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U.S. SENIOR OPEN

June 28, 2019

Duffy Waldorf

Notre Dame, Indiana

Q. How would you qualify your day today?
DUFFY WALDORF: You know, obviously it felt a lot different. I'm happy I got through with an under-par round. I didn't feel as good hitting the ball today, for me. But the course was -- the course seemed a little different. I felt like I was in tune with the course yesterday. The wind wasn't blowing too hard, the greens were not too fast. Today I had about three or four putts where I just rammed it by the hole, just surprising. They're starting to pick up a little speed. There were some pins that were slopey. So I didn't adjust well, so it was more of a challenge for me today. And I'm pretty happy, actually, with 1-under because I had two chip-outs today and I had one chip-out yesterday. So those chip-outs, those start to add up pretty quick when you hit it in the rough and can't play to the green. So I need to clean that up just a little bit.

But all in all, I'm happy with my round. Happy with the position. It was pretty early. I tend not to like the early round. The course played a little different today. I think the scores will be a little higher today. In fact, I would almost guarantee it, if I can make guarantees; I don't think I can. There's a lot of guys who gotta play to make that happen.

Q. Have you played me of the Coore Crenshaw courses and do they normally fit your eye, so to speak?
DUFFY WALDORF: I've played a few. I really like this one a lot. This one is a really good-looking course that really kind of -- it's framed well. The bunkering really frames the holes well. It's a good, challenging course, and I really like the way they did the greens. I mean, as far as the entrance to the greens is pretty ideal. The only hole I'd change is No. 4, but I think it's a par-5, so it's probably supposed to be that way. It's the only hole that's like, oh, boy, there's not much of a runway here and I've got to hit a long shot in, but probably meant to be a par-5.

Q. Can you explain your success in this championship? You always get to the weekend and here you are again.
DUFFY WALDORF: I think these courses set up well for my game style, which is somewhat -- I won't say conservative, but I'm very happy hitting the middle of the green a lot of times. And right now especially, my short game's been good. So playing a little more conservatively tee-to-green, which means just hit the ball in the fairway and then that doesn't mean take on every pin and don't challenge every whole with a driver.

The U.S. Open style of golf suits my style of golf. I did pretty well in the PGA this year, which is a similar course -- the course at Oak Hill was very similar. That style of golf appeals to me. This one is a little bit different because scoring is really good.

But there's just more birdie opportunities here, at least at the moment because of the softer conditions. And I think that could change, but you've got to adjust your game. I always found the sticky part about a U.S. Open is that, you think, oh, I just got to keep making pars, but actually when you get an opportunity to make birdie, you've actually got to be aggressive and make birdie because you're going to make bogeys. Anytime you miss the fairway or miss the green, you're liable to make a bogey. You hit one down the middle on the hole that's not too long, and you've got a shortish iron in your hand 8-iron, 9-iron, wedge, you've got to be pretty aggressive in those situations, and obviously the par-5s.

So that's kind of the thinking I use at the U.S. Open. It's not just fairways, greens, par every hole; it's fairways, greens, and go for the pins when you have a good setup.

Q. Right now you have two guys that are double-digit under par, and you like the mindset of playing for the middle of the green, but to catch them you have to be more aggressive. Does you put your foot on the gas a little bit more maybe?
DUFFY WALDORF: Yeah, it doesn't really change off the tee too much because you want to hit the fairway, but approaches are going to be -- you start pushing it back, longer shot in, you're still going to try to get close. Maybe the club doesn't feel right, yeah, I will get more aggressive with the approaches for sure.

The tee shots will probably be similar. Every day you've got to adjust to the conditions. I just hope to get a bunch of opportunities. That's the idea. This one you do definitely need to make birdies.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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