Nearly
20 years after his first win at the event, 49-year-old Peter Jacobsen
took home the trophy at the Greater Hartford Open for his seventh
PGA Tour victory.
PETER JACOBSEN: It
feels great. I was thinking out there today, this is the first tournament
back, two-year anniversary from when I had hip surgery. I had hip
surgery back in 2001 and I came back to this tournament after being
on crutches for eight weeks, two months, and I remember only being
able to play nine holes and I just ran out of gas each day and I
missed the cut. But it's kind of the finish line for me of a long
road back from a quite a few years of playing hurt through the late
90's and into the early 2000, and then meeting Dr. Mark Phillipon,
who actually I met him through Steve Elkington, Norman, Jesper Parnevik
had the same surgery.
Thinking back
19 years ago, to 1984 when Sammy Davis, Jr., gave me the check down
there. It's very, very special.
TODD BUDNICK: Your
20th appearance here. Last week Craig Stadler wins at 50, this week
you win at 49, what's going on with the game.
PETER JACOBSEN: Craig
Stadler called me last night and he left a message on my phone. He
said, look, if you win, we will be paired together in January at
the Mercedes Championship, because they pair you in orders of your
victories. I actually thought about that all day. I love Craig Stadler,
he's one of my great pals all the way back from college days. I actually
thought about that, I said all right, playing with Stads at Kapalua.
TODD BUDNICK: Chris
Riley said you guys had a lot of fun out there, he enjoyed talking
with you. He likes to play that game as well. He said it was a very
enjoyable experience.
PETER JACOBSEN: Yes,
I am a big fan of Chris Riley. I think he has a bunch of talent.
He is going to win a lot of tournaments on TOUR. He hit 2 balls out
of bounds today. He hit it out of bounds on the first hole and 13th
hole. That's 4 penalty strokes. It goes to show you the kind of attitude
he has. He hung in and shot 2-under for the day. Take those 2 balls
out of bounds, it's a different story.
He is a talker,
and I'm a talker. Most people - they don't want to talk but they
just listen, that's all they have to do.
TODD BUDNICK: Talk
about the walk up 18, 3-stroke lead. It had been a long time since
the last time.
PETER JACOBSEN: Yes,
it had. I knew that 16, 17 and 18 are very, very tricky. We were
helped with having 17 and 18 downwind. So I knew that was going to
take a little pressure off the two shots. 16 is a very difficult
hole. Chris Riley chipped in for eagle on 15, so he was up first
on 16. It's always nice when you have a very tricky par-3 with swirly
winds to see what your playing partner hit. Actually I think I got
a break there. He hit a 7-iron, we both thought that he had to hit
7-irons have solidly to get it to the hole and he hit his 7-iron
past the hole and I knew right then it was good 7-iron for me. I
hit it on the green and almost made the putt for birdie, but the
key I thought for me was the tee ball on 17. It was downwind, I hit
a 3-wood, I murdered it off the tee, I hit a hundred-yard sand wedge
shot and pulled it back off the hill to about four feet and I knew
I was pretty close.
I'm sure -- you
never know on 17, simply because there are so many things that can
happen. It's one of those disaster holes.
TODD BUDNICK: Questions.
Q. With
age 50 approaching, what has your approach be to how you are going
to handle moving to the Senior Tour, if you would, and what has happened
this week changed any of that thinking?
PETER JACOBSEN: I
haven't really had a chance to think about it but I was planning
on playing the Champions Tour next year when I turned 50. Now, I
don't know what I'm going to do. I'm in the same boat now as Jay
Haas. Jay has had a great year and made 2 million dollars. He has
contended in so many tournaments this year. He should have won a
tournament by now. I'm sure he will win before the year is out. I
don't know what I'm going to do but it's a nice problem to have.
Click
here to read the complete interview with Peter Jacobsen.
