U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 2003

Jonathan Byrd

Q. Jonathan, if you could run through your birdies and bogeys for us and we'll get a few questions.

JONATHAN BYRD: Where do I start, on 10?

Q. On the back.

JONATHAN BYRD: Just hit a lot of greens on the back. 14 I missed in the rough and didn't get it up-and-down from the left rough next to the green. Came back, hit it in the left rough off the tee on 16 again today about the same spot as yesterday and got it up-and-down for birdie.

Q. What did you hit on 16?

JONATHAN BYRD: Driver, wedge out of the rough.

Q. How long was the putt?

JONATHAN BYRD: About 12 feet. Then good pars. And then 1 I hit a good drive down the left side and hit 3-wood about 12 feet.

Q. How far was it?

JONATHAN BYRD: I had 254 to the hole and I flew it about 249 and it stopped pretty quick. I made eagle and made some good par saves on 2, 3 and 5. Hit driver, 6-iron on the fringe on 6, 2-putted for birdie. And then 8 I hit in the hazard yesterday and made bogey. And today I got just aggressive and hit a driver down there and a wedge to about 12 feet, 13 feet and made birdie and made a good par on that.

Q. Are you surprised how easy it's been for most of the players to score low given it's a U.S. Open?

JONATHAN BYRD: I don't ever think it's easy. I mean, the guys that are in the red are playing well. They're hitting the ball -- you've got to hit the ball in the fairway. The rough is still difficult. This is my first Open, but from watching TV in the past I think the rough has been more severe around the greens and off the fairways and you didn't have many options. You had to chip out. The course is not playing quite as long as the yardage indicates. You're still hitting a lot of 7, 8-irons and wedges out there.

Q. Are you surprised you're hitting as many drivers as you are out here?

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, I've only hit five or six drivers today, I think, maybe a couple more. I've hit a lot of 3-woods. I hit a 5-iron off the tee one day, and 18 is 460 and I hit 4-iron off the tee. The course is starting to play faster. You've still got to keep the ball in the fairway.

Q. Have the conditions changed at all between Thursday and Friday?

JONATHAN BYRD: Not a whole lot. The beginning of my first about 12 holes, the sun wasn't out and it kind of felt like we were playing in the morning. It was still a little damp. The greens softened and the sun came out at the end of the day and the course just never really firmed up so it played a lot like it did yesterday morning.

Q. Are you surprised where you are in position, on the leaderboard?

JONATHAN BYRD: No, this is where I want to be. Everybody is trying to get in the lead or close to it.

Q. How are you going to sleep tonight?

JONATHAN BYRD: I'm sleeping good. I've been sleeping good every night.

Q. You know what I mean.

JONATHAN BYRD: Well, these Opens, these days on the golf course kind of take it out of you mentally and physically. I'm going to go to the range and work on a couple of things, but I will be -- I don't think I'll be too nervous, I'm just anxious. I'll be ready to get on the golf course again. I'm ready to go challenge myself again.

Q. What were your expectations coming in, Jonathan?

JONATHAN BYRD: I don't know. I'm young, it's my first open, but I'm trying to win. I feel like my game suited The Masters and I felt like I had a good chance to win there and I was close. I had a chance on Sunday, and here I feel like I have most all the shots, it's just a matter of managing my emotions and my game and everything else, and I've done a good job of that the last two days. I've done a better job of that than I have playing. My demeanor has been really good the last two days.

Q. Do you have special preparation then since it's kind of your big showing here?

JONATHAN BYRD: Special preparation? I didn't get here until Monday night because I was playing in Avondale so I got here later than I wanted to. No, just eat good at night and get a good rest and get ready for the next day.

Q. The way this course is playing would you say there's no surprise with like what Vijay has been able to do out there, what Jim Furyk has been able to do out there?

JONATHAN BYRD: What did Vijay shoot?

Q. Shot 63, tided for the U.S. Open record.

JONATHAN BYRD: I think if you're on your game the greens are so good. I've never seen so many putts stay on line, the greens are rolling that well. You see birdies out there. You see holes you can get aggressive on and two par 5s that you can reach and that 6-iron into 6. You can make eagles there. The course is not playing extremely difficult, but if you're not on top of your game there's a lot of bogeys out there. It's a matter of how you're playing.

Q. When you look at Jim Furyk, one of the things Jim was known for when he came out is look at the kind of unorthodox, unconventional swing. Does it surprise you what he does with that unusual swing and could you ever swing that way?

JONATHAN BYRD: I've tried to kind of joke around and I can't, but I'd love to be able to hit my wedges as good as he does and hit the ball as consistently as he does. He's pretty amazing. He puts the club in a good position at impact. That's what it comes down to. He's played some great golf this year. He's impressed everybody, I think. I want to emulate him in his consistency. I think everyone would. He's playing some good golf.

Q. When you dreamed about playing in the U.S. Open and now you've played two rounds, does the reality fit the dream?

JONATHAN BYRD: No, I don't think you're ever really prepared. You try to prepare yourself, you know, just daydreaming, I guess, but I've watched a lot of Opens on TV and wished I was there, and it's not fun watching in your living room on the couch. I just wanted to be in the atmosphere. I wanted to be able to challenge myself and be able to stand out on tee shots that are difficult and see if I can hit that shot or hit that chip or make that putt, and that's what's fun for me in this game. I can't think of a better environment than a major championship.

Q. When you watched those first U.S. Opens, do you remember the first one you watched and what was that memory?

JONATHAN BYRD: I can't remember, and I've watched a ton. I've watched the ones at Pebble and Shinnecock. I think those are the ones I remembered. I watched Tiger wax the field, Lehman have chances and Davis Love have chances, and just thought, you know, the U.S. Open has got to be the greatest test of your emotions and game and patience and I just always wanted to be in that environment.

Q. You went through that whole PGA tour rookie season kind of thing. Is this really different than those other tournaments?

JONATHAN BYRD: I think so. I keep talking about environment and atmosphere and it's just different. The pressure you put on yourself to play well is different because you know in the long run these tournaments just mean more. They shouldn't. Every shot should be the same importance, but it doesn't work out that way. This means more, and you're just more excited to be here and you just want to do good.

Q. You've gotten yourself all revved up and watched all these Opens in the past. Now that you've played two rounds and you're in contention, do you have any surprises, anything that came your way in these two days in the preparation that is different than what you expected coming in?

JONATHAN BYRD: I actually thought I'd be a little more nervous. I was a little nervous today. I was just trying to calm myself down. You know, once I got out there, it's just like -- it's not the same but it's just like any other day. You've still got to hit the greens, hit the ball in the fairway, and it's just as fun. I love the practice and it's fun to be able to get out on this course and try to hit the same shots you did in practice.

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