U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 29, 2024

Paul Stankowski

Newport Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Okay, so you had a good start and good finish on the day. You had a birdie on 1 and 17. Do you want to walk me through both of those?

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Yeah, the first hole nice tee shot, a 4-iron just short of the green and chipped it up -- actually bounced it off the pin but to a foot, so tap-in birdie there.

Then the bogey I made was on 8. I got out of position off the tee and then still out of position. Just didn't get to the green in the rough and knocked it on the green, two-putted. That was a bogey.

And then 17 I hit a really nice 6-iron to 12 feet maybe, 15, 12 feet, and poured it in. Finally. Finally made a putt, so that was my only -- well, made a couple nice five, six footers but it was nice to make one.

Q. Speaking of which, you had a lot of pars. Did you feel like you had any good looks at the hole at some point in between?

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Ton of looks, ton of good looks. You know, I felt like -- I don't know how many greens I hit, but somewhere in the area of 14 or 15 greens and had a ton of good looks. Hit a lot of quality golf shots. Just didn't get anything to go. A little misread here or there.

But I feel like I rolled it pretty good. Speed was good. Encouraged.

Q. You played a lot of wind throughout your career so far. How would you say this compares?

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Wind-wise this is just a good, steady breeze, which is nice. You're coming off the ocean, not a whole lot of swirl to it, so pretty consistent.

So it was -- probably into the wind I would say it was hurting upwards of 20 yards. You know, depends on your trajectory. Downwind helping 10 to 15 depending on your shot.

It just plays with you enough and the greens are starting to firm up in spots, so this is how you want to see this golf course play. A little breezy, getting firm and fast, and it's fun.

You know, I think all of us would enjoy it more if it was really soft, little easier to control the golf ball.

It's in great shape. What a special golf course.