Q: Tell us about the 1967 Ryder Cup at Houston's Champion's Club - you did a little low altitude reconnaissance over the Champion's Club?
Arnold Palmer: It was in my Jet Commander. I got a call and had to explain to the FAA what I did. I didn't really violate any aviation rules, but I was low enough that I scared some cattle. I had the whole British team on board with me at the time. They all threw up.
Q: The Euros have so much exuberant camaraderie and when the Americans try to duplicate it they come off looking stiff. What would you advise to get them to loosen up?
AP: The European team spends a lot of time traveling together on the European tour. They stay at the same hotels and they have a camaraderie that comes from the nature of the travel. It puts them together and consequently they all become buddies and friends. They know each other. The American guys are less inclined to travel together. They usually fly airplanes to the tournaments. They're not put in any atmosphere where they are together constantly, as the European team is. It keeps the Americans from ever getting really close. It's not something that's planned. It's just the nature of the beast.
It's tough. They can make an effort to get together and play together, and that would help their attitude as far as competitiveness is concerned.
Q: What is it about the Ryder Cup that causes some players like Colin Montgomerie to become so surprisingly dominant when they can't seem to close in the big ones during medal play? Would you pick him for your team?
AP: I know Colin, but I don't know him well enough to forecast his nature. He's certainly played will in the Ryder Cup and has played well in general for a lot of years. I'd sure pick him for the team. He's a player of great renown and has proven he has the ability to compete at the top level at the Ryder Cup.
Q: There has been some talk that the Ryder Cup might stretch to four days of competition and adopt the Presidents Cup format. Would you agree with this?
AP: If four days would be better, then that's fine. I suppose that would have to be determined by the officials and the networks. I think the galleries would support it.
Q: Paul Azinger was expected to set up Valhalla to suit a long-hitting American team. But with the likes of Justin Leonard and Ben Curtis among the eight automatic qualifiers, should he re-think that strategy?
AP: I think Justin and Ben are good enough players that they can handle any situation on any length golf course.
Q: What effect will the absence of Tiger Woods have on the Ryder Cup?
AP: It certainly is a downer, but on the other hand I could take a positive attitude and say the other players will spine up and show they have the ability to carry the flag without him.
Q: Do you believe Padraig Harrington's back-to-back majors will give the European team any significant boost?
AP: I don't think it's going to make a great deal of difference. Having won three majors in the last year is certainly a positive. I talked to him the other day and he's certainly a very nice young man. I give him all the due I can, but I don't think winning any major will have any influence at the Ryder Cup. I'd met him before, but didn't get to spend as much time with him as I did the past days. I got him to commit to playing Bay Hill and I'm very pleased about that. And it didn't take a bit of arm twisting. He was very, very willing to tell me he'd be at Bay Hill, and we'll be glad to have him.
Q: Padraig's an investor at White Oak. How's that course coming along?
AP: He's going to have a house there. It's an Irish property owned by the famous Irish rally car racer Austin McHale. It's in the North Carolina foothills with a lot of stones and streams. It's very attractive. They've done a very fine job. We're all very enthused with how White Oak's going to turn out.
Q: When he lost to Harrington at last year's Open, it took Sergio Garcia the best part of nine months to rediscover his form and confidence. How long will it take him to recover from this latest disappointment and will the Ryder Cup help in that respect?
AP: I think he'll do very well. I think Sergio's a great player. Some guys, it just takes a little longer. I was one of them. I was older when I started winning. I think Sergio has a great chance to be an outstanding player as time goes on. I think he needs to just slow down and really get to it, and I think that's going to happen.
Q: How big an advantage is it to have the Ryder played in your home country?
AP: Not much. I think most of the guys who play on either side have enough experience to understand the circumstances. They're veterans or they wouldn't be on the team. The crowds won't affect them.
Q: What will you be doing during the week of the Ryder Cup?
AP: I'll certainly watch it and I'll certainly be very interested in it. I've toned down my travel and am going to fewer events unless I've been asked participate in a charity event. I'm really becoming more of a homebody and not traveling so much. I've been enjoying watching the Olympics, too. I think those two American gals that won the gymnastics gold and silver are really attractive and are wonderful athletes. It's been fun to watch.
Q: What ingredients does a course need to be a Ryder course?
AP: Heritage and tradition are certainly important, but I don't think things like that matter much to the audiences. I don't think an older golf course with lots of heritage and tradition is going to make a difference when it comes to playing the matches.
Q: Are there any courses you are currently constructing that could be future Ryder Cup venues?
AP: I think all of them would be outstanding venues. Some would be less likely to host because of the venue or the surroundings wouldn't be appropriate, but we've built some great quality courses that would be outstanding for Ryder Cup purposes.
Q: Which was harder to arrange, persuading the PGA of America to stage the 1975 event at Laurel Valley, or helping your course at The K Club become the host venue in 2006?
AP: In each case, it required an effort that I was more than happy to make. I was very pleased to have the world see the Ryder Cup at the K Club and participate in it. And even though I wanted the Americans to win and they didn't, I think it was extremely successful. Same with Laurel Valley with the opposite outcome where I was pleased to be the captain and have it at my club, which is something that doesn't happen very often.
Q: Golf is, for the most part, an individual's sport. How does a Ryder captain build a team dynamic?
AP: Sometimes I think we talk too much publicly. I think we need to deal with the individuals on a more private basis. The hype for the Ryder Cup is very important and it's important for the press to get enough to do their big stories. But I also think it's important for the players to have a confidence among themselves. And, more importantly, they have to have the confidence, the knowledge and the feeling that they can win. If they go with the attitude that they're the underdogs and are not as good as the opposing team then they're in trouble and I think that's been the case as of late.
Q: You were the last playing captain of the U.S. team, are there any current players that you think could fulfill that dual duty, or is the modern captain's role just too large a job?
AP: I'd like to think there's still room for a playing captain. I think it adds a little intrigue to the matches. I'd like to see Paul Azinger play his way onto the team. I think that would be wonderful. And I think that would certainly be possible. Most of the recent captains have been in the twilight years of their PGA Tour careers, but I'd like to see it happen again someday with a younger captain.
Q: This year Azinger has four picks. Do you think that makes his job easier or more difficult?
AP: I think it gives him more of an opportunity to select guys that he knows are hot and are playing very well. I suppose I would consider that a plus.
Q: What's the off-course Ryder Cup experience like for the teams? Do you think it's changed from when you were playing, and if it has, then how?
AP: I enjoyed watching the guys and encouraging them. I wanted to be there to add some confidence to their mind set to help pull them together. That was important to me, to get all the guys in a frame of mind where they were really starting good and could keep that momentum going. I'm sure that still goes on.
Q: How was it possible that you won The Masters in 1958 (and several other tournaments) but weren't selected for the 1959 Ryder Cup team?
AP: I wasn't earning points because I wasn't a PGA member. I was still in my apprentice period and back then that lasted for five years. They changed all the rules right away after that, but it was too late for '59. Had that same system been in place in 1997, neither Tiger Woods nor Justin Leonard would have qualified to play at Valderama.
Q: What was you worst Ryder Cup moment?
AP: (ponders) I don't know that I'd ever had a worst moment at the Ryder Cup. Every team I played on won. I didn't like losing, but when I did lose matches to Peter Oosterhuis or Peter Allis, with whom I had some great matches, it was after I'd done my best. And sometimes that's going to happen.
Q: What was your greatest Ryder Cup moment?
AP: The first Ryder Cup I played on when they played 'God Save the Queen' and 'The Star-Spangled Banner' were certainly touching moments. I was very proud. Then there was the time in '67 on Hogan's team where Julius Boros and I were getting trounced in a four-ball against Hugh Boyle and George Will. I looked up and saw Jackie Burke. He said, 'Well, Palmer. Let me see you get out of this one.' I said, 'C'mon, Jackie, give me a break.' He says, 'I'll give you a break. I've heard about all your charges. If you win this match I'll hand make you a beautiful clock.' Well, that clock's sitting on the shelf in my workshop over there. That was special.
Q: Who was your toughest ever opponent in all the Ryder Cups in which you played, and why?
AP: I think they're all tough. Anyone who earns his way onto the Ryder Cup is good and capable of kicking anybody's rear at some point or another.
Q: If you could re-play one shot from your prestigious Ryder Cup history, which one would it be and why?
AP: No, I can't think of a single shot that had me saying, 'Gee, I'd love to have that one back.' That would really take some very deep thought and that kind of deep thought isn't there anymore (laughs).
Q: Who do you think will win at Valhalla, and why?
AP: I think it's a toss-up. It's going to be tough. I suppose if I had to give one team an edge, I'd give it to the European team. Both teams have some very fine players, but the Europeans have some players with the real hot hand and will be difficult to beat.