Q As a player, who has been the biggest thrill for you to play with?
A Phil Mickelson is a very good friend of mine. Michael Jordan can really play and I don't think people realize that. Bill Clinton has a really good swing. Tom Brady is the best 6-handicap I've ever seen — he swings like Ernie Els. The interesting thing is that everyone in golf is just nice. You learn a lot about people playing golf: their integrity, how they play under pressure.
Q What's it like playing with Bill Clinton?
A It's a really a good experience. He hits the ball very well. He's actually an amazing player for someone who doesn't get to play very much. We talk about golf and politics. He's a very interesting guy to be with. There are a lot of people who are great players but aren't interesting. To find a good person to play with, it's a chemistry. It doesn't have to do with the quality of someone's game.
Q What makes someone fun to play with?
A I like to play with someone who can take some ribbing. If someone's ball is hanging above a bunker and about to go in, I may shout out, "Bury!" But you have to know who you can do that with. I don't like playing with guys who are overly serious. You can't forget that playing golf is not what we do for a living.
Q What makes someone a bad partner?
A Someone who can't take the putter back on a three-foot putt to win a bet. When I see the CEO of a major corporation freezing over a threefoot putt on 18, I don't know what to say. My secret is to not worry about it.
Q What's the most you ever won or lost on the golf course? Is it six figures?
A I'd rather not say. It's been a lot, but I mostly win.
Q A web site (TMZ.com) published pictures of you playing at your L.A. course and claimed they showed you giving yourself an illegal drop. Did you see that?
