U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 27, 2024

Richard Green

Newport Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Please welcome Richard Green after a 7-under 63 at the 44th U.S. Senior Open here at Newport Country Club. Can you take us through your round today?

RICHARD GREEN: Started off very nicely. You know, felt the preparation this week has been set up really well to play on this golf course. Felt pretty comfortable in my preparation and practice rounds.

Today's round, you know, proved itself. Hit the ball very, very well. A lot of work has been put in and it's just nice to see to come to fruit.

Q. Notice you had 24 putts today. You said putting was one of the strengths in your game today?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, definitely, it's been one the parts I've been working on a lot. You know, made some putts when I needed to and set up some wedge shots when I needed to.

You know, when I had opportunities to be aggressive, the iron shots were successful, so very happy.

Q. How different was it getting up and out here this morning and seeing a completely different golf course from the practice rounds?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, absolutely. It was beautiful conditions. Couldn't have asked for a better morning to play golf. It's probably what's going to be one of my favorite golf courses I'll every play. It just suits my eye.

I really enjoy hitting good golf shots around it. Obviously conditions this afternoon are a little bit more windy. More than likely it will even itself out after a couple days and we'll get our share of it tomorrow.

Q. Seven birdies. How do you go bogey-free around this course?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, just a lot of the hard work on my game over time, a lot of persistence, a lot of ups and downs. And I've come here and seen this golf course in practice and preparation for this week and felt very comfortable on it.

So my strategy off the tee and strategy into the greens, you know, my putting ability at the moment is working very nicely.

So I'm kind of not surprised a little bit that I've had a good round.

Q. You have done well in the Open Championship before. Does this course translate to those type of conditions, and is there a course you've seen that's similar?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, well, funny you say that. Where I live in Melbourne, Australia, our conditions are very much the same. There's not a day in the year where it's not the blowing 25 Ks an hour. Same sort of surface, the coastal environment.

I'm actually used to playing in those conditions. I practiced prior to starting my golf on the Champions Tour over here and low 50s, and I was practicing every day in these sort of conditions. So I'm used to it. I like it. The course suits my eye.

Q. Take us through the run of birdies and how those came to be?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, after playing in the practice round early in the week, 10 was playing really into the wind. Wasn't able to get anywhere near the green, even with a hybrid in my hand.

Today hit a great drive down there. I had 9-iron into the green. Was able to be aggressive to the hole and hit it to about five feet right of the hole and holed the putt.

You know, I knew 11 and 12 with the wind direction are a little bit more difficult for me being left-handed. Hit good tee shots. Set up the approach shots and hit great shots into both 11 and 12 to knock in -- it was a 4-footer on 11 and the same again on 12.

So combination of good hitting good putting.

Q. And then finished with a birdie on 18. Haven't been that many there. How do you do that?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, well, another hole that I feel like suits my game. You know, the wind is helping off the left. Got a good drive down there. Able to get a wedge into the green. Had a good yardage to land it 135 yards in one bounce. The way the crowd reacted, it sounded like it hit the flag. Lucky enough to stop three feet away.

Q. How would you rank this round? Obviously a great scoring round.

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah, one of the best I've had really. I've had lower scores in my time, but from a feeling of how I feel on this golf course and the way I prepared and practiced and got my game into this shape, as good a round as I've ever had. Can't ask for more.

Q. What's the next 36 hours look like for as you have a late tee times tomorrow?

RICHARD GREEN: Yeah it's a matter of just resting up. A little bit of a practice this afternoon and keep in tune with my short shots and the putting. Just rest up and try and sort of put today behind me and focus on tomorrow as another day and another challenge and get on with it.