U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 23, 2022

Retief Goosen

Saucon Valley C.C. (Old Course)

Quick Quotes

RETIEF GOOSEN: Like hole No. 2, even driver 8-iron in the practice round; today I was hitting a drive and a rescue.

Yeah, even-par has pretty much taken it this morning.

Unfortunately, the sun is going to shine this afternoon and we'll be all forgotten. You can throw away your notes.

Q. No, I'm sticking with the Goose. Playing out of the rough was --

RETIEF GOOSEN: It doesn't matter. With water in it, it's like hitting out of an ice plant. I had a rescue club out of the rough today that didn't carry more than 50 yards. You hit it in the rough, you can't get it on the green.

Q. Is there any kind of -- in the balance of softer conditions versus -- the afternoon, they're going to have a big break obviously because they're not playing in the rain.

RETIEF GOOSEN: The big difference this afternoon is the ball's going to go much further. That's the big difference. The holes are going to play three clubs shorter this afternoon.

But they've still got to hit the fairway. If you're in the rough, you're going to struggle. It's going to be a big change from playing in that rain to just playing in nice conditions this afternoon; it's a two-club difference.

Q. Last year at Omaha you had a very good finish. Do you feel like coming back to sort of U.S. Open conditions favors you in any way?

RETIEF GOOSEN: I played okay, and I played some really bad golf lately, but I've worked hard on my game the last few weeks. Hopefully this week, the key is driving. If I keep hitting the fairways, I'll have a lot of short irons in.

It's not easy getting close to some of these flags when the greens are, you know, spinning a lot. Have to hit a lot of half shots. I'm happy with the round. I would have taken it today in that rain. I mean, it was brutal.

Q. Was there a particular aspect of the game that you really needed to work on more than any other?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Just a bit of everything. My swing was badly out of plane; I was struggling with everything and just trying to get the swing a little bit better on plane and see if my misses are not as wild as it's been in the last few events.

Q. The focus needed is fairways this week especially.

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah, I mean, today you had no choice on some of the holes than to hit driver, otherwise you can't get to the green. Otherwise you could have maybe hit some 3-woods or things like that, but you have no choice, you've got to hit driver.

I drove it okay. A few fairways I missed, a few bogeys here and there, a few bad bogeys, but I'm happy with the round. I'll take an even-par, and hopefully won't be too far behind after today. There's a long way to go.

Q. Last week MJ Daffue was talking about your counseling, your mentoring of him. Have you done quite a bit of that?

RETIEF GOOSEN: Well, I've known him since he was 14. I started playing golf with him back in South Africa. Yeah, the guy financially struggled for some time too, and I've helped him out with finances, sponsoring him for a few years. I'm glad to see that he's come around. He's started to play some good golf.

I played with him, I think it was early in the year, he was really hitting it a mile. He was hitting the ball solid. So it was just a matter of time. There's so many good guys. It's just so difficult to get on the TOUR. That's the thing. Not everybody can be on the TOUR, unfortunately, but he's earned his way in, and I think -- I'm looking forward to seeing him on TV a lot next year.

Q. I think the mental aspect is something he said you were really helping with most recently about maybe not being too hard on himself or just loosening up a little bit.

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah, when I played with him, you can just give the guy compliments. He says, yeah, but I'm not scoring. I said, you keep hitting the ball good, at some stage you're going to start scoring.

And it came for him this year. I'm happy for him. Had their firstborn, too, last year, and so he's in a good place.

If your mind and the pressure is off you a little bit, it's a little easier to play.

Q. People have been watching you for years, think you don't get excited out there. You're the calmest guy out here.

RETIEF GOOSEN: No, I get excited. In my room when I get back. I've bashed my head against the wall, probably thrown a chair around.

No, we all get upset. Don't worry.

Q. Do you use -- they all love to walk these things to measure. Do you use them?

RETIEF GOOSEN: No. Maybe I should. I don't know. You try and stay focused in this game, play shot for shot, especially on a golf course like this. It's easy to quickly lose it. You know you have to grind on every shot.

I like a golf course that's playing tough.

Q. You always have. It's kind of been your MO.

RETIEF GOOSEN: Yeah. So the weather is looking great for the weekend. It's going to be a different golf course again tomorrow. Playing much shorter.