Brian Gay: The scores will be lower, everything is soft. The fairways are playing wider. The ball is not running. The greens are holding, so the guys are able to shoot at the flags.
06/09/2008
Viking Classic to Benefit Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children
MADISON, Miss. – Viking Classic, Mississippi’s premiere professional sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. are pleased to announce the signing of a charity – the Friends of Children’s Hospital (FOCH). FOCH is a non-profit organization created to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children. Batson is Mississippi’s only hospital built specifically for the care and emergency treatment of children. FOCH ensures their patients have everything from stuffed animals to state-of-the-art medical equipment. All tournament proceeds from this year’s event will go to benefit this organization.
“Friends of Children’s Hospital is a non-profit organization committed to helping all the children of Mississippi who are treated at the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children in Jackson, MS. We are incredibly grateful to the Viking Classic for helping us reach our fundraising goal,” said Suzan Thames, Chairman of the Board for Friends of Children’s Hospital. “I know the Viking Classic, Century Club Charities and the Viking Range Corporation are dedicated to giving back to the state of Mississippi, and what better way to do that than to help the only children’s hospital in the state further their research and programs.”
As the charity partner of the Viking Classic, the FOCH will also provide additional services to the Viking Classic during the tournament week such as fundraising, volunteers and enhanced security efforts.
“The Board of Directors, the members of Century Club Charities, the tournament staff and all of our sponsors including Viking Range, Entergy, CN, MS Development Authority and BankPlus, are proud to form this new partnership,” said Randy Watkins, Viking Classic Tournament Director. “In keeping with the efforts of all PGA TOUR events, we are committed to hosting a professional golf tournament, showcasing all that is great about Mississippi and making a difference in the lives of others. With this in mind, we are thankful to be involved with such a talented group of medical professionals. It is our sincere desire to help children in Mississippi receive the care they deserve. This partnership along with Birdies For Charity will help us reach our fundraising goals.”
The Viking Classic will be held September 15-21, 2008, with tournament play being September 18-21. To learn more about the tournament, purchase tickets, volunteer or donate, please call 866.898.GOLF.
Friends of Children’s Hospital is a nonprofit organization created to benefit the Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. It was created by a group of dedicated members from around the state whose purpose is to support and promote the Batson Hospital for Children, Mississippi’s only hospital designed and equipped specifically for the care and treatment of sick and injured children. For more information, visit www.foch.org.
04/04/2008
Viking Classic Announces Charitable Donations through Birdies For Charity Program
MADISON, Miss. (April 4, 2008) – Viking Classic, Mississippi’s premiere sporting event, and Century Club Charities, Inc. are pleased to announce that the 2007 “Birdies for Charity” program raised $444,540 for the 80 participating Mississippi charities. This is a 20% increase from 2006. 1,498 birdies were made during the course of the Viking Classic, September 24 -30, 2007 at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Mississippi.
New Delta Preparatory School in Greenwood, Mississippi was the highest fund raising organization. New Delta’s assistant principal, Lucy McCarty, and students, Bailey Swinford and D’Andrill Smith were presented a check for $26,499 at a luncheon hosted by the Viking Classic and Annandale Golf Club on March 12. Katherine Turcotte won the Guess the Birdies contest and received a Viking Outdoor Grill, and a "Delta Experience" package that includes a one night stay at the Alluvian, spa treatment for two, and dinner for two at Giardina's.
The benefiting charities are those who participated in the Birdies for Charity program, the fundraising arm of the Viking Classic. Implemented in 2001, the BFC program has enlisted more than 350 charities and is available for any 501(c)3 organization, church or school in Mississippi. The primary goal of the BFC program is to successfully solicit and collect pledges of at least two cents per birdie based on the number of birdies made at the Viking Classic or a donation of $25 or more. Each charity receives 100% of collected pledges and donations.
The 2008 Birdies for Charity program is ready to kick off. The dates for the The Viking Classic are September 15-21 at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, MS. For more information about the Birdies For Charity program, please contact Doug Garner at 866.898.GOLF.
09/30/2007
Campbell emerges as 2007 Viking Classic winner
Madison, Miss. (September 30, 2007) – PGA TOUR veteran Chad Campbell carded a final-round 69 on Sunday and captured the title at the Viking Classic by one shot over rookie Johnson Wagner. Campbell took home the winner’s purse of $630,000 and a full Viking indoor and outdoor kitchen.
With this win, the Texas native ended the weekend ranked 43rd on the 2007 PGA TOUR money list after beginning the week ranked 82nd.
The 2007 Viking Classic will be held September 24th – 30th. One of only 44 PGA TOUR tournaments held each year, the Viking Classic has been part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1968 and an official event since 1994. Past champions of the tournament include Craig Stadler, Payne Stewart, and Fred Funk.
Campbell’s four-round total of 275 ties D.J. Trahan (2006) for the highest-winning score in Viking Classic history.
Campbell becomes the first player in the last 10 years to win the Viking Classic after not playing in the final group on Sunday.
PGA TOUR rookie Johnson Wagner found himself in contention on Sunday before a late bogey at the par-4 17th derailed his chances at the title. The runner-up finish is the best of Wagner’s TOUR career and virtually assures him of keeping his card for the 2008 season.
Wagner, a former Virginia Tech star, missed 12 of 13 cuts in a row after the horrific tragedy that struck the VT campus in April. Prior to that, Wagner had made eight of his first 11 cuts on the season.
Campbell came from three shots back at the start of the final round to win the Viking Classic.
08/06/2007
Viking Range Corporation to sponsor PGA TOUR tournament, the Viking Classic
GREENWOOD, Miss. (August 6, 2007) – Viking Range Corporation, manufacturer of ultra-premium appliances for the home, has signed an agreement with the PGA TOUR to become the title sponsor of the Viking Classic which will be held at Annandale Golf Club in Madison, Mississippi. This four year sponsorship agreement ensures this PGA TOUR tournament will remain in Mississippi and will serve as the state's largest professional sporting event.
"We are extremely pleased to sponsor such a first class tournament in our own backyard," said Dale Persons, Viking vice president – corporate development. "Viking has always strived to be a loyal corporate citizen of Mississippi, and when we looked at the economic impact on the state as well as the charities which benefit from the tournament, we realized what a win-win-win opportunity this was for Mississippi, the charities involved and Viking. We feel that this sponsorship is a unique way for us to promote our great state to the world."
The 2007 Viking Classic will be held September 24th – 30th. One of only 44 PGA TOUR tournaments held each year, the Viking Classic has been part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1968 and an official event since 1994. Past champions of the tournament include Craig Stadler, Payne Stewart, and Fred Funk.
Viking Range Corporation is a culinary lifestyle company that originated ultra-premium commercial-type appliances for the indoor and outdoor kitchen. Viking is headquartered in Greenwood, Mississippi. Viking major appliances are sold through a network of premium appliance distributors and dealers worldwide, and Viking culinary products are sold through a network of premium gourmet retailers.
To request product information, please contact Viking toll-free at 888.845.4641, or visit the web site at vikingrange.com.
VIKING is a registered trademark of Viking Range Corporation.
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