U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 2003

Eduardo Romero

EDUARDO ROMERO: I'm very happy. I played very solid today.

Q. What do you think will happen over the weekend? How do you feel about it?

EDUARDO ROMERO: I feel very good for the weekend. Nothing changed for tomorrow, and Sunday I'm still the same, good concentration, put the ball in the fairway and try to make a lot of putts. That's all.

Q. You have a birthday coming up to be 49. Tom Watson is 53, Nick Price is 46. What's going on?

EDUARDO ROMERO: Like the seniors today. Well, you know, I don't know, probably the experience. Yesterday Tom Watson was fantastic round, and also today. Nick Price today played -- well, like Senior Tour, but good guys. I like Tom Watson, of course Nick Price. There's two more days to go, you never know, but I'm still there.

Q. You're not getting older, you're getting better?

EDUARDO ROMERO: Like wine, more older, more good.

Q. What's the secret to this new Eduardo, better driving?

EDUARDO ROMERO: Well, I think the technology helped me a lot, the new driver, new ball, and going miles with the drivers. I think I do the same thing but the balls go 350.

Q. These greens, they suit you better than some of the extra slick ones?

EDUARDO ROMERO: Good speed, great speed. The crowd is good. You see the people are fantastic on every hole. I really enjoyed it.

Q. What's the strategy for the weekend?

EDUARDO ROMERO: Nothing changed, exactly the same, eagle the first and a couple more birdies.

Q. You have the nickname. How did that start?

EDUARDO ROMERO: The nickname, it was a long time ago. It was my grandmother because she said because I'm still on the roof and the trees, and they said this kid like a cat, and they still call me a cat.

Q. The USGA do you think has been successful in setting up a course that rewards more than just driving distance? This is a course that tests everything in the bag, and because of it maybe that's why some of the older players are doing well?

EDUARDO ROMERO: I think if you hit a long driver and a straight driver, you've got an advantage with the other guys because today, for example, I pass the other guy 400 yards sometimes, and when I guy hit a 7-iron and I hit a pitching wedge it's a completely different game, but the putter also is very difficult to read the lines and the green, but the course is very fair. It's one of the first courses in the last five years in the U.S. Open, I think. The course is fantastic.

Q. Would you rather see USGA setups like this as opposed to Bethpage?

EDUARDO ROMERO: Exactly.

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