U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 9, 2021

Miguel Angel Jimenez

Omaha Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: It's my pleasure to welcome Miguel Angel Jimenez here to the interview area. Miguel, 1-over 71 today. You're one of three players under par for this championship right now. How do you feel about your position, and how tough was the course playing today?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: I feel good. I feel nice knowing that I'm a bit under par on the golf course. In this heat, it's tough to play golf at 2:00 with over 30 degrees and no air. I think it's not easy. But to be 1-under, three behind the leader, and we'll see if tomorrow has to go. I feel good. I've been hitting good the ball and giving myself a chance for birdies. Not many of them happen out there, no?

On 17th, I just make a good putt for par after missing my second shot with a sand wedge to the green. Went to the bunker, and it's the only putt I holed all day. At least I can say that. No, but just playing consistent, solid, and I'm happy.

THE MODERATOR: Take us through a little bit of the middle of the round. 8 and 10 are playing tough. Had a bogey at 8 and 10 but nice birdies --

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Yeah, I made a bogey on 7, 8. I hit on the 7th with the 6-iron and blocked a little bit on the face of the bunker. It was totally unplayable. I made 4 there. Then on the 8th, I hit a nice drive. Just bounced just on the first cut. But I have 125 meters, 137 yards, with a wedge in there. I just make a little three-quarters, and the ball is going like a bullet from the club, past the green, im a position just impossible back there.

Then I hit my driver on the 10th on the left, and the grass with the long irons is impossible. I put the ball close to the green. I had like 55 meters to the hole, and I make a shot, made up a shot six meters to the hole and make the putt, walked away with a bogey, you know. Then I make a birdie on No. 13. Hit my driver to the green, and there were two and a half meters for eagle, but the hole is moving, and it's very difficult, no?

Q. U.S. Open, U.S. Senior Open, you like playing in them. Why is your game so suited to playing in those championships?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Well, I like to play. Majors are always nice to play. The golf course is more selective. You need to play very well. You're not only hitting whatever and then putting. Around here, you need to play all the clubs from the bag. You need to be good. You're using all of them, and especially on this golf course you need to be accuracy from the tee, and on this golf course especially you need to be below the hole because it's very fast and a lot of movement on those greens.

You need to have patience and hit fairways, and it will give you some chances.

Q. Are you amazed that Jim Furyk could shoot that kind of a score here today on this golf course?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Well, he make good scores this morning. He make 6-under par this morning. That's good. He's one of the guys who's more straight on the Tour. This golf course is going to give you the opportunity to do that if you hit it straight. He's one of the straight players on the Tour. I think he's a nice good putter too, and he got all the ingredients.

Q. What do you have to do this weekend?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: Enjoy. You need to -- the main important thing, I think, is patience. It's a long weekend. There's still 36 holes to play. The main thing, you need to be patient and keep focused. As I said before, you need to be consistent, very consistent from the tee if you want to be up there.

Q. Were you surprised at all to see just three players under par going into the weekend?

MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ: No, I'm not surprised. When I be playing the practice round and I see the golf course, I said, hey, par is not a bad score, you will see at the end of the week. But it's a tough golf course, and how many players do we have under par? Three, four, five? Only three. Less than yesterday. And maybe more tomorrow. You never know.