Timing is everything for on-course interviews

Imagine Tim Salmon being asked by a TV interviewer his thought

process before stepping to the plate against Robb Nen in the World

Series.

Think about how Andre Agassi might feel with a microphone shoved

in his face moments before trying to hold serve at break point in a

Grand Slam final.

How about Brett Favre answering questions before barking out

fourth- quarter signals in a come-from-behind effort?

This is something members of the PGA Champions Tour are dealing

with in this day and age under the tour’s new fan-friendly initiative

that includes on-course TV interviews during competitive rounds.

Is it popular? Is it working? Do players approve of it? Does the

audience like it? In brief, it appears it’s good for television, say

the tour and CNBC, which televises the bulk of the weekend

tournaments, but ratings have been low.

That’s part of the reason why these professional golfers are

willing to stop their focus and talk to a TV reporter before making

their next shot: Whatever they can do to help their tour, they’ll do.

“Is it inconvenient? Sure it is, but this tour’s been damn good to

me, and I’ll do whatever they want,” Bruce Fleisher said Wednesday in

the locker room at Newport Beach Country Club, site of this week’s

Toshiba Senior Classic.

Since Fleisher, the 50-and-over tour’s 1999 Rookie of the Year and

Player of the Year, is often in contention and annually among the

money leaders, he’s on television more than “Seinfeld” reruns.

“Some of the guys don’t like it, but it’s OK,” Fleisher said. “I’m

not saying it’s a perfect thing, because there’s a lot of money at

stake and guys are focused; we’re all trying to make the top 31 [on

the money leaders list to earn automatic exemption for the next

year]. You just deal with [the interviews].”

Jerry McGee hasn’t been interviewed on the golf course during a

round, but said he’d gladly do whatever the tour asked of him.

For veteran Hale Irwin, the defending Toshiba Classic champion,

timing is important, and the person holding the microphone is

essential.

“The secret to the interviews is probably to have somebody that

knows how to interview and knows when to interview,” Irwin said.

“Maybe it should be the other way around. Know when to and what

questions to ask. We generally turn to other players for those

interviews. ... [We’re] just more receptive to somebody who has been

there rather than someone you are not familiar with.

“There are certain problems that come about that I think have to

be dealt with,” he said. “Maybe it’s just an eye contact with the

announcer, like ‘Yes, I’m OK to have an interview now.’ You don’t

want to be interfered with by conversation and I think that move has

to come from the player first and that’s usually decided before you

even tee off.

“All those initiatives are great,” Irwin said. “The interviews are

great. I think it gives a little insight as to what the player might

be thinking and I think it adds some appeal to the telecast.”

The Toshiba Senior Classic will be televised Friday by the Golf

Channel and Saturday and Sunday by CNBC.

*

FYI: Here’s a list of the “wildlife on the course” at Newport

Beach Country Club, as reported by the Golf Course Superintendents

Assn. of America: fox, coyote, raccoon, skunk, opossum, great horned

owl, red-tail hawk and assorted other birds.

*

Dick Mast, the first alternate at the Toshiba Senior Classic,

gained entry into the tournament field Wednesday when Seiji Ebihara

missed his scheduled 7 a.m. pro-am tee time.

Mast has played two seasons on the Champions Tour, finishing 66th

on the money list in 2001 and 41st in 2002. His best career finish on

the tour was a tie for third at last year’s Turtle Bay Championship.

Mast has played four events on the tour this year. His best showing

was a tie for 24th at the ACE Group Classic.

Ebihara, who reportedly thought he only had to play in one pro-am

round, finished second at last year’s Champions Tour Qualifying

School. He had three wins last year on the European Senior Tour and

ended No. 1 on the money list.