U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 14, 2003

Jonathan Byrd

Q. Just talk in general about the fact that you've played two majors in your career. You're top 8 at the Masters, looking pretty good this week, and you've had a lot of rounds par or better in your first two majors. Can you talk about why you've been able to do that as a relative newcomer to these tournaments?

JONATHAN BYRD: You wish you could play this solid or play this well every week, but I don't know, I feel like I get charged up for these majors. This is only my first two. This is what you dream to play as a kid. You dream of play the U.S. Open, the British Open, the PGA and you get out there and you feel like it means more.

My composure has been better these last two and I've probably wasted less shots, but my preparation might have been better for them, but I don't know. It's just fun out there.

Q. Are you one of those guys who rises to the occasion and plays better in the big events?

JONATHAN BYRD: I think so. I've always enjoyed courses that really challenge all your skills. I always feel like the better players surface in that environment. I always like a good challenge, and that's why I play this game, because it's so darn challenging every day, the ups and downs.

Q. The downs, what happened on 13?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, most of the first five holes on the back nine I felt like I was going to throw up. I just was not swinging well and all day just didn't drive the ball well until the end and I didn't hit many good iron shots. It's a struggle but I was hanging in there well. I bogeyed 12 from the middle of the fairway. I hit a poor iron shot just off the green, hit a poor chip and I missed my putt. 13 I've been hitting driver all week, top of the hill, and I just got a little quick and pulled it left and it hit a tree and went out of bounds. Then I hit a good drive and a good wedge shot and just missed my putt and made double. It's my first double of the week. It's my same game plan all week is just to hit it up there. I've made a lot of bad swings with drivers but that's the one that cost me the most.

Q. I heard you hit 385 off the tee on 18. Does that sound right?

JONATHAN BYRD: I don't know. It went a long ways. I've been hitting iron there the last two days. I didn't feel like it was worth it. I'm 4-under par for the championship and I needed to make a birdie and I made probably my best swing of the day on 18 and hit it solid downwind and the fairways are firming up and I had a good opportunity for birdie and just didn't convert.

Q. You never forget these things, but 12 and 13 for want of better shots, your name is further up the leaderboard. Does it haunt you or do you have to say --

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, it's gone now so there's nothing I can do about it. Yeah, it bothers me a little bit. I'm still in good shape. I still have a good chance to win the golf tournament, but two or three shots better would have obviously been in better shape. I can't get them back, so I've got to go to the range and try to get them back tomorrow.

Q. Did something change for you between the front nine and the back nine or were you just scoring well and not playing well?

JONATHAN BYRD: I hit a couple good tee shots on the front. On 6 I hit a good tee shot, but other than that I was making some good pars. I made a snake on 2 that would have gone off the green. It went in. I mean, I was making some good par saves and hanging in there. I made a 15-footer almost for par on 11. You know, it almost felt like it caught up with me on 12 and 13. You never think that way, but my bad swings I still made pars and then 12 and 13 they cost me more.

Q. Is it getting a little more firm and the wind is up a little bit?

JONATHAN BYRD: There were some holes, like 17, no chance. I was in between 3 and 4-iron there and you had to land it in the fairway in that neck and bounce it up. I was trying to cut a 3-iron and see if I could hold the green a little more and try and get a 20-footer. That green is starting to get pretty firm. 18, as well, I hit a lob wedge from 86 yards and landed it eight yards short of the hole and it still went past. They're starting to firm up. I know the USGA wishes they would have been like this on Thursday.

Q. Did you take a look at the pin locations tomorrow?

JONATHAN BYRD: There were a couple today. 16, there were a couple that seemed like they were on some kind of sides of slopes, but I had sand wedge coming into the green. It didn't much matter.

Q. Did you look at the locations for tomorrow?

JONATHAN BYRD: My caddie got them and I saw some of them. They seemed reasonable. There's give and take. You might have some harder hole locations but the course is playing shorter. You hit the ball in the fairway there's still a lot of birdies out there.

Q. Do you have to do it kind of early in the round tomorrow?

JONATHAN BYRD: That helps.

Q. Does that put the pressure on you from the start?

JONATHAN BYRD: No, I was trying to make birdies early today, trying to get the lead, like every day you're trying to get in the lead at any point in the tournament. You know, you've just got to get off to a good start. 1 is a par 5, and for a long hitter like myself that's a good opportunity to knock it on the green in two and get a birdie early.

Q. 140, is that the right weight and height?

JONATHAN BYRD: No, 160. I'm not that skinny.

Q. What was the sensation of being right up there in the lead?

JONATHAN BYRD: Like I said, on the back nine I felt a little nauseous. I hadn't felt that this year, I know that. That's great. That's where everybody wants to be. You want to have a chance in a major going into the weekend. I've never been there, so -- actually The Masters I was right there, but I never quite felt it as much as today, and it's great. I love it. I love the opportunity to hit a great shot and to dig deep out there, especially when you're playing poorly, and try to pull it around. I did on the back. To hit out of bounds on 13 and then not miss a fairway coming in, I was pretty proud of myself.

Q. Did your heart just sink when you hit the shot on 13 or did you just go tee it up again?

JONATHAN BYRD: Yeah, it's two shots. You sink a little bit, but it's gone, so tee it up again and try to do better.

End of FastScripts....