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| An interview with Sam Torrance |
An interview with:
SAM TORRANCE
GORDON SIMPSON: Thanks for coming in, Sam. I suppose this is the final curtain call of the 34th Ryder Cup matches. And I don't suppose you've had time to reflect yet on what's happened, but just give us your thoughts the morning after.
SAM TORRANCE: It was very pleasant this morning to wake up and suddenly realize what had happened, pick up the papers, a glass of water and seeing the guys come in the team room this morning one by one, it was just amazing. It was a great night. Great week.
GORDON SIMPSON: Does it bring it all home when you see the photographs from yesterday.
SAM TORRANCE: Yeah, absolutely. We had a tremendous night last night. I think David Duval was the last person to leave our team room. Hal Sutton came in. Curtis came in, his two boys, Robin (Love). Great spirit for them to be so graceful to come in our room. Duval was just ridiculous, he left with a European hat on. I think he was singing, too. Absolutely fabulous.
Q. Sam, the team spirit was obviously fantastic all the way through. Could you share with us maybe some of the things that Alex Ferguson and Sven Goran Ericksson told you when you talked to them?
SAM TORRANCE: Alex, he tried to explain what it's like to manage a team. He said there's no superstars; they were all the same. And that was the key. Everyone was made a major part in the team. That was one of the main things he told me.
Q. Has Sven Goran Eriksson said anything?
SAM TORRANCE: Some little things. Nothing as good as that. No disrespect to him. I can't remember what he said, God's honest truth.
Q. Sam, I know it's too early to reflect on it, but would you like to go through this again in another three years?
SAM TORRANCE: I have no idea, it's certainly not the time to make a comment on it. I'll reflect and think. My plan is not to, obviously. I'm in the seniors next year. You only get three or four years in the seniors to play your best. The last three years has been tough for me to play, I must be honest. But it's been absolutely worth it, not a problem. But I don't know.
Q. What would be a defining moment? Will you wake up one day and say, "Yes, I'd like to have another go"?
SAM TORRANCE: Probably. We'll see. I don't know.
Q. So you're not saying "no"?
SAM TORRANCE: Not yet it's a tough job. It's someone else's turn now.
Q. What could persuade you?
SAM TORRANCE: Nothing -- it's the furthest thing from my mind right now. I don't want to think about it.
Q. Just going back to what Alex Ferguson told you, could you refresh my memory when that was, and did that stick in your head and think this is what --?
SAM TORRANCE: It was before the last one. I can't remember exactly when. I had two phone calls from him the other day, too, which was really nice. Seve phoned me. When we were on the last green he phoned. Olly (Olazabal) phoned last night, it was fabulous, great.
Q. What did they say?
SAM TORRANCE: "Well done. Please pass on our best wishes, we're delighted for you."
Q. Just to clear up the captaincy. Were any of the players saying to you last night, "please stay on"?
SAM TORRANCE: Yeah, but they were drunk (laughter.)
Q. How many? Not drunk, but how many said that?
SAM TORRANCE: I can't remember. There was a few.
Q. Sam, there was a feeling you were going to have to come up with the same kind of passion and intensity that the Americans produced last time on Sunday in order to get the Cup back, and that's exactly what you did. Was there anything that you decided how to get this passion back. Was there any particular way you got the players into that particular mode over the last days?
SAM TORRANCE: No, not really. They were tremendous. From the word go, they were great teams. From Monday the team spirit was fantastic, and it lasted right through the week. They were very much up for it, very much up for it. I didn't really have to do much.
Q. I presume the people like yourself and Mark who were at Brookline, did you have a lingering feeling from that that gave you a greater sense of wanting to win the Cup back, because of what happened last time?
SAM TORRANCE: No, it's nothing to do with what happened last time. Once you have lost the Ryder Cup, you really want it back. They'll come fighting in two years time, because it's tough to take when you lose, and it's great when you win.
Q. Sam, forget about the captaincy for 2004, if we look forward to the playing strengths, do we have the playing strength to retain the Cup, the strength and the depth, and can you pick out one or two players who might come in, like Justin?
SAM TORRANCE: Thanks for picking him. But, no, absolutely Justin Rose, Paul Casey, Nick Dougherty. There's a bunch dying to get in. And what we did yesterday will make them all the more key.
Q. Do you think the Americans will now be taking us even more seriously?
SAM TORRANCE: No, they couldn't give more. They gave everything, heart and soul.
Q. Say Europe, and European players more seriously?
SAM TORRANCE: They did, that's what I'm saying. They took us as serious as they could. They tried their hardest, they gave everything. Our team was better on the day. Maybe we'll stop getting the stick about the singles for a few years.
Q. Saturday evening, what did you say to your team to motivate them for Sunday?
SAM TORRANCE: Numerous things, but nothing pertinent, nothing sticks out. You've got absolutely nothing to fear. Make today the best day of your life, go and enjoy it. And they did.
Q. Can you remember anything from last night of Phillip Price that you can tell us about? Was he quietly --?
SAM TORRANCE: No, there was one wonderful moment. In the bar, on the way back from here, I think, Lee Westwood grabbed me and said you have to come in here. And one by one the players were standing up, and the crowd was just amazing, unbelievable noise. And Lee Westwood was the cheerleader, and introducing them as they came up. And he's now bringing up Phillip Price, and he said "tell them who I beat, tell them who I beat" (laughter.) It was fabulous. Tremendous victory for him and for McGinley -- not victory, but to get the putt on the last. He was 2-down after 12, Colin said as he came off the green, come on, we need this one, we need this one. And he did it. And we did need it, it was getting very tight at the end.
Q. When you were thinking about your players as individuals, did you try to get inside the heads of each one of them thinking about their individual temperaments and characters or did you treat them all alike?
SAM TORRANCE: No, I did get a hold of each and every one of them many times during the week, just a wee, quiet word, but they were born for this job. Darren Clarke was amazing. Monty was obviously just king of the castle. It was a great week, great week. I will leave a bottle out and will take a sip every day for the rest of my life.
Q. When Azinger holed the bunker shot did you suddenly think to yourself, "Damn, we're not going to do it after all"?
SAM TORRANCE: No, not at all. It was actually -- my wife, Suzanne, I left her at the 18th tee. We went up the last with Niclas. At that point Phillip Price hadn't won, he was 2-up with three to play. So it was obvious we needed a couple of points. And I went up the last with Niclas. Halfway up there the roar from 16 when Phillip Price won, and I'm standing in front of the green, and I said, "My wife is not here; she's at the 18th tee and Niclas Fasth may win the Cup here." And I'm on the radio, "Get Suzanne up here as quick as possible" when Azinger holed the bunker shot -- I actually thought we had won it, but fantastic shot from Azinger, as is expected from these great players, but it was meant to be because my wife was there to enjoy it with me.
Q. Picking up the point about Suzanne, could you say how important she's been and what she's meant to you?
SAM TORRANCE: She's everything to me. She's helped me in many, many ways, not just with golf, but she's been a stalwart. Anything I've thought about, I've put it past her, and she comes at me with many things over the past three years. She's pretty good.
Q. Getting back to the golf, if you had to rank the one and two players, would there be any way you would put them out last in the singles?
SAM TORRANCE: I have no idea, no idea. It nearly worked. It nearly came down to those matches. Of course No. 2 got beat, didn't he? Out of the shadows comes heroes.
Q. Sam, the question of Monty, we knew, we all knew that he had to be the leader, you knew, nevertheless the performance that he gave and his relaxed atmosphere and everything was quite extraordinary?
SAM TORRANCE: I've never seen him like that. In any event. I've played with him in Dunhill Cups and Ryder Cups, he's always been a great team man, but this week he was so relaxed all the time, right in the team room, never got hassled in here. No, he was incredible. I told him whatever the hell you're on, I want some of it.
Q. Was there an early sign of this? Was he like this on Monday?
SAM TORRANCE: Yes, absolutely. I think it was just relief that he knew he was able to play. I think that was the key, plus he really wanted to win.
Q. Sam, as the matches unfolded and the blue was on top of the board, did you get a chance to speak to guys like Phillip Price and McGinley before they went out?
SAM TORRANCE: Of course. I spoke to everyone on the putting green, and walked all 12 to the first tee.
Q. What were you saying to them there?
SAM TORRANCE: "This is going to be the best day of your life. You were born to do this job. This is what we practice for. This is what we live for, go and do it."
Q. Did you have any concerns about nerves amongst any of them?
SAM TORRANCE: No, they were great. They were so pumped up and ready, wonderful.
Q. Sam, did you think at all that Price and Parnevik were getting the impression, did they feel they were being thrown to the lions or not?
SAM TORRANCE: No, absolutely not.
Q. How did you stop them from thinking that?
SAM TORRANCE: I didn't have to, didn't have to. As soon as I got the draw I looked at Phillip Price and said "You can have him."
Q. And what was his response?
SAM TORRANCE: "You're right."
Q. Have you actually seen Phillip Price's putt yet and his reaction to it?
SAM TORRANCE: Yes, it was wonderful.
Q. Did you ever think you'd see that from him?
SAM TORRANCE: No, he's a quiet kind of bloke, but that was incredible to see.
Q. Sam, can you talk to us about the rest of your career, now, are you going to play in the Dunhill this week, and how are you looking forward to playing the game again, and what did this week do to energize you, in terms of not just being on the sidelines but playing golf again?
SAM TORRANCE: I said, "Thank God I'm on the Senior Tour next year, you guys are too good for me now." Yes, I'm going to the Dunhill. I don't know if I'll have a shot, but I'm going.
Q. Energy-wise, are you okay?
SAM TORRANCE: My shoulders are a little bit sore, but that's all. I'm sure I won't be feeling much pain this week.
Q. Back to the question of captaincy again. In the aftermath and all the exhilaration, emotions, is this the time to make a decision?
SAM TORRANCE: No.
Q. When do you think you might?
SAM TORRANCE: I haven't got a clue. When the dust settles. There's a long time before the captain has to be allowed. I really don't think I will do it, to be honest. It's been a fantastic three years, and it's someone else's turn now.
Q. Is that because it takes so much out of you in terms of preparation? For you it's been three years. Usually it's a question of a two-year thing?
SAM TORRANCE: I don't know the answer. I don't want to think about the next one, let's just enjoy this one.
Q. Somebody mentioned the lovely Phillip Price story; are there any other anecdotes?
SAM TORRANCE: Every one of the guys came into the room, Sergio, the lot of them. And it was very special for them, because the people that were in that room were just gobsmacked that we'd actually come in and take their applause.
Q. Where did you go?
SAM TORRANCE: The main bar. It's not like a room I've ever seen before. It was wall-to-wall people.
Q. You ended up on the roof?
SAM TORRANCE: We went on the roof after the pictures on the putting green, which was nice, brought back a few memories.
Q. What do you think about Bernhard in this tournament and about Bernhard's future play in the Ryder Cup or maybe either captain or anything about Bernhard's future on the Ryder Cup?
A. Well, the way he played this week -- what age is he now? 45. Quite incredible. Certainly he will be captain. When, I don't know. He'll make a fantastic captain. On 18 in the fourball Saturday afternoon, Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke, Darren was in the bunker, Furyk was in the first cut of rough, Bernhard said to me, maybe Paul should hit first, before Darren did. And I thought about it, thought it was a great idea, went over to Paul and said, "If you don't mind we'd like you to hit first." And we were 1-down at the time. And he had a fantastic shot, 18 feet, pin-high right. And then Furyk, the only bad shot he hit all day. And I think that was down to Paul putting the pressure on him first. And that was Bernhard's decision. He's got great qualities in many ways, and will make a supreme captain one day. But I think he's probably got another one in him to play. He is very fit.
Q. Back to your own playing career. Do you intend to do the qualifying for the U.S. senior Tour, this autumn, would that be on the card for next year?
SAM TORRANCE: Not this autumn. I could go, but it would be from the beginning of September to the end of the season, if I went to the school and got my card, that's all I'd get. Maybe I'll get a couple of invites, as well.
Q. In the future would that be an option?
SAM TORRANCE: No, it's a difficult one for me. I've got three beautiful young children. To go, uproot and go to America and play the Senior's Tour, and leave them here is not something I want to do. I don't think I'll play that full-time, ever. But maybe go over for the odd one, and play most of them here.
Q. Bernhard has been talking about the mode of qualification for the Ryder Cup. What do you think about the mode as it is running right now, and do you think there will be any changes, and who will be doing the decision, what will be changed?
SAM TORRANCE: I don't know whose decision it would be. But why change a winning formula. It looks like the selection was right.
Q. When you think of 1985 when you holed the winning putt and now the fact that you've captained the team to bring back the Cup, it's possible you could be the most hated figure in American golf right now? (Laughter.)
SAM TORRANCE: I certainly hope not. I'm not trying to portray that. But, no, not at all. The camaraderie was wonderful. Curtis is a great friend. You all know what we've been trying to do for three years, and I think we've done a great job between us. It was very easy to work with him. He's a great man. And I'm not saying that because we won. If we lost I'd be saying the same thing.
GORDON SIMPSON: Sam, congratulations, again, and enjoy it.
SAM TORRANCE: I certainly will. Thank you all very much.
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