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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 13, 2014

Jerry Haas

EDMOND, OKLAHOMA

Q. You played at the Amateur?
JERRY HAAS: I did. '84, 30 years ago. The back side that we were playing as a tournament was the front side. I went out in the semis against Sam Randolph and shot 45. So I was 7 down at the turn, and Scott Verplank won that year and Sam Randolph, so we had three of the four semifinalists here. You know, I told my brother Jay today it's just getting a little bit more comfortable with your surroundings. There is nobody that can block your shot in golf. There is nobody that has any bearing on what you do but yourself. You know, I played very well. I chipped in on 10, and I birdied the first hole which was nice, parred the second hole, very hard hole today into the wind. I thought they set the course up today for somebody to come out of the crowd to shoot a good score, 65 or 66. The back side, they had the tee up again on 14, and 15 was drivable. 16 is just a tough driving hole. You're shooting across the fairway with a big crosswind. If you drive it well, you can hit a 8- or 9-iron, 7-iron in there. 17 set up for a birdie, although the green is very firm. Then 18 is just a hard hole. I bogied that one. I wish I was in the bunker actually. It was hanging on the thing. I had to kind of play one about chest high like that. I hit a nice shot up the fairway and hit a 9-iron. Didn't hit a very good putt. All in all, for a golf coach here to make the cut and then shoot, you know -- Jay told me, my brother told me, you should 142 on the weekend you'll move up. I said maybe I will shoot 68 and shoot 142. I bogied the last for 143, but I did move up and I guess I acquitted myself pretty well. I know there are a lot of recruits, a lot of team members watching, a lot of fans watching. I feel sometimes I'm playing for a lot more people than myself. That's probably not the way you should play, but today my phone should have a lot of texts on it.

Q. Is the course different now from when you remember it in the U.S. Amateur?
JERRY HAAS: It's much more difficult. I feel like the greens are smaller. I think the rough is definitely higher this week for the Senior Open than it was -- I mean, every time -- the third round I drove it in the rough four times and I chipped out all four times, meaning I just, if there wasn't trees there, maybe I could have got it by the green, but most of the time you're just trying to get it 120, 130, 110 yards so you maybe don't make double. But it's the same. You know, it was hot then. I grew up in the Midwest in Belleville, Illinois, by St. Louis, so I like the hot weather. Everybody is complaining how hot it is. I love it. Can't be hot enough. So I guess I'm a better player. I shot 69 and probably would have shot 85 that day with Sam Randolph. So I'm maybe better.

Q. This course, would it set it up for future championships?
JERRY HAAS: No question. You could water it, make it play a lot longer than it is. Luckily for the Senior, the ball is rolling. If you hit a good drive, it will roll 35, 40 yards some holes. That makes a difference in why you see good scores. Although if you don't hit it straight, even if it's hot and running, it gets in the rough and just stops. But pin on No. 12 is really good. It's that front left pin. If you're a little short it comes off. 13, it was 6-iron for me so most guys will be hitting 7-iron probably. I hit 7-iron on 17. They could make it way harder than they do, actually. I mean, look at the people out here. This is fantastic. Just the fans that came out and just the amount of support this town has given this event and probably every event that's ever been here. If you had a U.S. Open here or something, it would be really, really crowded. It would be fantastic.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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