President's Cup Chat

October 18, 2000

Peter Kessler chats about the sport of golf and the upcoming President's Cup.

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TheGolfChannel: Greetings golf fans and welcome to TheGolfChannel.com's President's Cup Chat. Join the action as Peter Kessler takes your questions about the match-up of the United States vs. The Rest of the World in a match-play format. Will Tiger lead the Americans to victory? Can Greg Norman and the International Team defend the title they won two years ago in Australia? There's plenty to chat about, so fire away!

Tiger Fan: How were the team members for the teams picked?

Peter Kessler: The teams of 12 men were each put together based on a point system which goes back almost two years. The top 10 players for the International side and the American side were based on merit, and there was point system which allocated points to every player in every tournament. The time period began after the previous President's Cup two years ago. The 11th and 12th members of each team were chosen by the respective captains of each team, based on who the captain felt could make the most significant contribution.

Golfer: In your opinion, how do you think the International and U.S. team are matched?

Peter Kessler: Except for a couple of players from Europe who aren't eligible for this competition, you essentially have 24 of the 35 best players in the world in this competition. All of the players are proven winners and because they were chosen based on their play over the past two seasons, all of them should be and are in relatively good form in what can be considered the prime of their careers.

Golfer In Phoenix: How do you think the outburst of the Americans at the Ryder Cup will effect the celebration of the International stars if they win?

Peter Kessler: I think that everyone involved in this competition is more acutely aware than ever before how important it is that sportsmanship be the major priority for the week. I think you will see a spirit of camaraderie, of healthy, combative, competitive golf, and that the ultimate celebration will be inside the bounds of how professionals react to winning.

Barry: Peter, I heard you won a club championship a few years back. How does your game hold up under match play pressure today?

Peter Kessler: The few years back was 24 years ago. I was a two handicap when I won the La Costa Club Championship in 1976. When I joined The Golf Channel in 1994, I was a four handicap, and because I have hosted "Academy Live" for approximately 270 weeks with 270 different teachers and more than 32,000 tips, my game is tragic, hopeless.someone told me recently that I might be the worst single digit handicap player they had ever seen. My game is getting better, and I find that I respond better to match play than any other format of golf. There is something about seeing your opponent that heightens all of the senses, and generally I play better when pressure is present. There's a certain pressure inherent in hosting television shows, and I feel the same way about doing my job as I do about my golf game in that I expect more of myself when the stakes are highest.

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