Kingdom: How did the captains perform at this year's Ryder Cup?

Arnold Palmer: The captains seemed to do a very good job. I think [Paul Azinger] provided incentive for the players to play the way they did. He actually did an admirable job. You have to look at the players and decide what might be the incentive for them to play well, then you provide it. It’s an almost as-you-go situation with the players to keep them excited and interested and provide them with the incentive they need.

K: Can a Ryder captain lose the tournament for his team?

AP: I suppose that he could pair the wrong people, things that are pretty responsible for success, things that would hurt the team. The pairings, along with providing the incentive for the players to do their very best, are very important.

Captain Azinger and the U.S. ryder cup team with something to smile about

K: The Arnold Palmer Invitational has moved towards the end of March for 2009. What was the thinking behind the date change.

AP: We do not have that responsibility; that comes down to us from the PGA TOUR. But we are fortunate that it should insure that our field, always a very strong one, will be even stronger. Also, the later in the spring the better as far as the weather and course conditions are concerned.

K: Would you like to see Tiger Woods make his comeback at your tournament?

AP: We’re sure hoping that it will be his time to make his return to professional golf. I hear he’s training very hard. I don’t know whether he’s hitting balls yet or not, but he’s probably doing a lot of physical and personal training. When he feels that he has reached the pinnacle of his physical form, he’ll return.

K: Do you think it will be hard for him to come back after the time away from competition?

AP: Well I think it’s a bit of a challenge for him, and that challenge will continue until he wins again—which I suspect will be fairly quick.

K: Looking forward to the 2009 Presidents Cup, do you anticipate a memorable occasion with Fred Couples and Greg Norman as captains?

AP: I think they’ve got two good captains and the chance of having a great match is very good. It should attract a lot more interest for all concerned, coming right after the great U.S. victory in the Ryder Cup this year.

K: Now we have had two seasons of the FedEx Cup; do you think the new formula is working?

AP: I would not be surprised if they made some changes in the presentation of the FedEx Cup. I think that maybe they should make it a little more of a challenge for the players and maybe give the players more opportunity over the year’s period to do better.

K: The USGA and The R&A have made a ruling that will force manufacturers to modify grooves on irons from the beginning of next year for professionals and top amateurs. Do you agree with their decision?

AP: I do very heartily [agree] about going back to the V grooves. I think it is very important and could help keep the game in its proper perspective. It’s important that players have the knowledge and skills to figure out what the ball is going to do out of the rough with the V groove.

K: How do you know Daniel Chopra?

AP: He lives here at Bay Hill. He’s a member and plays in the shoot-out with everyone else. I see him around the club, and I’ve been on the practice tee with him. He has impressed me quite a lot. This coming year we will see him do very well, I think.

K: Do you believe the current economic crisis will affect golf?

AP: I think it will have an impact, yes, and I’m pretty sure that it will not be a good impact. I hope that we get out of this economic woe that we’re in and that whatever effect it might have turns around the industry.

K: The Great Depression saw a huge surge in the popularity of golf, especially among women and blue-collar Americans. Could you see that kind of thing happening again?

AP: Well I hope so. Maybe it’s a way of people occupying time that isn’t quite as expensive.

K: The Lodge at Bay Hill has been tremendously successful. Do you have any plans to do anything similar at Latrobe?

AP: Well, we’re working on that and we will continue to work to make it a place people enjoy coming to. We do have several guest houses that are being used quite a lot in season. Now that we’ve opened up the club for some guest play, people are taking advantage of the opportunity to come to Latrobe Country Club and play golf on the course where I grew up and learned to play the game.

K: Did you get a chance to speak with Seve Ballesteros after he was diagnosed with his brain tumor? And do you think he's under-appreciated in terms of his overall contribution to the game, for example: his popularizing golf in Europe and particularly his native Spain?

AP: I have not. I have sent him a letter and I have had one back from his nephew, who thanked me for my letter. And it indicated that as soon as Seve’s able to converse that we will be speaking. I think he has done a great deal for European golf and the game in general.

Seve Ballesteros

K: We understand you recently opened a fantastic-looking new course in Texas. Could you tell us a little about it?

AP: Newport Dunes is a links style golf course that we built near Corpus Christi and it’s certainly very good and should be a very popular golf course. It was a perfect spot for a links golf course. We built sand dunes to mimick those that occur naturally on the property and it worked out extremely well.

K: APDC has always been very concerned about the environment. Why is it of such importance to you?

AP: It’s just a natural thing for me. People complain about the fact that with the golf courses that have been built, that they do not improve the environment and the life around the golf course… I think that is totally incorrect. I have found in all of our projects that the wildlife and the environment are improved by a golf course, and that it has proven to increase the viability of the wildlife in the area.

K: What is your involvement with this year’s Bob Hope Chrysler Classic?

AP: I’m going to host that tournament and I’m looking forward to it. I played in the Hope from the beginning and felt honored when they asked me to be the host for the 50th anniversary next year. Bob Hope and I were good friends and played golf together quite a bit. He loved the game and was a great contributor to its growth and popularity in the latter half of the last century.

K: This year marked the first Kingdom Cup. Did you enjoy it? And could you see it growing over the years?

AP: I thought the Kingdom Cup was extremely well done. Matthew and his team put together a great event that gave the friends and supporters of Kingdom Magazine a chance to get together and I think everyone had a lot of fun. I look forward to hosting the Kingdom Cup in the coming years and seeing it continue to be one of my favorite events of the year.

K: You were awarded the Lone Sailor Award this year. How often do you think about your days in the Coast Guard and what does the award mean to you?

AP: Being in the Coast Guard was one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had, and to receive the award is certainly something that I would never have anticipated. But to be there at the awards dinner in Washington with Tom Ridge and Admiral Buchanan there with me on stage is one of the great honors of my time.

K: As you know, in this Kingdom we are looking at 18 of your greatest holes ever, but we omitted to ask: What’s your favorite 19th?

AP: A Ketel One at Bay Hill, of course.

The Kingdom Cup at Bay Hill