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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 31, 2004

Fuzzy Zoeller

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

FUZZY ZOELLER: What can I help you guys with? You name it and I'll do it.

Q. Can you return to 1984?

FUZZY ZOELLER: Has it been that long? I think so. I had a very good feel. Thursday on the back nine, which was my first nine hold, but I'd say the second nine that I played, the front nine, I found something, and I don't know, it seems to be working quite well, so it's kind of nice to stand up over the ball and have confidence where it's going.

Q. Six fairways today?

FUZZY ZOELLER: That's a little misleading. Littler fairways, yes, but I hit a couple ever short fringes, and I was only in the hay a couple of times. Shortcut is just like fairway. The golf course is in spectacular shape, and that zoysia stuff, your grandmother and grandaddy would love to hit off stuff like this. It's beautiful stuff.

Q. The big issue is the 36 holes tomorrow.

FUZZY ZOELLER: How many holes we going to see you out there at?

Q. One or two.

FUZZY ZOELLER: You know, I don't foresee 36 holes being that big a problem. I think the only people that are going to complain are the people who work in the air-conditioning. As far as golfers go, we're used to it. We play golf every day of our lives, and this is just a time of year where it's hot. It's not that big a deal, just drink plenty of water today, so you're ready to go tomorrow.

Q. You're 5-under. Can you assess your place on the leaderboard?

FUZZY ZOELLER: I'm here. I made the cut. I'm in position to go for the weekend. Who knows?

Again, Mother Nature has made the golf course very soft, kind of made it an advantage for the players to be very honest with you. The ball is hitting and not rolling, just hitting and stopping. These guys are still very, very talented at the older age.

Q. 20 years since your U.S. Open win. Are you a better player now than 20 years ago?

FUZZY ZOELLER: Honestly I am. I am a more patient golfer than what I used to be. I used to be very, very impatient as a young golfer, and I think that's one thing that young golfers have a hard time figuring out. You've got to have a lot of patience with this stupid game. The older you get, the wiser you get.

Q. Are you healthier, too?

FUZZY ZOELLER: Am I healthy? I don't know if you'd call it healthier, but I'm in pretty good shape, yeah. I have no pains. Is that what you're asking?

Q. Yes.

FUZZY ZOELLER: Nothing.

Q. Are you more disappointed that you haven't been more successful on the Champions Tour?

FUZZY ZOELLER: I've had great success out here. Every time I'm able to get out of bed and come out here and swing at a golf ball after three back surgeries, I'm very happy. I'm not upset at all.

Q. Are you going to have a white towel out there?

FUZZY ZOELLER: I might have, I just don't know. Next year the Shark will be here. That would be good. Good old times.

The guys who usually play the tougher golf courses are sitting up there on that leaderboard.

Q. Can you talk at all about the putts that you did make?

FUZZY ZOELLER: I don't want to reveal my secrets. Honest to God, with me, it's just all ball position, and I just moved her up. I kept inching it up, and I finally got it -- all my clubs were bottoming out at the same spot. I tell the amateurs all the time where everything is bottoming out, and yesterday I was trapping everything and shooting little squirt shots. It was ugly, Thursday, the front nine, whenever it was we played. I moved her up, and I started hitting the ball right on the bottom again.

Q. What about during the round? Did you hit it pretty close?

FUZZY ZOELLER: For greens this size, I hit the ball fairly close, yes, fairly close and accurate. My club selection was superb. I have to give Casey a little credit for that. He had me at the top of the mound or right at it every time.

Q. Did you go through the birdies, what they were?

FUZZY ZOELLER: I didn't make any birdies, only five. That's not enough to talk about.

Q. Did you go through them already?

FUZZY ZOELLER: Where were you at?

Q. What will be a bigger issue tomorrow, the heat or your legs?

FUZZY ZOELLER: Well, I don't think the heat is going to bother me that much. These guys are so used to it, they're out here all the time. Walking 36 holes will probably have something to do with it. A lot of them still take the little carts. That's a long grind if you're not used to it.

Q. How physical is this golf course to walk?

FUZZY ZOELLER: It's a long one. Hey, the more, the merrier. Put some more length to it.

See you later, boys.

End of FastScripts.

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