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THE 145TH OPEN

July 16, 2016

Bill Haas

Troon, South Ayrshire, Scotland

Q. (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: Yeah, if there were more people in between myself and the leaders. Maybe not. You see your name on the board close to the leaders and there's only a few guys that could fall backwards, and you certainly can't expect Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson to fall backwards.

So with those two quality players in front of you, you pretty much know I've got to go shoot a score and hopefully that will work out. You can't do anything about what they're doing. Certainly not going to make me play more aggressive than I would today or Thursday. I think it's just Open golf courses pretty much dictate what you have to do. I can't overpower anything. I can't hit it like Jason Day and Rory and Bubba and these guys that can just really pound it and take advantage of certain holes. But overall just going to have to hit better quality shots.

I hit good ones today, but I also hit some bad ones. The putter saved me a couple times but it also let me down early. It also kept me in. Today could have been a 74 easy without a few nice putts on the back nine. So pleased to be in the position to even discuss that with you.

Q. (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: Yeah, it's good, and it's good if you do take advantage of them and make good birdies. I've known from the get-go, I talked to my dad before I came here and he said you can shoot 3 or 4-under on the front and you better do that, because if you don't, the coming in is a tough challenge.

So certainly going to know that going out tomorrow. Obviously you want to birdie every hole, you're going to try to, but you can't hit it in that left bunker on 1. You've got to stay out of that and then you go from there and just try to make some putts when you have the looks.

Q. There were some times in majors (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: I don't think so. I certainly haven't competed as much as I'd like in majors. I've played in my fair share of them, but certainly not 20 years' worth. I've played it enough where I think I could have done better than I have in these tournaments. I typically don't feel like I put more pressure on myself. It's just it's the toughest test of golf that we play, and it's beaten me more than I've beat it.

So just haven't -- I think if I focused on it anymore I do, I don't know if you can focus anymore on a golf tournament than I already do. I think with that said I give the same amount of attention as I usually do to a normal week usually as I would here. I don't think if I'd focus any more or any harder I'm going to play better. I'm trying my hardest out there on every swing.

Q. Did you ever dream of being in contention of playing in the final round with a guy like Beef?
BILL HAAS: No, I've met him a few times and he's a lovely guy to talk to. I think we're both new to this position tomorrow, so I think we'll enjoy it. I think me and him, hopefully we'll feed off each other and push each other a little bit. I certainly don't think Phil and Henrik Stenson are feeling the pressure tonight sleeping knowing that Beef and Bill Haas are behind them. So we've got to use that to our advantage and just try to surprise some people.

Q. Did you do anything different preparation-wise this week from the previous Open?
BILL HAAS: No, I got over here a few days early, but I've done that before. I've also come over Monday and just done the regular week. I've had great success. So I think there's no real secret. I putted and made some nice putts like I did today. I missed some short ones early. But other than that, I'm proud of the way I hung in there. The next hole I had a six-footer and I made it. I've been able to do that so far.

So like I said, another tough test tomorrow. Just don't want to go too far backwards. I want to go forward. There's only a few people that get 4. So I think with them being a few strokes ahead, I don't think about one or two birdies, I've got to think about shooting a golf score. If I go shoot something in the 60s tomorrow and they fall back, you never know what could happen.

Q. (Inaudible) how important is it to make sure you finish in the Top 10?
BILL HAAS: No, I mean, certainly I think about it all the time. I think about it every week on the regular tour just finishing in the Top 10 or trying to win. If you can't win, try to finish second. If you can't finish second, try to finish third. So I'm always trying to -- I don't think a ninth place finish is going to change my career. It certainly isn't going to make me feel more competitive in majors. The only way to do that is to knock on the door coming down the stretch tomorrow.

So if I go backwards, I'll be very disappointed. But I also think I could not do that. I think I can hang in there and hopefully I'll shoot a good round.

Q. (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: As much as I think we talk about that or like, this guy's playing well, he must be -- he must have really focused this week, as much as we like to print that and say that, I don't buy it. Guys are really good out here and guys are that much better that they compete and contend week in and week out. Whether or not they showed up here -- if Jason Day came and played three weeks straight worth of golf here, I don't know that he plays any better than he's playing or worse. You know what I'm saying? I think it's four days of golf and you're trying to do it better than the best players in the world.

If there was a recipe for why I'm in third this week, then I certainly would have asked for it or found it earlier or whatever, and I haven't done anything this week differently than I've done in other ones. So just fortunate to be in position to be trying to figure that out.

Q. (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: I don't think I ever watched this one. Maybe when I was young. No, I don't think so.

Q. (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: We went on fishing trips. We didn't really do golfing trips. No, but I bet we might maybe in the near future, but maybe not. It's just a long way to go when you can play golf at home. Home was good for my dad, so flying across the pond for a weekend wasn't his -- it's not my idea either with my kids. When they get older, you never know. But it's a long way to go for a golf weekend.

Q. Was your first links at St. Andrews?
BILL HAAS: It was at St. Andrews, yeah. It was nice. It was very cool.

Q. (Inaudible).
BILL HAAS: I just think it's still golf. You're still hitting a shot. I don't know. I don't know what you want me to say, but it's different. It's more difficult because of the weather, but you still are seeing the same stuff. We all understand if the ground is firmer, the ball's going to bounce harder. But I've also played some Opens where the ground was a little soft, you know.

So, yeah, yes, I did. I felt comfortable. St. Andrews was awesome. It was a cool experience. I just haven't performed that well, but I've enjoyed being over here.

Q. Do you have a routine at night that you've been going through? Like for tonight what will you do?
BILL HAAS: No, just pretty much I know tomorrow I play really late, so just trying to get in touch with the kids back home, trying to face time with them. I've watched a movie every night. We're just kind of lounging. I'll do that tonight. Try to sleep in. It's hard to sleep in when it's light at 4:30, and of the nerves of playing the final day close to the lead. So I'll be anxious and looking forward to getting it started.

Q. Have you found it easy to adjust to the slower greens? I think it was 9.5 today.
BILL HAAS: They're slower, but they have to be. With this weather and this wind, they can't be faster. With the type of grass it is, I don't think anybody's surprised how slow it is. They're not any slower than the other Opens I've played. Maybe a little. Is a 10 is different than a 9.5? Not really.

That's just the type of grass we play on them. I heard Butch on the telecast saying, "Guys will be making a lot of putts because the greens are slower. Then when guys miss putts and they say they're missing putts because the greens are slower." Sometimes we just miss putts because we miss putts. We can't always just blame the greens.

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