Press conference - Mark Brooks

JULIUS MASON: Our 1996 PGA Champion at Valhalla Golf Club, ladies and gentlemen, joins us right now, Mark Brooks.

Mark, welcome, once again, back to Louisville, Kentucky and Valhalla Golf Club. Your opening thoughts, then we will go to Q&A.

MARK BROOKS: I think my main thought is that the golf course is in really good condition. Rough is tough and the greens are relatively fast. I think given the slopes they have and the few changes they have made, I think will make some difference on the scores, at least for the mortals.

Overall, I think the golf course is in good shape. It is not as hot as I remember it, but that is part of the game.

JULIUS MASON: Beautiful. Thanks. Questions, folks?

Q. What kind of shape is your game in right now? Could you talk about the way you are playing coming in?

MARK BROOKS: I haven't played that great the last couple of months, but overall, I have played a lot more consistent the last, probably almost two years, and I haven't obviously been in contention as much, very few times, really in contention with nine holes to play, which is where most of us would like to be.

But I have made a lot of improvements, and like everybody else, just kind of trying to find -- put it all together the right week.

Q. What specific areas of your game have you been having trouble with, and what have you been working on to improve?

MARK BROOKS: I don't know if it's really been one particular area. Nothing has been really, really horrible. Just as I said, it is kind of a combination of things: One week, you hit the ball pretty good, don't make enough putts, you know; one week, maybe you don't drive it as well as I should.

But, it is a funny game. I have gone -- you look at my career, I have had kind of ups and downs all the way through, based on how we are judged out here, which is basically the Money List and wins. Wins do tend to bring you way up the Money List. Guy can have a pretty mediocre to poor year and have one win and finish up and everybody thinks he has had a good year.

So, I don't know that it is -- personally, I don't think that it is that great a barometer. 1996, that was my best year, but I think probably around 1991 or '92, I think that was probably my best year, and I didn't have a win. Because I played consistently well throughout the year.

But, out here, if you can put a string of shots together and make a few putts, a lot of things can turn around. Putting is not to be underestimated at any time. But it is not one particular area.

Q. After your 1996 win, did you feel greater expectations for yourself having put a major in your pocket, and, you know, reflecting back, how does it feel to your career, I mean, --

MARK BROOKS: I have certainly can't change anything, and I wouldn't, as far as, you know, pre-1996 or 1996 before.

But, no, I did not have any visions of grandeur or become disillusioned or think I was going to become some different player overnight. I have said it on several occasions: I knew I wasn't going to wake up the next morning and become a different player. Certainly, confidence is a big factor in this game, and I haven't played with a lot of steady confidence over the last few years. But, I definitely had a downturn after, and due to a lot of different factors, all self-imposed.

But, I have played some pretty consistent golf last couple of years, and it is one little thing or another to keep you out of contention. Some of it is some of the other players shooting better scores. That is just the way it goes.

Q. Yesterday, Bobby Nichols was here and said his victory in 1964 made his career. How does this victory you had here fit into your career?

MARK BROOKS: Well, it is certainly the highlight of my career, but I don't -- maybe I will look back some day and say well, that was, you know, completed my career. I am not done yet, though. I will continue to try to be -- play better, become a better player; that is my goal everyday when I get up. Usually it is what I think about before I go to sleep every night. I am trying to become a better player and more consistent.

Right now, there is only a couple of guys that seemingly have the key right now on a week-in, week-out basis. You all know who those guys are. They will probably play well here, too.

Q. Can you talk about familiarity with the course and how it can help a player, and maybe some good thoughts from four years ago for you and how that might play in this week?

MARK BROOKS: Well, I don't know where I have talked about that, but Colonial is probably the course I know the best on the Tour since I live there, and it is probably where I have had one of my poorest records. So, I don't know if that really holds true.

But, I mean, I look at it more as this is a great Jack Nicklaus golf course. I know it has been a lot said about playing second fiddle to all the other courses. I think it is actually a perfect venue to have the final leg of the millennium championships. It couldn't be more fitting playing on a course designed by easily the best player in the last century on a course that I know he had a lot of input on and is one he actually, I am sure, spent a lot of time here making sure it was right.

I think it is a great test. And we can't play all -- or should we play all our major championships on pre-Depression golf courses. Most of those have been changed, altered, modified refurbished, lengthened. You are not going to find an old golf course that we play today in major championships, or even good Tour events, that have not been changed in some significant manner.

So, I think this was a great setting, and I hope they continue to find others, because there has been a lot of great golf courses built in the last 20 years that are deserving of major championships. I commend the PGA for finding them.

JULIUS MASON: If you haven't received your honorary membership here, you will.

Q. I know you build golf courses. Would you talk a little bit about that how many you are doing or have done and how that fits into your career? Does it take away from the time you would devote to being a player?

MARK BROOKS: Well, I have got two new partners, and we just really got together the last few -- six months or so, and they have been busy completing some other projects that they were working on.

We have done a few golf courses my own company, and basically that will cease and I will work with these new guys. They have got a lot of experience. They have done over 100 golf courses together. So, the few that I have done don't really add much to the resume.

But does it take away time? I don't know -- 1996, I was finishing -- I had one golf course we were finishing and another that we were designing, and it's probably one of my busiest years. So, I think the time away is actually good. It doesn't take away from my practice time. I think it helps -- helps keep me maybe sometimes not as focused on my golf game and where I am not meaning -- don't become obsessed with it and tinker with it as much.

But I am not -- I haven't been successful in the past when really all I did was try to concentrate on my golf game. I guess I overthink it all. But I enjoy it. I got into the design business because I wanted to have some experience by the time I was playing out here and not be in my mid to late 40s and looking for something to do, and do like a lot of guys that seems to be the natural way to go. I wanted to have some experience and knowledge about the business before I maybe took -- put 100% into it. That is the training; I hope it proves to be something that was wise. I mean, that was probably eight years ago that we started that. Maybe I won't be viewed as someone chasing the buck, which certainly isn't the case.

But, it is challenging, a lot of responsibility involved with it, and a lot of problem-solving, which I find stimulating and rewarding at the same time.

Q. How do you like Valhalla? And what do you think it will take to do well this year? Has anything changed since you played and won back in 1996? What do you see differences-wise on the course?

MARK BROOKS: Basically there is just a few tees that have been added. I think the tee shot at 9 is certainly a tougher looking tee shot, with the additional bunker. The rough was tough in 1996. I think it is about the same, as far as I can tell. I mean, it may be slightly thicker off the fairways and probably not as dense around the greens. The golf course is tough if you don't drive the ball in the fairway; I think that is the key. If you drive the ball in the fairway, I think it is very scorable. So think you will see a wide range of scores here from guys shooting 5-, 6-under to guys shooting bad scores. It is a good test. The par 5s are what keeps the scores lower than what a lot of you are expecting.

Q. If you had been given this piece of property ten years ago or whenever and said, "Build us as golf course," what would you have done on this land? Would you have built about the same thing?

Brooks shows of the trophy in 1996. Allsport.

MARK BROOKS: For one, I really can't answer the question. I wasn't given the piece of property. And I don't really analyze golf courses from that aspect. I mean, per se, like this type of deal.

Maybe one you play quite a bit and have a lot of time to look around. Here you have got things -- bleachers everywhere and they have moved -- they probably moved a fair amount of dirt, especially on the front nine, so it kind of hard to see what was here.

But I think he did a great job. I think Jack Nicklaus has built a lot of great golf courses. I was saying earlier, I think he has probably done several dozen that could host major championships. There is a lot of them we don't get to see, a lot of them you guys have never seen that are great golf courses, and for one reason or another, super private clubs maybe don't want a tournament or for other reasons.

But I think he is a great designer. I grew up playing -- not grew up, but I guess I was growing up -- I was in college, I spent three years in Austin playing a Jack Nicklaus golf course just outside of Austin. It was opened in about 1980.

I have had a pretty decent record at Muirfield Village. I haven't won there, but I have had a lot of good tournaments. So I think for some reason, I have played Jack Nicklaus golf courses probably better than people would expect since I hit a low hook.

Q. He hit a high fade then?

MARK BROOKS: That's what I mean.

Q. I won't use the "T" word. What will it take to beat the defending champ?

MARK BROOKS: It will probably take somebody who doesn't make a lot of mistakes, obviously. You just have to go out and putt the scores up and see what happens.

If Tiger plays like he is capable of playing, he is tough to beat. He has proven that. Any time you have the confidence level that he has, with the controlled power that he has, I mean, he is going to be tough. Controlled power in every sport has always proven to be an advantage. He has got control of his power right now. You can look -- I mean, virtually every sport requires physical exertion. If the guy is stronger, faster, smarter, all the other things, he usually wins. Right now, I think he is right there. I hope he has peaked. (Laughter).

Q. Could you talk little bit more about the course as far as the scoring holes you mentioned, the par 5s, just talk about some of the areas where guys should take advantage of this course and where they've just got to play safe?

MARK BROOKS: Well, there are quite a few difficult areas on most of the greens. He has got a lot of -- several areas that have the collection areas, swells that run the ball off the green if you are in the wrong spot. I think the par 5s are obviously the scoring holes here.

And then, really, the shorter par 4s, which would be No. 4. 6 is a little -- I think 6 is slightly more difficult this year than it was four years ago. You've got to hit it probably 20 yards further off the tee to get it into the right spot. Which forces some guys to hit more -- there will be more drivers hit off of than certainly there were in 1996.

And then you know, 13, you call it a scoring hole, but it is a little bit intimidating in some ways; certainly a couple of the pins will be.

And then 15, certainly a birdie hole. I mean, every hole out here is a potential birdie hole and potential double hole, but those are the main ones. The par 5s, and then the three or four short par 4s are certainly the scoring opportunities. It has got a nice set of par 3s.

14 is a little awkward angle if you are not a fader, but basically got two long 3s and one medium and one short; that is usually a pretty good combination.

Q. How do you play the par 5 on the front, the --

MARK BROOKS: No. 7, if I am downwind, I will probably go -- I will play the left fairway if it's down wind. If it's into the wind, I will play the right fairway. That is my basic rule of thumb.

And if it is windless, then I will make that call when I get there. I am not going to preset. I am going to definitely play it one way or the other, but -- we were reaching occasionally, even I could reach it occasionally -- a couple of times last year last PGA in 1996, if we were downwind using the right fairway.

I think you will see quite a few guys, if it's not into the wind, take the left fairway. It does cut off quite a bit of distance. If you miss the fairway, going down the left side you are not -- it doesn't prevent you from hitting the green in 3 still make -- having a reasonable opportunity for a 5. If it was automatic 6, just by missing the fairway, I think 90% of the guys would go to the right. But, yeah, but you haven't lost a ship if you lost the fairway completely.

Q. Following up, what do you think of that hole and the fact that you guys are given that option? What are your thoughts on those kind of golf holes?

MARK BROOKS: Certainly had the space to do it there, a double fairway. It has become fairly popular. You see it done to. He did it -- kind of you split fairways several times at the Desert Highland, I believe the one in Scottsdale. It is just an alternate route. I think it makes it interesting. Certainly, interesting for the club members; they don't have to go out and play the same fairway every single day.

I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Some of these guys take alternate fairways, anyway, they hit it so far. It is a classic risk/reward shot, and if you pull it off, you are not guaranteed a reward, but you certainly have given yourself an opportunity to make a 3 there.

Q. You mentioned a couple of times how important confidence is to a golfer's game. Did you feel a surge of confidence coming here, given your success in the past?

MARK BROOKS: Not yet, so ... I mean, I am playing fine. I am preparing the best I can and we will go out there and see how it goes. It should be good inspiration playing with Lanny Wadkins. He won't let you sit around without giving it a good shot.

Q. Yesterday, Paul Azinger told me he can't remember the last time he hit fairway shots the way he was doing so yesterday. He attributed a lot of that to the condition of the fairways. Do you find the same to be true?

MARK BROOKS: I really don't understand the question. I mean, we play on a lot of nice fairways. These are certainly ranked right up there with nice fairways, so no -- I didn't -- I didn't have any new --

Q. That is only what he said.

MARK BROOKS: I didn't have any new revelations.

Q. We talked about the quarry hole. Then there is a signature hole here. Is there another hole out here that is going to be significant in your opinion that we are not aware of?

MARK BROOKS: Oh, I think No. 12 is going to play a big role. I think 12 is a very difficult par 4, and depending how you have started the backside kind of -- it can be a big turnaround hole, I think. 6 is certainly not a tough score to make there, and 3 is extremely difficult score to make. I think 12 is the hardest hole on the back nine personally. I think it's got a really tough green, and, you know, I wouldn't call the tee shot awkward; "awkward," meaning you have got make a decision off the tee of what -- as to what club to it.

So, any time -- you can't just walk up there and grab a driver and smack it. I think it starts changing the way the guys will look at that hole. 470-yard par 4, and you can't hit a driver, so -- I think it is a fine hole, but guys have to think there. Some of these guys, if you make them think, it messes them up.

Q. As I recall when you won here, you did a lot of good things on the last couple of holes coming in.

MARK BROOKS: I was thinking you were referring to disaster so...

Q. Well --

MARK BROOKS: 17 is going to play a little more difficult. It wasn't an easy hole before. I don't remember how it ranked for the week. I never saw those kind of statistics, but it is a slightly uphill tee shot and kind of -- seems kind of tight in some ways as far as fairway hitting it in the fairway.

Q. Did the last couple of holes here lend themselves to having a player come in and do what you did in 1996 --

MARK BROOKS: I would say more 18 than 17. 17 was kind of three scores -- you know probably 3, 4, 5 and 18, there is another score or two that are very possible. So, you make 3 to 7 there, depending on what all goes on.

So I think 18 certainly can have the bigger stroke-swing change, just by virtue of the kind of hole it, a reachable par 5 that does have some problems, you know, if you are not on the straight and narrow 6 is a strong possibility there, and so is 3.

JULIUS MASON: Questions? Mark Brooks, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much.

Email this page to a friend