U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 6, 2006

Vicente Fernandez

CRAIG SMITH: At even par, Vicente Fernandez.

Q. You were 3 under, 32 on the front nine. You must have been pleased with your start this morning.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, and I was 3 under, and it could have been anything. Anything. I make one putt on number 4 for about 10 feet.

And then almost hole in one on No. 2.

Then 2 putt number 7.

Then I miss so many opportunities. I mean, I shot 70, which is a good score, but I'm really very disappointed the way I waste all the opportunity that I had. I had at least 12, 13 opportunities inside 10 feet, and I didn't make any.

And on a golf course like this, you need to putt well to take advantage when you hit it in the fairway and when you hit it close, and I didn't take advantage today.

So even if you score well, I mean, if they tell me in the morning take 70, I would take it. But after the way I played, I was a little bit disappointed because, I think I left five or six shots out there.

Q. The 7th hole was one of them. You were in a great spot in front of that green.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, and then well, I have a lot of birdie chances inside 10 feet, and I didn't take any.

So I hope I can keep playing like this and make the putts. Roll it in the hole.

Q. Did the weather change? Did the wind start to pick up after you made the turn?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah, it changed a little bit. We started out and it came from the east, and then when it was switching southeast. So but overall it wasn't much different. Maybe seven miles, eight miles difference. But the course is playing tough. Even under that gentle breeze.

Q. Talk about the end of your practice round yesterday. It's already made the rounds, that the hole in one you had there. And then birdie, eagle birdie. Is that how it ended for you yesterday?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. Can you just discuss that.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, it was one of those days that I mean, I'm striking the ball well. But to have a hole in one is always lucky. I hit the ball well, but to get in the hole, it was lucky.

And I'm pleased the way I'm striking the ball. I just have to be a little bit more accurate with my putting, which let me down today.

Q. Did you keep track of your score yesterday?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No. No. No. I normally don't track it on practice rounds.

Q. What was the club you used on the hole in one?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: 9 iron.

Q. And then did it go in the hole or back up?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No, it just bounced about two feet from the hole and the second bounce or third bounce from the hole.

Q. And the way you started your round today, your confidence had to be great?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, I think that, as I said before, I was 3 under, but I could have been 7 under, 8 under, the way I played. The way I hit it. I wasted so many birdie chances. So many.

Q. Is that because of the tricky greens?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: No. Well, the greens are not easy to read. But I was maybe 50/50. 50 my reading and 50/50, the greens are tricky.

Q. But your tee shot on 16 was not near the fairway. Did you hit most of the fairways today?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Yes. That was, I think there was two fairways that I missed, and that was one. But I paid for it.

Q. After the way you played those two holes yesterday, it's kind of ironic that they kind of snuck up on you.

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, you know, golf is like this. It doesn't assure you anything the way that you play the day before.

Q. With the forecast like it is and the wind expected to pick up tomorrow, and you're teeing off later now, how important is it to have a number that you put up this morning?

VICENTE FERNANDEZ: Well, always it's important to have a first decent round. Because you never win a tournament on the first round, but you can lose it by having a poor round. But I'm happy the way I struck the ball. I'm just hoping to get my putting in the hole a little bit better. Because I think I have a 33 putts. 33 putts, that's not too good.

End of FastScripts.