MORE INTERVIEWS: Viking Classic transcript archive
Q. We have the tournament director, Slugger White. Slugger, this course is soaked. How wet is it out there?
SLUGGER WHITE: It's probably as bad as I have seen in my tenure. That goes back a few years. It's at fill capacity.
Q. What's the plan, play called for today. Are we hoping to go off tomorrow?
SLUGGER WHITE: We are going to try. We don't have a very good forecast tomorrow. We are trying to do the best we can.
Q. And with no tournament scheduled next week are we going to get in 72 holes no matter what?
SLUGGER WHITE: I'm not going to speculate that right now. We are definitely into Monday right now. Further than that, we got to talk a little more. I'm not going to go out there on that limb just yet.
Q. Final question, as far as drainage, it's an older course, it doesn't drain real well?
SLUGGER WHITE: No, they know that. The membership knows that. They got some drainage that needs to be taken care of in the future. I'm sure this will solidify what they are thinking.
Q. I keep hearing changing forecasts.
SLUGGER WHITE: The rest of the day, we are looking at something later today, the rest of the afternoon and then, let me say this, maybe something later on this afternoon. There is a chance it might miss us to the west and north. It may go that way. Then we are looking pretty good through the evening. But noonish tomorrow we are not looking good tomorrow again.
Q. You have been doing this for 30 years as a tournament director or rules official or what?
SLUGGER WHITE: I don't know how long I've been the tournament director, for 10 years. I really don't know.
Q. You have been a weatherman for at least 10 years or 30 years?
SLUGGER WHITE: Well, we are all in the middle of it.
Q. You have been look at radar or weather reports?
SLUGGER WHITE: The last 28, 30 years exactly.
Q. And then I heard you say you can't speculate beyond Monday. But Monday for sure?
SLUGGER WHITE: We are into Monday right now. I know that for a fact.
Q. If for some reason we get a break where, they can play 36 holes on Saturday or Sunday?
SLUGGER WHITE: I think if we did that it would be Monday. I don't know if we have enough daylight. We usually need about 12 hours for 36 holes. You never know how big the cut is going to be. With that we cut to the nearest No. 60. There could be 75 players. We always go to the higher number if it's split.
Q. You say there might be a chance for rain tomorrow at noon, you will still start in the morning if possible and just play?
SLUGGER WHITE: If we can, we sure will.
Q. I heard you tell her it turned into mud, have you been out on most of them?
SLUGGER WHITE: I was on 10, 11, 13, 16 and 17. And it's just mud. That's all it is. It's sad. So there is nowhere for the water to go. You got the mud base there, the Mississippi mud. I can see walking out of your shoes in a couple of places.
Q. Slugger, is there a safety issue as well?
SLUGGER WHITE: I don't think, Mark, that it is. I wouldn't look at anything that's dangerous, I don't think. There is always slippage out there. The golf course is fairly flat in the walking areas. Some holes you have to walk up and down. I don't think that's a problem.
Q. Would you play lift, clean and place everywhere?
SLUGGER WHITE: No, I think we will probably play through the green if we get out there to play.
Q. You say if we get out there, if you get more rain, can this whole thing be called off or just play 36 holes for Sunday, Monday?
SLUGGER WHITE: See, that's what I mean, the speculation is out there for everything. It's difficult. I don't have an answer to that question. We are just going to have to wait to see what happens. I would love the wind to kick up and blow through us.