Reaching the top 100 was always my goal since I started to play as a pro. In '05 I came quite close, reaching a ranking of No. 129, but then was stopped by a major shoulder injury.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
I still have the desire to succeed, and I've always felt success is measured by what you've done in the win column, not top 10s.
I was playing the best football of my career at the time, finishing top scorer in Italy three year's running. There were other good players around but I think I was the best at that time.
My first year of pro ball I played in the Northwest league and made the all-star team, and the next year I played I led the team in hitting and was third or fifth in the league.
I think when you've played at the level that I've played, anything outside the top 10 in certain aspects is just a number, unless you're obviously trying to get into tournaments and stuff.
My best score ever is 103, but I've only been playing 15 years.
It was a tough year for me, '89, losing two Slam finals and losing another five finals. It wasn't until I won the Masters, or what's now called the ATP Finals, that things changed again. Suddenly I won seven tournaments in 1990 and became No. 1.
I feel as though I've proved myself these last five years that I can be one of the top players in the league.
I got into pro ball at 18 and played until I was almost 39, non-stop.
I was a defensive lineman coming out of high school who was considered amongst the top... maybe the top six guys, top five guys, and wanted to prove to my team that I was going to be a top guy going into college.
In 1930, I was at the top of my career. I won the Most Valuable Player award.