	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE 145TH OPEN

July 16, 2016

Steve Stricker

Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Q. (Inaudible).
STEVE STRICKER: No, same -- from what I understand, it was the same thing, microdiscectomy. I don't know what happened to him the next couple of times he went back in, but I think it was the same one.

Q. Tell me how good was that back nine today. (Inaudible).
STEVE STRICKER: Well, again, today it felt like we played every hole into the wind or some sort of crosswind. On the way out, it was kind of in off the right, definitely hurting at times. Then we made the turn there after playing 12, that was kind of in off the right. Then 13 was in off the left. So it's kind of strange, it kind of happened that way, yesterday too, where we felt like we played all the holes into some sort of wind.

So it's challenging, very challenging, especially when you're on your way out trying not to turn it over so much. Then on the way in you're trying to rip-hook it to hold off the wind. So it's a challenge.

Q. You must be happy with a 68, shooting the low score of the round.
STEVE STRICKER: I'm tired.

Q. It wears you out?
STEVE STRICKER: It does. It wears you out. Yesterday after finishing I felt extremely tired, and I feel drained again today. You know, you're grinding all the way around. It's tough conditions. You've got to keep your focus and keep attentive all the way, otherwise one little bad shot can really mess you up. Just what happened to me yesterday. I got away with one today at 13: I tried to hit a utility club and lost it to the right and it ended up on short grass and got it up and down. But you just don't know. You let a shot go and it could end up in a gorse bush.

Q. Did you feel as a 49-year-old as opposed to a 46-year-old (inaudible) this is the tournament where experience does help?
STEVE STRICKER: I think coming over last week really helped. I got to play in conditions last week and much the same as what we're experiencing here with wind and rain, a lot of cross shots. It got me prepared for this week. I had my legs beneath me when I came here. Usually I come over after playing the John Deere, get here Monday and you're really not in a great spot to start playing golf body-wise. So I think last week really helped.

Q. Did you find out some things already this week that you were able to find out about the quality of your golf game?
STEVE STRICKER: No, not really. I mean, I came over expecting to play well. I've been playing well. I played well at Memphis. I've been playing at home. I don't practise at home, I just play, and I've been playing well at home. I play a lot with Nicki and the kids and then played well last week. I didn't score very well last week at times, but I hit the ball okay and I'm doing the same thing here. I had good practise leading up to the start Thursday. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I played well.

I really don't feel like I'm 49 and onto a different chapter maybe next year, but I still feel like I can compete out here and play.

Q. So you're seven shots behind (inaudible). Who do you think will win?
STEVE STRICKER: They're going to have to come back and there are a lot of guys in between me and them yet. I had a good opportunity at 18 to make a birdie. I wish I would have gotten that in. But I'm looking just to have a good finish, whatever that may be. I don't know what it is. But I'm looking for those FedExCup points and world ranking points, all that kind of stuff. So the higher up, the better for me.

Q. How much can you take out of there, is it the greens or is it (inaudible)? Is it more the putting?
STEVE STRICKER: It's all different. Putting is hard because you're getting jostled around by the wind. They didn't mow the greens today, so they're not as smooth. The full shots are difficult. Everything's difficult. You've got to really pay attention. And now you have the elements with the wind and now it's starting to rain a little bit. So everything is difficult here. You've just got to keep that focus on every shot.

Q. (Inaudible).
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, and they were a little bit -- yeah, and it's an uncomfortable hit at times. Because we're so used to playing a similar speed week in and week out at home. They're always pretty much the same. So now we've got a 15-footer that you feel like you should hit it with a certain stroke and you've got to just hit it harder. Just like that last hole, it's downhill and I just -- you know, it's hard to get your mind to really hit it. So it's a challenge. It's difficult at times.

Q. Is it also harder to control the putter head because you have to hit it more on the tip?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it's just you've got to practise it. It's just different. Unlike what we play in every week, you've just got to practise it. And that was another good thing last week, that I had to work on my lag putting, and I had four three-putts the first two days because I couldn't hit it hard enough. It's easy to tell yourself that, but all of a sudden, then you whack one by five feet because you're trying to get it there. So it's a different mentality and something you've got to try to get used to quickly.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297