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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2018

Henrik Stenson

Southampton, New York

THE MODERATOR: Next at Flash will be Henrik Stenson.

HENRIK STENSON: What did I get introduced as?

THE MODERATOR: I introduced you. You're good.

HENRIK STENSON: But as what?

THE MODERATOR: Henrik Stenson.

HENRIK STENSON: Okay. Boring. Anyone else with a sense of humor?

Q. What was it like out there today?
HENRIK STENSON: Well, it was obviously a lot, lot softer than we saw yesterday. I guess we can call it the pendulum effect when it gets too much on one side and people get scared and it goes back to the other way. So it was very receptive from what I saw on the early play, and it was still pretty receptive all the way through.

So, obviously, a lot of water on the greens since yesterday and played softer. Greens are still fairly quick and with a slope and bumpiness. It is very tough to putt out there.

Q. Another top ten finish at a U.S. Open. Are you happy about that? Or are you upset about leaving a few at the end?
HENRIK STENSON: Well, I felt like it was more on the back nine yesterday. I played my best round of golf for the week was yesterday. I was grinding it out, made some really good stuff on the front nine to hit the turn 1 under, which was more than excellent, I think, in those conditions.

Five bogeys coming home were two or three more than I really should have done. A couple bad clubs and a couple of bad decisions on the back nine. I played my way out of contention a little bit, even though I was only two behind at the start of the day. It felt like if I was going to win this, I would have liked to be right there with the 3s starting the day, because I didn't feel like I had my best game today.

And to make up ground on whoever is going to play the best out of those five or six guys, it was going to be hard with the game I had today.

Q. Halfway through the Major season, what changes do you have to make for the next?
HENRIK STENSON: Play better.

Q. Any particular aspect of your game?
HENRIK STENSON: No, just overall. I mean, I did a lot of good stuff out there this week, but there's still -- for my wishings, a couple of too many unforced errors. I mean, 10 ended up being a mess a couple of times. I thought I hit a great tee shot today, I tried to get it down to the bottom. I laid up on top the previous days. Then I tried, when the greens were softer, to get down and get a wedge, and I hit a really nice 2 iron in the middle of the fairway, but it still peeled off on that big slope and ended up in a horrible spot in the rough.

From there, it feels like the best you're going to make is a 5. I managed to do that in the end, which was a good 5.

So, no, just a little bit tidier here and there. Overall, I've done a lot of good stuff. More than anything, I've been fighting really, really hard this week. I had some great comebacks. I think the first day I was 5 over par, got it back to 2 over. The next day, I got it back from 3 over to 1 over. So to make those kind of comebacks was strong.

Q. You're a Major winner. You understand how tough it is to win these things. Koepka looks like he's going to go back to back here at the U.S. Open. How impressive is that?
HENRIK STENSON: It's very impressive. I think he had a rough start, even though he seemed to be on the slightly easy side of the draw early in the week. He had a rough start and had to come back from -- I think Justin told me, walking up 18, that Brooks was 7 over at one stage throughout the second round there and got that back.

And to win is phenomenal. He sounded very confident when he stood in this particular spot yesterday and said he was -- he felt good about his chances and someone else would have to play really well.

Obviously, Tommy put on a fantastic display and shot 7 under today to chase him. And I thought Brooks was in trouble when I stood on the 12th tee box and saw where he hit his second shot on 11. To make bogey from there is phenomenal. He was in the high stuff on 12 and managed to make par from there too.

Those two saves, I guess, on 11 and 12 would be the ones that he'd remember as winning it for him, I guess.

Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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