[Gxgolfer]

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst No. 2
June 17, 2005
Second Round

An interview with:

JIM FURYK

Q. Kind of a tough way to finish there. Looked like you got a bad lie.

JIM FURYK: Yeah, bogeying the last two was a little bit disappointing, but I also played really well today and just pulled my drive on 8 a little bit about three or four yards into the left rough.

No. 9 was a little bit of a tough club for me. I was in between like a 6 and a 7 iron, and you can't hit it past that pin today, so I went with a 7 iron, tried to hit it firm, pulled it slightly, got it in that bunker where it usually wouldn't be too bad. You should be able to get the ball up and down from that bunker and I just got a real bad buried lie, to the point where I was trying to figure out just how to get it on the green and I wasn't sure I was going to be capable. My backup plan was to aim right of that bunker so if I couldn't stop it I went over, looked at the bunker and went from there. I didn't hit quite a great second shot but I put it in a spot where I could get the ball up and down for a 4.

That one doesn't sting at all. The bogey on 8, I hit a bad drive and made bogey, but 9 ended up being a good bogey if you can call it that.

Q. 14 greens today?

JIM FURYK: Did I really? I'd be surprised at that. That would be the reason I played so well. Well, you assume that someone knew what they were doing (laughter).

Q. That's a pretty good ball striking day right there.

JIM FURYK: It was a pretty solid ball striking day. I hit the ball a little straighter off the tee than yesterday. I put the ball on the green with more opportunities today, and I've really only made four birdies in the first two days, all from relatively very close distance.

You know, it's a place where you have to kind of pick and choose your spots to be aggressive, and when you have the right club in your hand you have to hit some very precise and very exact irons out here to get some birdie opportunities. I was able to do that in spots today a lot better than yesterday, and hopefully, depending on I kind of want to see what the greens are like the next few days. If they firm up, get firmer and faster, we're going to have to maybe play a little bit more conservative. If they're holding and they'll receive a good shot or a well hit shot you can pick and choose your spots to be aggressive and maybe get some birdie opportunities.

Q. You haven't won since the 2003 Open, with the injuries and all that

JIM FURYK: That's not true. I won Flint about four or five weeks ago.

Q. From a confidence standpoint and a physical standpoint are you back to the point where you were in '03?

JIM FURYK: From a physical standpoint, absolutely. I'm actually probably a little bit more fit and a little stronger than I was back then. From a confidence standpoint, probably not riding as high maybe as I was in '03, but the reason I would say that, I'd say the confidence is every bit as good as it was in 2000, '01 and '02 where I had very good years. '03 just happened to be my best year ever. Week in and week out I really had a lot of opportunities to win golf tournaments that year. I won two. I did win one after the U.S. Open just teasing you and the interesting thing about my injury was everyone I got hurt right after my best year, so coming back off an injury, everyone wants to compare what I'm doing now or doing post injury to the best I ever was in my career.

Not that it's unfair, but I'm playing every bit as good as I was in say 2000, '01, '02. '03 was a special year for me and I'm striving to have another year like that or another year better than that, and we'll see if we can do it.

Q. That said, is there any doubt that you can close out the next two days or play as well the next two days?

JIM FURYK: I've had a lot of confidence in my game. I've played real well this year since the first week of March and had a couple opportunities to win, maybe three maybe as many as three opportunities to win this year. I've put myself in that position, and there's a few things I need to get a little better on the weekend, and hopefully I'll improve on those.

Q. Sergio just said around your score, around his score is good enough to win the tournament. What do you think?

JIM FURYK: Yeah, even par always seems to win the U.S. Open or come close. It's always a couple under par. A lot is going to be a lot of that is going to be dictated by the setup. If the greens are the greens right now, I wouldn't call them receptive. Obviously the best score this morning was, what, 1 under? 4 under? All right. I guess the next best might be 1 under then. So there's not a lot of guys tearing it up.

If the golf course is receptive, I could see where under par, 4 or 5 under could win. If they firm it up and the greens get faster and firmer, which I think everyone knows it's coming eventually, or everyone assumes it's coming because it seems to happen that way every year at the Open on the weekend, it's going to be tough to get aggressive with the iron shots, going to be tough to get the ball close, and if you try and get a little cute and run it off one of those short sides, there's a lot of bogeys to be made out there. I think guys will have to be playing more conservatively and then I can see even par or 1 over or 1 under winning this golf tournament, yes.

This golf course is difficult enough on the setup they can dictate the score they want to win. 5 over or 8 over wouldn't be out of the question if it were firm and fast and I could see 5 or 10 under winning if it were soft. Actually maybe I couldn't see that because it was relatively soft the last time we were here and still the best score of the entire week was 67.

Q. How much anxiety or curiosity is there in a player's mind about what they might do to it Sunday?

JIM FURYK: I think you always have to come out to the golf course, assess the conditions and the situation and we'll get an idea tomorrow if it starts getting a little firmer and faster. In the afternoon it's going to. Yesterday afternoon the greens were much firmer than what we played on this morning. Whether or not there's enough heat out here to bake them out this afternoon and get them as firm as they were I hit some 7 irons yesterday afternoon that didn't stop within 25, 30 feet and I hit some 7 irons today that went about that far after they hit. You know, it was a little softer conditions this morning, but and watching the guys played yesterday morning, it was pretty soft, too. Then as my round went on it was soft early and then as the round went on it kept getting firmer and firmer until we finished.

I think that last year the golf course played relatively soft, and I won't say tame, but there was guys 6 under, 7 under par through two days, Saturday it firms up a little bit, Sunday was a little different in its firmness, but I don't think guys there's no anxiety. Everyone has to go out there and play and you just have to play it better than the other guys.

Q. (Inaudible).

JIM FURYK: Well, I want to give myself more opportunities. I've hit quite a few fairways, I want to continue to do that. I've picked and chosen my spots to be aggressive and conservative with my irons into the greens, but I haven't given myself a ton of very good birdie putts. I've been putting a lot from 25 to 35 feet, and I would like, depending on the greens, if the greens get really slick and firm, 25, 35 feet is going to be good in a lot of cases.

This morning they were a little bit more receptive and I gave myself more opportunities than yesterday, but I think there's going to be some bogeys made out there. You're going to have to turn around and make some birdies, as well, so I have to give myself some opportunities to do that.

Q. You spent 15, 20 minutes on the putting green. Is there something you're not liking about your putting?

JIM FURYK: I've putted from close range very, very well this week. Yesterday I putted great from ten feet and in, and I was able to make a bunch of putts. Today I putted very solidly.

Where I needed to improve a little bit today, like I said, I had a lot of putts today outside of 30 feet and I wasn't doing the greatest job of getting those putts close. My speed on my putts was a little off, and I spent about 10 minutes, 10 to 15 minutes on the putting green hitting some 30 footers, some uphill, some downhill, some sidehill, just practicing pace and trying to get a good feel for the greens. Short putts I had great feel and great speed control, but on my long ones, I've also given myself a few extra stressful moments leaving those long ones five and six feet and having to make them.

Q. Did the course play a lot different this morning than it did yesterday afternoon?

JIM FURYK: Not a lot different. A little bit. It was a little softer on the greens this morning. In watching TV and watching shots struck yesterday, it was a little softer yesterday morning than what we got. That's part of the nature of playing in the morning and afternoon. That's why you usually see the scoring slightly better in morning rounds as opposed to afternoon. Anyway, that's not always the case.

Q. Was it any tougher today than it was yesterday?

JIM FURYK: For me it was one shot easier (laughter). How's that? I thought it was set up relatively similar would be my guess. I think a lot of the firmness the greens didn't get overly firm or they just started getting some tiny brown spots where they had to syringe them, and they were still receptive to good shots yesterday. Just over the course of the day, I think because of the heat we were in and the sun being on them all day, they just started to get a little firmer as the day went. That's expected. That happens to every golf course.

Q. Take us through your birdies and bogeys today?

JIM FURYK: First birdie was on 13 actually I started on the back, so it was on 13. I hit a I have like a hybrid club in my bag, kind of like a 1 iron for me, and a pitching wedge to about seven feet straight up the hill, made that.

I bogeyed 15, I hit a 5 iron pin high left of the green and tried to putt it through the fringe, left it about eight feet short, maybe ten feet short, and I lipped that putt out.

My next birdie would have been at 3. I hit a 5 iron off the tee and I had a gap wedge in my bag, 50 degrees, I hit that to about six or seven feet and made that.

Then I birdied 4, I laid up and hit another gap wedge to about actually I hit sand wedge there to about ten feet behind the hole and knocked that one in for birdie.

And then my bogeys were 8 and 9, drove it in the left rough on 8 and I had to lay up and I hit a sand wedge on the green, that was a good 25 feet right of the pin, and I two putted.

And then 9 we talked about, hit a 7 iron in the left bunker and had a buried lie, actually played it across the green into the back right bunker, the little one. There's a bunker back there you can almost jump over. And then I wedged it out to about two feet.

End of FastScripts.







U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst No. 2
June 17, 2005
Second Round

An interview with:

MICHAEL CAMPBELL

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Well, I teed off at 7:30 in the morning and it was very benign conditions and not much wind around and the greens were pretty receptive out there, so you could attack them little bit more. Two shots easier today, definitely. Different wind direction, but it made the harder holes a little bit easier. All in all, it was, once again, a tough day out there, mentally and physically very, very tiring. Every single shot you're focusing on what you're trying to do and do your best.

Q. Are there other three hole stretches that you've played that are tougher than 14, 15, 16?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: No, 15 is a tough hole. You've got to just make par there. You're lucky to hit the green. It takes a very good shot to hit the green, and I think my game plan for the last couple of days is just play to the front edge or front portion of the greens every single time.

I think I went over the back of the green once in the last holes. I took a club less every time and just smashed it and came up way short. Basically if you just aim for the middle of the greens, this golf course you'll be 20, 30 feet away each time. That's pretty good chances. Obviously if you go short, club in your hand, sand wedge or lob wedge, you aim again a little bit more towards the pin, but besides that you've got to aim for the middle of the green every time.

Q. Do you get a sense it's harder now than it was at 7:30 this morning?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Absolutely. When the fairways and greens dry up, it'll be harder to attack the pins out there, and I think I'm happy just to stand here in front of you guys and be even par after two rounds in a major championship.

Q. Can you go through your birdies and bogeys, please?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I had six birdies and five bogeys. I can't remember them (laughter).

Q. Six birdies out there, though, a lot of talk yesterday that you would not be seeing a lot of birdies on this course. Even Hedblom who shot a 66 today said he thought the course was playing a bit easier than yesterday.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Absolutely, this morning especially, at least two shots, as I said before. There wasn't much wind around, and the greens were soft. You can attack the pin a little bit closer, and obviously Peter's round was a fantastic round. 4 under in a major championship at any time is a great score. You know, I had six birdies today, had a couple of three putts out there, but I'm just happy just to sign my score card for 69 today.

Q. 69 is a good

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: I think our target this week is to shoot 1 or 2 under is probably going to be a winning score this week. If you talk to all the guys out there in the locker room or here or whatever, general consensus really is even par, 1 under is going to win this golf tournament. That's my goal this week.

Q. Just talk a little bit about going into the weekend of a major championship and being right there at this point.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Well, my preparation for this major championship has been pretty good. My form has been pretty okay over in Europe, a few Top 10s there before I came here. I changed my whole dynamics of who I've been working with the last six months or so. Jonathan Yarwood, who's based in Sarasota, and I made a few changes, also. That's helped me a lot. Now I've been playing major championships for probably the last ten years. I've played a lot of U.S. Opens, Augusta and British Opens and U.S. PGAs, and I can adjust very quickly. I think it takes a couple of days to adjust your putting stroke because obviously the greens here are a little bit faster than normal and the aprons around the greens are a lot tighter so you've got to change your chipping technique, as well.

So the combination of all that together is the thing I really feel comfortable today, and today and yesterday my course management has been pretty good so far.

Q. And being there with a chance to

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Yes, it's pretty exciting. I've been close a long time ago, '95 British Open I finished 3rd, I was leading after three rounds. Seems like a century ago. But ten years ago.

I know what it takes to win a major championship. It's nice to be up there amongst the best in the world now.

Q. You have not made the cut the last four U.S. Opens. Just talk a little bit about going into a Saturday, the opportunity to do that.

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: It's kind of nice actually, to actually do that for a change, to actually play four rounds. I think just basically my mindset this week has been pretty positive. I went out there today and yesterday and just had a bit of fun and saw what happened. I didn't put too much pressure on myself to perform, tried to treat it like a normal tournament and just tried to play. Tried to ignore the crowds, there are huge crowds out there and just treat it like a normal tournament.

Q. Most guys that come here give us a sense that it's an ordeal. Where is the fun in this?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: Shooting good scores and making birdies out there and just being appreciated by the crowd on good shots because it's tough out there. Guys hitting 4 irons to 30 feet away is a good shot. The fun really is just competing with your other fellow peers. 150 guys out there playing, the best in the world here, and competing against them is a lot of fun for me.

Q. How long ago did you change and employ the coach in Sarasota?

MICHAEL CAMPBELL: He's been with me now for the last eight years, but he had two jobs at the same time. He couldn't come out most of the time last year, so I decided to employ him full time this year, and it's really worked dividends so far.

End of FastScripts.







U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst No. 2
June 17, 2005
Second Round

An interview with:

PETER HEDBLOM

PETER HEDBLOM: My game didn't feel good. I wasn't swinging how I wanted to swing, but at least I swung a little bit better today. I just caught the shots in there somehow. I just tried to hit an easy shot for me on the green. I was trying to hit middle of the green and then I'd pull it and hit it pretty close. I holed some good putts today, as well. 8 and 10, I holed some really long putts and then a good birdie on 17 and a good par on 18 and a good par on 15, as well. All around it was a good putting round

Q. How would you characterize the conditions?

PETER HEDBLOM: I thought it was playing not easy but a little bit easier this morning than yesterday afternoon. Yesterday afternoon I thought the greens were starting to get a little bit firmer and starting to get a little harder to get it close to the hole. Today you could actually play it all the way up to the flag and get some spin on it. We could attack even downhill putts, get a little more roll. It felt a little bit easier today.

Q. We were talking yesterday about patience on this golf course and yet yesterday you were 7 over par. Did you feel like you had to take some chances, be a little bit aggressive?

PETER HEDBLOM: I don't feel like this course you can take many chances. You just have to play the right distances. Even though you try to play right to the middle of the green, if you can get the right distance you're going to have some decent putts because if you hit the greens you're going to have a big breaker on the putt. If you hit the green not too far away from the hole, you can actually hole them like I did today.

I thought today I was just going to try to hit fairways because yesterday I hit six fairways, and I don't know how you can get out of those roughs. For me it's just a 9 iron and then for me it's hard to make birdies and pars. Today I started hitting 3 woods. The first day, I thought I need to get it as far up as possible to get it close to the green, but I naught the rough is so thick anyways, you just hit the fairways, and my 3 wood goes pretty long, so that was the thing today. I hit the fairways, and yeah, then you can score around here.

Q. Where does a day like today come from?

PETER HEDBLOM: That's golf. I mean, the golf is so strange, this game. You come up here some weeks and everything is perfect; you feel good and you shoot 75. And then today, I didn't feel that good, but I just just every shot trying to hit the simplest shot for me, the easiest shot for me to get it on the green, and that worked today. Obviously holing a lot of putts is going to help, especially because my putting hasn't been good this year, but today I started holing some longer putts. That's the key around here. This course you're never going to shoot it close every time you make four or five birdies.

Q. (Inaudible).

PETER HEDBLOM: Yeah, it's been a while actually. Normally this tournament is not like any other tournaments. Like if this would have been a normal European Tour event, 7 over, you're not feeling that good, but you go out in the morning, 7:00 o'clock, no one there, but today, U.S. Open, it's a great feeling. You're out there, a lot of people. I'm just happy to play U.S. Open. I'm never going to give in, I'm just going to try 'til the bitter end. Today was good and I can change things, go around and shoot a great score today.

Q. Your expectations for the weekend coming off a day like today?

PETER HEDBLOM: If I start to get a little more confidence for my swing, it could be a good week. Also, like I know this course feels like it's not U.S. Open but playing great golf, you need to get the ball in the middle of the greens and take the chances from there. I mean, sometimes you feel confident in your swing and you try to play a little more aggressive, you try to go for the flags and then you end up making bogeys or double bogeys.

Today because I didn't feel that great, I could play to the middle of the green and sometimes even be lucky, pull it or push it and it gets close and I'll hole a putt. For me it's just going to be fun to play the last 36 holes.

Q. This is your first U.S. Open. Just talk a little bit about what it's like to be out there and test yourself under probably the most difficult conditions that golf can throw out there. What does it mean for you to be here?

PETER HEDBLOM: For me it's great because, like I said, it's my first U.S. Open. I played five or six British Opens, so I've played around a lot of crowds in a great atmosphere, but for me, I mean, it's been my dream since I was a little kid to play the U.S. Open. It's a bigger deal for me than actually playing the British Open. Just to go out there and play around this great golf course and tough golf course, that's even should be better for me. Normally I'm better on tougher golf courses where you don't need to shoot 15 , 20 under par, so that actually felt good coming into this week. This is the type of golf course I can play pretty good on.

But the week didn't start very good because I got here Saturday night and I didn't get my golf clubs until Tuesday, so it wasn't the best preparation for your first U.S. Open when you're looking forward to playing and no golf clubs.

Q. Did the airlines lose them?

PETER HEDBLOM: Yeah, the airline lost them from Stockholm to Newark, so I didn't get them in Newark, and then they were in Newark for a couple of days and then they turned up.

Q. Did you play Monday with rental clubs?

PETER HEDBLOM: No, Sunday I walked around, which was maybe pretty good, just walked around with a sand wedge, got a sand wedge from Taylor Made and got a putter, so I just walked around and chipped and putted, which you need on this golf course, and then Monday I didn't do anything. I don't know what I did on Monday. I was just trying to run from the locker room to the range and then to the locker room. So it was a tough day, so it wasn't the best preparation. Finally I got them Tuesday.

Q. How did you find out that you had gotten them? Did you get a call on your cell phone?

PETER HEDBLOM: My coach, Gary Gilchrist, called them and said we need to put some pressure on these guys and told them we really need those clubs. Actually a nice guy at Continental helped me to find it.

Q. When did they get here?

PETER HEDBLOM: Tuesday at 11:20. I was teeing off at 12:00 for the practice round.

Q. Had you established a tee time?

PETER HEDBLOM: Yeah, because they said on Monday, yeah, you'll get them on Monday night no, I was going to get them Monday morning, so I put the tee time up. So that was a struggle, yeah.

Q. (Inaudible).

PETER HEDBLOM: I actually got a really good set from Taylor Made that I thought was even looking better than mine, but it wasn't the shaft that I was playing with, but I thought, if not, at least I can play the clubs. They can probably make up a set that's pretty close to mine, but still, you want your own blades, the right loft and lie so you get the right distances, and you want to get the right distances out there.

Q. What happened in your injury? What happened in the hockey game?

PETER HEDBLOM: I mean, I broke my leg in 2001 playing ice hockey. We have a game every winter, we play ice hockey, which is a big game in Sweden, and I've played it since I was six years old. We have a big game, golf players against golf players, and I got a big hit from the wrong guy, the biggest guy, and he hit me in the back and I just flew in the boards and I'm lucky I had my leg wrong and I broke my leg.

Q. Who are the players? Do we know them?

PETER HEDBLOM: There's actually some good ice hockey players that played over in the National Hockey League.

Q. Like who?

PETER HEDBLOM: Christian Ruuttu, who played for the Buffalo Sabres; Jorgen Pettersson, who played for the St. Louis Blues; and somebody, I can't remember all of them, but golf players, Joakim Haeggman, he normally plays that game, as well; Mats Lander (phon.) used to be a good Swedish player.

Q. Are you good enough to be playing in that game?

PETER HEDBLOM: Actually I should play in the National Hockey League. That's where I should be playing. I would love to play ice hockey. I stopped when I was 16 years old, but I always skate in the wintertime with my son and we skate and shoot the puck. I feel like I'm good enough to play ice hockey.

Q. Can you find a carryover between the mechanics of a golf shot and the mechanics of a slapshot?

PETER HEDBLOM: Not really, even though I hit right handed, even in ice hockey, so that's probably only the thing, but no, I don't think I have any of that.

Q. Could you go through your birdies and bogeys today?

PETER HEDBLOM: I birdied the 1st, hitting you want clubs and everything?

Q. Yes.

PETER HEDBLOM: On the 1st I hit driver, pitching wedge to about six feet, birdied that one.

4, driver, 3 wood right of the green, sand, chipped from the bunker to about six feet again for birdie.

8, hit 3 wood, 7 iron. That was a long way away. That must have been like 40, 45 feet, boom, birdie.

Then 10, hit driver in the rough, 8 iron, 7 iron to about 40 feet, birdie.

And then I bogeyed 14, driver, 3 wood, 8 iron just short of the green and putted past like three feet and missed that putt.

Then 17, a 7 iron to about 20 feet maybe, birdie.

Q. Can you think of a circumstance or an injury or anything where you might withdraw from this championship? I ask that because Paul Casey withdraw after shooting 85 yesterday.

PETER HEDBLOM: I don't know what his reason was, but I think I would play with a broken leg. No, I mean, for me it's just great to be here and playing.

Q. Do you feel like he should have given a reason considering it's the National Championship?

PETER HEDBLOM: I don't know what happened in Paul's case, so I don't have a comment about that. Thanks.

End of FastScripts.







U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst No. 2
June 17, 2005
Second Round


= Click for MP3 Audio

An interview with:

PHIL MICKELSON

PHIL MICKELSON: It's a tough course. I don't know what to say. It's a tough golf course.

Q. What failed you most today would you say?

PHIL MICKELSON: I think I putted pretty poorly, especially the short ones, which I've been putting very well, and I missed a number of those. I didn't feel I played that badly, and then I hit a lot of good shots where I wanted to that didn't quite end up where I was hoping, but that's kind of the case here.

Probably the biggest thing was the putting, though, because I had been putting pretty well. I hit them on line, I just didn't either read them right or get the right speed.

Q. (Inaudible).

PHIL MICKELSON: Well, it's a tough course to turn things around on because you just can't make birdies. The more you try to make birdies, the more bogeys you're going to make. I wasn't really trying to make birdies, I was just trying to salvage pars and had a tough time doing it. It's a tough golf course.

Q. Are there any other tougher stretches you play on a golf course than 14, 15, 16?

PHIL MICKELSON: I've played holes a lot worse. I just bogeyed those three. I've had doubles and triples before. I've had worse stretches.

Q. (Inaudible).

PHIL MICKELSON: I don't think that they're overly unfair or brutally difficult. They're hard, but it's playing very fair and we saw some guys shoot under par today.

Q. As you played the front nine there, does the thought at all creep into your mind about the cut line, something you probably wouldn't even have thought about?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, I'm not I wasn't concerned about that, no. I'm just trying to make pars.

Q. Do you feel like it's playing differently than the course you prepared for, or are you just playing differently than

PHIL MICKELSON: It's a lot different than what I had prepared for. I think the toughest thing to adjust for is off the tee because the fairways are so much harder. They're rolling them and the balls just are going right through the fairway for me. I hit it well today, and so I was just a couple inches in the thick rough or a couple feet in the thick rough, and I was better off missing it big. When I would miss it 20, 30 yards in the stuff, I was a lot better off than just barely in the rough.

Q. Do you have to play a little more aggressively now or hope the other guys come back to you a little?

PHIL MICKELSON: You just can't play aggressive here, you just can't. I think that 36 pars to have an outside shot at winning, and that's kind of what I'm going for.

Q. Hedblom shot 66 this morning and said the course was playing easier. Was there a temptation in the morning hours to try to get a little bit aggressive?

PHIL MICKELSON: I thought that I could get a good round in there, too. It was very fair if you played well. You could get off to a quick start, especially the front nine. I didn't quite do that; I shot 6 over. But it was there if you hit the right shots.

Q. (Inaudible).

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, that happened quite a bit. It seemed as though when they watered the greens, they watered only the fronts. The ball hits the front and comes back or you hit the back part and it goes over. It was tough.

Q. You spent a lot of time around each green. Did you just have to throw that out the window today?

PHIL MICKELSON: No, I hit a lot of good chip shots. I hit it in there three, four, five feet, just didn't capitalize on the par putts.

Q. So that was worthwhile?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, and then I had three three putts, too. 17, I three putted and 8, I three putted, and both of those I was worried about knocking it off the green and making double. It was one of those where you try to lag it up four or five feet short of the pin so as to not go off the green and I ended up leaving it shorter than that and missed them.

Q. Your preparation today (inaudible).

PHIL MICKELSON: It just can't change. I can't change the way I want to play the course because it's a very conservative setup that I have, and I just have a hard time making birdies on this golf course. I think everybody does.

So the best way to make up ground is to make three or four pars rather than try to make a birdie.

Q. What if it rains before tomorrow?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yeah, if it rains it would be a whole different golf course. The fairways would be a lot easier to hit, I think, and you'd be able to attack some greens. Maybe not right at the pin, but you'd be able to maybe take it 15 feet, whereas a lot of shots like the 8th hole, I'm playing 40, 50 feet to the right, so it's I think that would really change it.

Q. Do you ever feel frustration setting in?

PHIL MICKELSON: You can't get frustrated. Guys are going to have a bad stretch. That nine hole stretch that I had may or may not have taken me out of the event. I think I still have a good shot, but I've got to play some good golf, but everybody is going to struggle. It's just so tough, everybody is going to struggle.

Q. Was there a turning point in your front nine where things started to slip?

PHIL MICKELSON: You could probably pick out any one of the bogeys I would say.

Q. Are the fairways here harder than Shinnecock?

PHIL MICKELSON: Yes.

Q. (Inaudible).

PHIL MICKELSON: I didn't see where the break was on the greens. Would you point that out (laughter)? It was tough. It's a tough, fair test. I didn't play the best.

Thanks, guys.

End of FastScripts.







U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst No. 2
June 17, 2005
Second Round

An interview with:

SERGIO GARCIA

Q. It's a new look, the new you.

SERGIO GARCIA: The older you get, the younger you want to look.

Q. (Inaudible).

SERGIO GARCIA: Nothing. I'm going like Tiger tomorrow.

Q. Yesterday you said being near par was a little bit better (inaudible).

SERGIO GARCIA: Definitely. I feel very happy about my round. I felt like I played very solid all day, probably just a little bit better than yesterday. I am disappointed because I missed I mean, I three putted 15 from eight feet and three putted three from about the same distance, missed three little short putts. But other than that, I feel good about it. I felt like I played very smart, hit a lot of fairways, hit a very good amount of greens, and I only went for the pins when I was feeling good about it. If not, you know, I was just trying to hit middle of the green and try and make a 4, make a par and then go to the next, and I think I managed to do that fairly well today.

Q. (Inaudible).

SERGIO GARCIA: Around even par? If I finish even par for the tournament I would win by more than 1, I would think. That's my guess. I really think about 2 or 3 over is going to win this thing. The course is not going to get any easier. You're grinding it out to try to shoot even par, 1 over, 1 under, so it's going to be tough. You've got to realize that.

You know, even with the couple things that happened to me today, I felt like I hung on nicely. I felt like I didn't let down, so that's nice to see. I was just waiting for the right moments and I was happy to see those two birdies on the last three.

Q. More than one guy has talked about wanting to see a little bit of moisture tomorrow. Would you like a little bit of a shower for Saturday to make the course a little easier?

SERGIO GARCIA: No, not at all. I think this is supposed to be tough. It's the U.S. Open. It's the toughest test in golf, and I think the USGA has done a good job. The course is in immaculate shape. The greens were just a little bit faster today, so they were just a hair trickier.

As I said on Tuesday, I think it was, the only complaint I have about the whole course is the bunkers. There's just way too much sand. It happened to Jim today on 9; he hits a shot that is probably just a couple yards left of where it should be and gets a plugged lie and he has to do well to make a bogey. That's a bit unfortunate with these greens. But other than that, I think they're doing a great job with the way they're setting up the whole course.

Q. How much does it tell you that you birdied two of the last three coming in after having had to grind the whole way?

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, it's great. I mean, some days you finish better than others, and today was a good day. Yesterday I was pretty fortunate to finish pretty well, too, the last five or six holes. I'm just hoping to keep that going. I feel good about my game. I feel good about my putting. I think that it's improved a lot, and I still felt like I putted fairly well today, even with the pressure and everything. So that means a lot to me.

I'm just hoping to keep it going. I've just got to keep doing the same things, and if I'm able to do that, hopefully we'll be here on Sunday having a chance.

Q. How long was that putt, that last putt?

SERGIO GARCIA: On 9? That was probably about I want to say 18 feet, 19, 20 feet.

Q. Is there a difference in your confidence this year as opposed to the last two years? Obviously you won those two years leading into the Open, as well. Is there anything different this year?

SERGIO GARCIA: No, no. I was confident last year. It was just too hard to play last year on that Sunday round. I feel pretty much the same.

I do feel a bit more comfortable with my swing. I can really believe in it a bit more than maybe I did four or five years ago, so that's a great thing. You know you're there, coming in, to still be able to hit good quality shots like I did on the last couple of days means a lot, so I've just got to keep it going the same way.

Q. What kind of momentum did you bring in this week after winning at Congressional?

SERGIO GARCIA: Only one kind of momentum, good one. As I said at the beginning of the week, the confidence about last week, it's great, winning on a tough course like Congressional is, but once you get here, it's a brand new week, and you never know what's going to happen, you never know how your putts are going to go, and you never know how you're going to feel on the course. There's only one hole that I don't like, and that's the 12th hole, but other than that, I just kind of feel comfortable. But other than that I feel good on the whole course.

Q. Does it say anything that you and Luke and Adam in particular, 20 something, fairly young guys, are playing well here?

SERGIO GARCIA: I think it's great. I think it's awesome. Both of them, Luke and Adam, they're good friends of mine, and I'm always wishing them the best. Adam shot a pretty solid round today again. Luke is doing well starting from yesterday. So I just hope that we all three can be up there on Sunday. It'll be great to not only to have good players playing for you, but to have some of your friends. You know, when one of your friends wins and you don't, it makes it a bit easier to take.

Q. Could you define your particular dislikes about 12?

SERGIO GARCIA: Just pretty much the tee shot.

Q. It doesn't set up well for you?

SERGIO GARCIA: I don't know, I can't handle it (laughter). You know, I tried to hit a little fade and hit it right. I tried to hit a little draw and hold it with the wind and I hit it right. I mean, I've hit it every day from Tuesday on, I think I hit it in a five yard radar. All my divots are there just over on the right.

Q. Somebody earlier today said that the last four holes, not the ones you played today, but the last four holes on the course, 15, 16, 17, 18, were not built for the shots they're asking you to make this week. Is there something in that?

SERGIO GARCIA: I wouldn't say so. 15, we all know that that green is maybe just a hair too much. I mean, hitting a 5 or a 4 iron into that green, that might be pushing it a little bit.

16 I think is a great hole. You have to draw it. It's really tough to hit that fairway with a fade. You know you have to draw it, it's asking for a draw, and if you don't hit it, unless you bounce it on the left side of the fairway you're never going to hold the fairway, so I think it's a good driving hole.

17 is a nice little par 3.

And 18 is just a wonderful par 4. You've got room to drive the ball. The fairway is shaped in a nice way that you can hit a nice fade and it holds there. I could see it a little bit on 15 because of the green, but other than that, I think the finishing holes are awesome.

Q. 16 asks you for the longest approach iron, doesn't it, on the course?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, it probably does, on a par 4. But there's a couple par 3s that you're hitting a lot of club into them. But it's a green that for example, I hit a soft cut 6 iron today. You can hit that green with a 6 iron. I mean, 15, you have to hit a really good shot to hit that green with a 6 iron. I think that's the difference.

Q. How far was the chip in on 18?

SERGIO GARCIA: Well, I didn't count, but I'll say probably 100 feet, probably about 30 yards, something like that.

Q. You drove it in the left rough?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yeah, just about five feet into the rough on the left and didn't catch a great lie. I tried to muscle it out of there.

Q. What did you hit there on the second shot?

SERGIO GARCIA: 9 iron, tried to get it just over the bunker and came out a bit soft and just went over the bunker and I just hit a wonderful chip.

End of FastScripts.







U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Pinehurst No. 2
June 17, 2005
Second Round


= Click for MP3 Audio

An interview with:

VIJAY SINGH

Q. Would you have asked for anything more tee to green?

VIJAY SINGH: I don't know. Yeah, you know, hit a better shot on 15, I guess. I hit the ball really good. I drove it really where I wanted to and hit my iron shots a lot of times I played away from the flags to the front part of the greens, but the putts were the problem today. Just the pace of the greens were a little slower than what I thought it was going to be. Everybody in my group had problems with the pace of the greens, as well.

Q. Do you still feel like you're in pretty good position at this point?

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, even par for the tournament, it's not going to get any easier for the weekend. I'm not really going to keep watching the greens, but I think they're going to cut that down in half, as well. I feel like I'm in a great position right now, and if I can go out there and figure out the pace of the greens, come out strong tomorrow, we'll see what happens.

Q. If somebody said you were going to be even par after two rounds before the tournament started, would you have taken that?

VIJAY SINGH: Yeah, the golf course is not getting any easier. I was surprised that the greens were receptive to all the shots. The first two days of practice rounds, they were not as soft. They must have put a lot of water on the greens.

But even par is I'm in good position, I think.

Q. What would you say the winning score is going to be at this stage of the game?

VIJAY SINGH: I think even par has a good chance, depending on the weekend, depending if it's going to rain or blow a little harder. If it blows, it's going to go higher than what you would think, but I still think even par is going to have a good chance.

Q. (Inaudible).

VIJAY SINGH: It's a good hole, it's just a little too long for that green to you've only got about three or four yards of green to land the ball in, and then it's really crowned on every side. If you just miss it, you're not going to hold the green. The pin is all the way in the corner, as well. That's one of the hardest greens to hit. I bogeyed it yesterday and today.

Q. What did you hit?

VIJAY SINGH: 5 iron both times.

Q. How tough was that plug on 9?

VIJAY SINGH: It wasn't plugged, it was just the Bermuda is pretty they cut it down pretty good there, but the ball went right in the bottom of the Bermuda. The shot wasn't very difficult. It's where the pin placement was and my stance, so if you hit it just a little too hard, it would have gone over the green.

Q. You said Pinehurst was so long ago you almost didn't really remember much from it, but good feelings about this place and the last time around sort of help you at all or is six years ago just a long time ago? You've won a thousand times since then.

VIJAY SINGH: It's a different setup. The greens are different than they were then and the roughs are longer. The fairways are much smaller now than it was last time, and it's rolling. I just feel I remember the golf course better this time around than I did last. I remember the holes, you know, once you get around, you know, the holes, but you don't learn it from before. I've learned more the first two days, three days of practice than I did playing here in '99.

Q. More from a positive activity standpoint of doing well before and I think the only guy here who finished ahead of you is Phil.

VIJAY SINGH: You feel confident. You get more confident with the golf course and you play along. You remember where you finished last time. I had a good finish here, so I'll take that with me.

Q. Phil said he didn't play for birdie on any hole. Is it that tough out there right now?

VIJAY SINGH: I don't know. I mean, I hit a lot of greens today. I had a lot of chances for birdies today.

I think if you hit it decent enough and play smart enough, I think there are birdie chances out there.

Q. How many flags did you go at? You're one of the more aggressive players.

VIJAY SINGH: I drove the ball really well today. I drove it really long and pretty straight, so I hit wedges and 9 irons most of the day around, so we could have got even 18 I had a wedge in my hand on 18, so if you have wedge in your hand and a good yardage you can go for the flags.

Q. (Inaudible).

VIJAY SINGH: Depends where you are. I mean, if you're not in the fairway then obviously you have to shoot for pars. If you're driving the ball well, you can take the flags on, but you don't have that many birdie opportunities because the flags are tucked in the corners, you can't really go at it. You try to get it to within 10 or 12 feet from the flag and take your chances then.

Q. (Inaudible).

VIJAY SINGH: You know, 18, 16 and 15 were very good chances to make pars, especially the way I've been practicing on the putting green, and I feel like those putts were I was very familiar with those distances. But especially 18, you know, I was really, really frustrated with that. I thought I hit a good putt, I just didn't aim it left enough.

[stickman]

Thanks for the interveiws.