"That might have put you square with the Lord, but the State of Mississippi is a little more hard-nosed.” George Clooney in, 'O Brother Where Art Thou'
Thanks for taking time to speak with us today, Jim. We're just under 12 weeks from the 2008 Kiva Cup, how's the preparation going?
Well, as you know, you can over-prepare for something like this, so the team is taking a slower approach this year.
What does the Kiva Cup mean to you?
The Kiva Cup is about sportsmanship and the truest form of golf, which is match play. It’s played on a great golf course and it’s become one of the premiere events in all of amateur golf. For me it has also become synonymous with watching Alabama lose.
What’s your favorite Kiva Cup memory?
Oh that is a tough one. I can’t just say one, there are too many:
Calling Skibo away from his birdie putt on 12 last year to give him the correct read, which he subsequently made to go 1-up on The Doctor. Chris and I coming from 5 down to beat the mighty
Your decisions as Captain are often second-guessed by one member of Team USA in particular. Does that bother you, and do you view that as an attack on your authority?
Well it depends on how it is done. If it is done in a constructive or helpful way it does not bother me at all, In fact, I enjoy strategy discussions with all of the team. That’s one of my favorite aspects of the Cup.
No fear of a mutiny?
No, and I would never let it come to that.
Team USA has never won the Kiva Cup. At this year’s Double Down/Make a Few Bets Cup in Choctaw, Mississippi, a partial Team USA suffered a humiliating loss – conceding the cup after the Saturday matches and going home early on Sunday. You weren’t the captain of that team, but how do you get Team USA to forget about that defeat and get ready to play Kiva Dunes?
Well, what we have to do as a team is simply play better golf. I think my team is resilient and has already forgotten about the Double Down / MAFB Cup. I applaud the Captain of that Cup for his concession. I think we immediately turned our attention to Kiva at that point. There are some things I have in mind for the team, some required reading and whatnot.
Due to the opposition not being able to field a complete team in Choctaw, one member of last year’s USA Kiva Cup team played for the Europeans. This seems to have generated some bad feelings within a team that has really become known more for its camaraderie and harmony than for its actual golfing ability. Tell us what happened.
Well the team member in question, a Junior member of Team USA, was involved in what has become known in Cup parlance as a “Death Match.” There was great golf on both sides of the match. In fact, my team shot a net 65 and lost. It was just a tough loss to swallow. The young man – again, a Junior member of Team USA - got caught up in the moment and displayed quite a bit of emotion after holing the winning ten footer on 18. I think some hard feelings developed from that although it doesn’t bother me now, but a trip to Fort Morgan may be necessary to truly smooth out the tensions. Like you said, this is a very balanced, harmonious team. Golf is secondary to the brotherhood. We'll get beyond this before we play Kiva.
What does Team USA need to do to be competitive in September?
Well….Brian and Dalton have to get kidnapped by Raul Castro.
Members of Team Europe have, in the past, played with double-digit handicaps and scored well below what the handicaps would suggest. They attribute the low scores to simply playing the round of their lives. Do you see luck involved, or do you see a trend?
I think it’s a trend….or some people have several lives.
Conversely, members of Team USA seem to play with GHIN indices that are well below their actual scoring abilities. Would you favor a move away from, or possibly a modification to, the use of GHIN in Cup play?
I think as long as people enter their scores correctly, I have no problem with GHIN. Golf is a game of honesty and integrity, and we have to rely on that. The fact that I play like an 18 and I’m a 13.5 is my problem. Like I said earlier, what we have to do as a team is simply play better golf.
What’s more important in Cup play, who you’re playing against or who you’re playing with?
Oh that is a good question. In certain cases, the personalities or idiosyncrasies of certain players do affect the match. I think, ultimately, certain people play well together. I personally enjoy certain pairings and I seem to play better in them. Having said that, it just depends on that particular match.
Along those same lines…and you know what I’m going to ask because I know that you’ve heard it since the Sunday matches at last year’s Kiva Cup….you know that the people are crying to see this pairing….are you going to give the public what they want…will you pair Chris and Jammy together in September?
Again, I am hesitant to reveal strategy this early, but I’ve given thought to all pairings. Let me conclude by saying this….if Europe throws out a Brian/Dalton pairing, then I will likely go with the Tarrant Armada in response.
The Europeans would not like that at all, would they?
No they would not. The Tarrant Armada draws a crowd, particularly a crowd of scantily clad women. Chris and Jammy are accustomed to that type of attention, but the Europeans would lock up like Fort Knox.
Thank you for your time, good luck and Happy 4th of July.
It's been my pleasure. Same to you.
*Edited 7/8/2008 to correctly identify the defeated European team.
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