Q&A with Collective Soul at THE TOUR Championship

Chris Condon/PGA TOUR

Collective Soul performed a concert at East Lake after Friday's second round.

ATLANTA -- The rock band Collective Soul performed Friday night at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. First, though, bass guitarist and backup vocalist Will Turpin sat down with PGATOUR.COM's Brian Wacker off stage to talk golf, rock 'n roll and about the first time he met Tiger Woods.

PGATOUR.COM: You guys all grew up together, went to the same high school outside Atlanta, you've been platinum multiple times over. But you're really into golf huh?

Will Turpin: We're big fans of the sport. Me, Ed [Roland], Dean [Roland]. Me and Ed used to play in the '90s let's say from '95 to '99 we would be dead tired, getting off stage at midnight, go to sleep at 2 a.m. on the bus, rolling into the next town, and we'd wake up at 6:30 in the morning and by the time we got to the hotel we'd get in a cab and be at the course by 8 a.m., play 18 holes and then go to sound check. Of course that's when we were younger. We played three days a week -- on show days, the day before a show -- and we loved it.

PGATOUR.COM: Why do musicians always want to be golfers and golfers always want to be musicians?

Turpin: I don't know what the connection is, but there's definitely a trend. For me, when I was touring one thing I loved was that all of a sudden here I was in a town and there's an interesting course in, say, Iowa and for 18 holes I'd get to see what's going on with the terrain and in that part of the world. Stuff you'd only see there. Aside from the competitive part of it. I've always been a competitive guy. We'll start throwing Baggo in the yard and playing for money. Here I am 38 years old and I'm playing Baggo.

PGATOUR.COM: What's the most money you've ever played for on the golf course?

Turpin: Oh not that much. The most I ever played for is probably 20 bucks a hole. Nothing too big.

PGATOUR.COM: Have you met any of the players on TOUR over the years?

Turpin: We've met a number of players and we're from Atlanta so I've been to this tournament a bunch of times. I love that you can walk right up to the tee box and there's Phil Mickelson. Where else can you do that? John Daly I've met. He seeks musicians and has said that Collective Soul was a big part of his inspiration for music. He's a real good guy and we've jammed in the studio before, absolutely. I met Tiger Woods. I once did a shot of Jack Daniels with Tiger Woods at a Van Halen concert.

PGATOUR.COM: Are there any comparisons between music and golf, being on stage and being out on the course?

Turpin: With other sports like football or basketball or soccer it's a team thing; you can't win without everyone being on the same page and rock bands are kind of similar. But when I'm on stage I'm listening to all these other elements going on, listening to the drummer and the lead guitarist, but I can totally get inside myself and what I have to do and I know golfers that's what they have to do, too.

PGATOUR.COM: What are some of the bands that you listen to or were influenced by?

Turpin: We're steeped in the classics. The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Elton John. Those are constants for us. We grew up in the '80s so there's U2, REM, INXS, The Cars. That was kind of the scene we were all into growing up, going to the same high school. U2 was considered alternative rock back then. We were the only kids listening to them back in 1984 so liking the same music, that's what started to gravitate with us.

PGATOUR.COM: What about the hat you've got on right now. Did you get a free bowl of soup or steal that from Judge Smails from Caddyshack?

Turpin: Awesome. Good reference, and that's exactly the vibe I'm going for. It's a little bit of Bear Bryant, too. My grandfather did graduate from the University of Alabama and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that, but I grew up in Georgia so I'm going with the Caddyshack look.

PGATOUR.COM: Rock bands always have style. Not many golfers do.

Turpin: Personal style is something -- Camilo Villegas has a style -- I think is cool. Sometimes people go too far and you're trying too hard, but when it works it's a great thing. We shouldn't all look the same.

PGATOUR.COM: What's your best story from the road? One we can print.

Turpin: After 16 years you'd think I'd have a set answer. We have so many great ones. I remember we all went and played golf with Van Halen in 1996. We did a tour with them and it was the first time I met them. Me and Michael Anthony drove around in the cart and we were the cut-ups. Eddie takes his game seriously but we were just cutting it up the whole time.

PGATOUR.COM: The guys on TOUR play tournaments and focus on things like majors, etc. What's the equivalent for a rock band?

Turpin: I think we're our own worst critics, which is the way it should be. But we definitely aim for quality. I think we're all so into what we do and what other bands are doing and what good music is supposed to be, the moment we don't have any of that I don't think we'll make any more records. But you're right we don't have a Masters to aim for. I tell people I live minute by minute. When we're on tour we have to be "on" five nights a week. The moment we don't have any more left to give, though, we won't put out any more records. We won't put out crap. We won't be that band.

PGATOUR.COM: Thanks for your time.

Turpin: You got it man.