U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 10, 2021

Jim Furyk

Omaha Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: It's my pleasure to welcome Jim Furyk here to the interview area. Jim, 4-under 66 today. Going into the final round with a four-shot lead. Talk to us about your round today, five birdies on the day and then obviously a big one there on 18.

JIM FURYK: Yeah, obviously very happy with the score and getting myself in a really good position.

I felt like I came out of the blocks this morning hitting the ball pretty well. Really like the way I hit it for the first six holes. Knocked in some good putts at I guess 4 and 5, left one hanging at 6 right before the delay. And then we went to the delay. When I came out, I lost my rhythm a little bit, to be honest with you. I felt a little awkward early on, hit a decent shot at 7, but drove it in the rough at 8. I kind of got my feet under me at 9 and then drove it right in the middle of a divot, hung that one out to the right.

And really it wasn't until -- I hit the bad shot at 12, a bad second shot and made a great up-and-down. And then I kind of righted the ship and felt like I struck the ball really well for the last six holes.

Really the key was the middle of that round when I did kind of feel a little out of rhythm coming back form the delay. I got the ball up-and-down really well, made some key putts 8 and 9, made a good putt at 12, saved pars.

I guess I only dropped the one shot at No. 10, which sometimes feels like a par, to be honest with you. So not really -- not a lot of damage done where there could have been, and then played real well and real solid on the way in. Made three birdies.

Q. Can you talk about the approach shot on 16, what you hit into there?

JIM FURYK: Yeah, it's a 3-wood and it was kind of all I had. I think we were about 242 to the front, 265 or something back to the pin, and there was some help back there, but for me that's just let it fly. I had a right-to-left, kind of a draw lie, aimed it out there kind of at the edge of the green and just let it eat, and really caught it flush, solid, and just happened to hit in the right spot and run up that hill. I know a lot of guys were having a hard time keeping it up on that plateau and spinning it back today. I actually hit a pretty darned good putt it just either needed a little more speed or a little more break to knock it in.

Q. Folks that have a four-stroke lead, some have a different mentality on how they want to play that. What's going to be your strategy tomorrow?

JIM FURYK: Yeah, I haven't had that really a lot in my career, but I think the philosophy is not to really worry about what's going on around you, right? You have to go out there and play a good solid round of golf. I can't affect, I can't -- I can't do anything about what everyone else on the golf course is doing tomorrow. The only thing I can control is how I play.

Really just, I'm expecting -- we're expecting some rain again tonight, I expect soft conditions again. It's still a hard golf course, so it's not like guys are blazing scores, but I'll kind of get a feel for a game plan of how I think the golf course will play, look at the wind conditions tomorrow which I think are supposed to pick up, but the golf course should still be soft.

Just go through the same process I've been doing the last three days and really things have worked out real well and played two solid rounds on Friday and Saturday, so just go out there and try to do the same things I've been doing. Stay real patient.

Q. It's a very short list that's won the U.S. Open and the Senior Open. Has that been a goal for you or something you've even thought about?

JIM FURYK: I guess I didn't really think much about it. Coming here I've heard it now at the media room that there hasn't been that many people that have done it, maybe it was a handful. I forget the number.

Q. Seven.

JIM FURYK: It's a cool statistic, but the reason all of us are out here and playing the Champions Tour and playing the U.S. Senior Open is just for opportunities to get out there and get in the hunt and get to compete.

I'm just really excited about the opportunity tomorrow and to come out here and compete and try to win a golf tournament like everyone else.