	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 17, 2006

Ian Poulter

MAMARONECK, NEW YORK

Q. Great round, though I know it's certainly not the way you wanted to finish. Can you take any positive out of the round?

IAN POULTER: Yeah. I mean, from start to finish, I hit an awful lot of fairways, and I seemed to put it in good spots on the green, as well, to have a few birdie putts. I got a little bit unlucky on 16, great golf shot in there and it just runs through the back of the green, make par.

A couple of fliers just on the edge of the fairway, and I had a wedge with one about 180 slightly downwind, which is a little bit unusual, that's where I made bogey.

I hit the shot I wanted to hit on 18. It was a yard short. I would like to go back and redo that one. I hit a good golf shot, and that's what I have to take into tomorrow. I'm playing great and I feel good.

Q. You said yesterday that you've matured a lot and put aside some of the adversity and really focus on the positive coming into tomorrow.

IAN POULTER: I wish there was another hole to go and play right now because I'd probably make 3 and walk off with a smile on my face. But 18 holes is 18 holes. Yeah, I'm hitting it great and I feel good. That's the main thing. If I keep having the swing thoughts I had today tomorrow, then I'm going to be in the mix.

Q. There have been a lot of doubles out there today.

IAN POULTER: I'm no better than anybody else; I made double. I'm a little frustrated. I don't care what anyone else does.

Q. It's been a long time since a European won, but there are a lot of you on top of the leaderboard in week.

IAN POULTER: Yeah, I mentioned that to Mickey. There was a lot of European guys under par there at one stage. It's not going to be long before one of us manages to win a major and a U.S. Open.

Q. What about the eagle on No. 5?

IAN POULTER: Yeah, lovely. I see that as just trying to keep it short left of the bunker in the fairway, left myself a nice yardage with 5 wood, hit it to seven foot and rolled it in. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

Q. What's your mindset going into tomorrow?

IAN POULTER: I can't think I mis hit a golf shot out there today. I'm just trying to you know, 18. I hit what I thought was a perfect golf shot, a couple of yards short. A yard more and I'm telling you, that ball was stiff. I didn't even hit a bad chip shot. I think it just caught the fringe. Half an inch more, it would have skipped up.

Q. What about the birdie at 15?

IAN POULTER: Yeah, nice birdie. Hit a great 5 wood down there, got it a long way down there, hit wedge, come up 20 feet short of the pin, rolled it straight in the middle.

Q. (Inaudible).

IAN POULTER: I had 131 front, 140 pin, and again, I was just lying on the edge of the fairway, which I've had fliers out of that stuff all week. Wind was off the right, ball was above my feet. It was awkward, really. I'm surprised it finished there from my tee shot. I just executed fine. It just didn't fly a yard farther.

Q. Four strokes behind the leader, and it's certainly there for the taking.

IAN POULTER: Yeah, I mean, it's a birdie and a triple bogey for somebody. It's nothing. I would have been fairly happy to go shoot level par today. I'm not quite so happy now, but looking at it, it's right there. These guys have got a few holes to finish, play a couple of shots, and it's really not that far away. If I can just chill out tonight, all will be good tomorrow.

Q. Is this your kind of a golf course, do you think?

IAN POULTER: I love it. It suits my eye. I think it's very, very fair, and it's the fairest U.S. Open course I've seen. If you miss a fairway, yeah, it's going to be tough, but you can still hit a couple golf shots. As long as you leave yourself a good leave, then you've got a chance at making par.

End of FastScripts.

About ASAP Sports • FastScripts Archive • Recent Interviews • Captioning • Upcoming Events • Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297