U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 28, 2003

Bruce Lietzke

Q. Is that the best competitive round you ever played?

BRUCE LIETZKE: Yes, it probably is. Just factoring in the degree of difficulty on this golf course, yes. I have had some 62's on the PGA TOUR and 62's on the Champion's Tour and I have had tons of great rounds, but yes, just figuring the kind of golf course this is and how difficult I think the golf course plays especially for me, but you know, it plays tough for everybody. But I still struggled with the fact I couldn't hit many drivers out there. The way the greens are and the way the wind gusted around there today and some of the trouble I was in, that's probably the greatest round that I ever had, yes.

Q. What about your putting; it's been sensational?

BRUCE LIETZKE: It has been really good, I came in here putting real well, and I got just the right amount of preparation. I played 18 holes on Tuesday. Nine holes on Wednesday, and I really just think that mental preparation for a long event like this is real important and I think my feel comes around real quick even though I didn't play a ton of practice rounds. I still feel pretty fresh. I'm ready for a week off and that's one of the primary things on my mind but I've got one more day of golf to play.

Q. You came out of the rough so wonderfully today and your bounceback factor was terrific. Your birdie at 9; unexpected bogey at 8?

BRUCE LIETZKE: Yes, that helps you if you start feeling bad and it can mount up; you can just start adding bogey after bogey after bogey if you start letting things get to you. And coming back with a birdie on this golf course, making a par on the next hole can straighten your ship out a little bit, but making a birdie really helps erase the bad memories that you might have had of a couple of bogeys. Then I just strung a hole bunch of birdies together to the back nine and kept it out of trouble most of the time. But, yeah, I had some big double bogeys and triple bogeys and any time I did make a bogey I recovered real quick and that allows your psyche to fix itself as the day goes on.

Q. Before the tournament began, everybody was talking about, and rightfully so, how difficult it was; did you ever think there was 9 birdies on the card?

BRUCE LIETZKE: No, I didn't think that was going to be possible today. I don't have strategies when it comes to golf courses. I've always believed golf is more of a reactionary sport; you just go out there and react to wherever your first tee shot goes. And if you're in position and you have pin placement you like you react to that. I just didn't think there was going to be that kind of opportunities out there. I just didn't hit a lot of fairways and so you're not thinking birdies a lot, but my recoveries were great, I chipped in once, I made a whole bunch of putts. I got lucky several times. But I've got news for you: The guys that have won this tournament and the guys that won U.S. Opens in the past have all had lucky weeks and that's what it takes to win.

Q. You don't have strategy?

BRUCE LIETZKE: I don't. It's strictly reaction. I did change a couple of club sections off the tees today. I don't have one particular strategy that works on these holes or this golf course, and I can't think of a golf course that I ever had. You just have to react to your good and bad shots and good pin placements and bad pin placements and go with it.

Q. How many times did you take driver out today?

BRUCE LIETZKE: Three today. I added one driver today and that was on 5. I hit a driver on 5 today.

Q. And the chip-in on 14, how far was that, 40 yards?

BRUCE LIETZKE: I was only, I was 10 yards off the green and the pin was about 17. Yes, it was about the 27 or 30 yards.

Q. After that went in did you feel like you were riding the crest of momentum and had things playing in a zone so to speak?

BRUCE LIETZKE: No, you still got holes up ahead that you could make triple bogeys and quadruple bogeys. I never let myself get very far ahead. What I know I did use up all of my par-5s; the par-5s are behind me and you got some tough par-4's ahead. It was a good chip and you kind of take pride in that, but you don't start thinking ahead saying this is my day or this is my week. You plug away and go to the next hole.

Q. Was there a point you were watching the leaderboard out there?

BRUCE LIETZKE: Yes, I watched it all day, just about.

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