U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 29, 2023

Padraig Harrington

SentryWorld

Quick Quotes

Q. I know it was a little bit of an up and down round. Talk about it.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, look, I certainly got the best I could have out of the day. I had one of those days you get the odd time. Doesn't your mother always tell you you're going to have days like that, like this, really struggle to focus.

My mind was jumping about places, so bar the sixth hole, I would actually say I had a magnificent day to shoot 3-over par. Like I was never right -- from the word "go" I was never comfortable. I just was -- mind was racing, and as I said you get -- I get it once or twice a year.

Usually don't get it two days in a row, so let's hope we get better the next three days. As I said, I did really well not to do a lot of damage today.

Q. Would say off the tee was kind of the biggest issue?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: All the way through my game. I struggled all the way through. Mentally, just struggling to stay focused today. It happens. Definitely off the tee was where I got punished.

Yeah, off the tee I suppose, you know, the two par-5s I hit it in the water and then I hit it in the rough on 6, which is easy enough.

You know, perfect example. On 6 you have bunker up the right at 303 which I can reach, and I'm trying not hit it, and of course the bunker is not the end of the world, the rough is worse. You know, that's the way -- I hit it up the left because I was afraid to hit in the right-hand bunker, but the right-hand bunker wasn't a bad miss.

That's kind of the way it was today. I didn't make good decisions. Over the ball I worked really hard for my score, bar No. 6 as I said. Everything else -- and to play the last three at 1 under, it was going very south at that stage. I had to stay eating jellies and things to get the sugar levels up. When your mind is racing, you actually have to go the other way and get a sugar rush going to get some concentration.

Q. So what does the next 24 look like?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Just rest. Rest. Thankfully this is a 72-hole tournament and this is a particularly good golf course for chasing on. Somebody can go out there and shoot a good score and you don't have to do a lot wrong to feel terrible out there.

Q. When you save a round like that from a score...

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah.

Q. Do you feel -- not that you had a great day, do you feel like you kept yourself in it?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, I think if this is a regular Champions Tour event, 54 holes, I would be done. With another 54 to go on a tough golf course, it's a really tough course but offers birdie chances.

It is possible to go out there and shoot a really good score if I have a great day. It's not a pretty golf course to be defending on. Maybe I was a bit defensive today because I kind of -- you kind of know going to a U.S. Open I think first day out you can get a bit defensive.

Yeah, I have to say I found LA Country Club a lot easier than this place. I know this is shorter, but the length doesn't bother me. LA Country Club was a lot easier.

Q. So if you don't get it in the fairway it's not going to...

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: The greens are extremely different. They's huge undulations in them. They're super fast. Several pins -- guy behind us nearly holed out from one hole and he's got a 40-yard chip. There are several pins that are on fast greens. Perfect example, on 15, I'm a foot off the fringe so I'm, what, three feet from the green? I'm 30 feet from the hole. All I'm thinking about is if I hit this, comes out well, I've got a 30-yard chip coming back.

You know, you just cannot afford to be out of position. Look, the beauty is if you're not out of position, then you've got a great birdie chance. Like 5 is -- if I played 5 with my mates in practice round, be driving a wedge. I hit it in the water today. That's what tournament golf does.

I miss-hit my drive and nosed it in the water; whereas if you are playing with your mates you take a tight angle and whack it around there and hit your pitching wedge in. That's tournament golf and that's this golf course.

Hopefully -- it's tough. You know what? Winning last week takes a lot out of you. U.S. Open the week before, as well. I'm trying to recover for this, and I know even more so now I'll be going to Indiana Jones this afternoon. That's my plan. Won't be the range, right?

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