U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 30, 2023

Rod Pampling

SentryWorld

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Rod Pampling, 1-under 72. You're 2-under for the championship. How do you feel you stand heading into the weekend?

ROD PAMPLING: Good. I played solid. The greens are a little bit tricky this afternoon. I never had the nice putts yesterday, so was always a lot more break today. My speed was just a bit off. I'd played mostly in the morning, so, yeah, I was just coming up a bit short. I'll address that now and be ready to go tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: What was it about the greens specifically? That seemed to be the area.

ROD PAMPLING: I could pick the lines yesterday, and today it wasn't as good, and as I say, the speed wasn't right. If your speed's not right it's difficult to make putts.

As I said, we'll address that now and get ready for the weekend.

Q. Rod, the 9th hole statistically played easier today, but you were the only guy I believe in the top 10 on the leaderboard who birdied it. How did you do it and how big of a boost was that to you?

ROD PAMPLING: It was good. I bounced back a lot the last month or so. When I made a bogey previously on the 8, and just to get up there and -- I changed -- I didn't take driver. I hit 3-wood today, and that just seems a little bit more flatter area for the ball to land.

Just had a really good number for wedge in there. Yeah, finally hit a good shot close and actually had a putt like I had yesterday, where I could read it. Yeah, it was nice to see it go in.

Q. To follow up, if they do move the tees back tomorrow or at some point during the weekend, how much differently will that hole play, and potentially what kind of impact could it have?

ROD PAMPLING: Obviously it depends where they put the tees. Obviously today was nice to take a 3-wood off the tee. But if it goes back, then the drivers kind of finish in the same area. The further back it goes, the flatter the fairway is.

The key is just to hit the fairway. You have to hit the fairway on 9. Otherwise, unless you get a really good lie, you don't have much else. Just lay it up and try to make a par from there.

Q. Lastly, consistency has been pretty good. Was today a big round to get through given where you were in the draw? And what is the approach for the weekend?

ROD PAMPLING: Yeah, it was nice. I hadn't been sort of in a situation like this in a major for a while. I've had a lot of good events, but not the lead. To handle the situation, I think I played pretty solid out there.

Just, as I say, had a few breaks here and there. The putter didn't cooperate as well as it did yesterday. Nothing to stress about. Just go home and little cool down session now. Yeah, just address the speed of the greens, and it will be fine.