U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 2008

Rocco Mediate

ROCCO MEDIATE: Bet you didn't think I'd be back here, did you?

Q. Congratulations.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Thank you. I had a blast.

Q. Describe your day.

ROCCO MEDIATE: It's just -- I started out -- I played as good a front nine as I could play. I think I hit every fairway and a couple of greens, a couple of fringes. It's my favorite kind of golf. It's hard. Most of us are not machines, especially myself. I missed a few on the back nine and I had to pay.

I love this type of golf. This golf course is set up so nice, it's good. But it's my favorite tournament.

Q. You've been in this position before. Can you take from those other times and be able to maybe now take that next step?

ROCCO MEDIATE: I know what it's going to be on the weekend is putting. Hopefully I'll be able to hit the ball as well as I did today and keeping it in front of me the next two days. It's going to get harder and tighten down and not get easier. There are a lot of people chasing everybody. Who knows who will lead. It's going to be hard and you have to deal with it. Around par is going to win this, but the way things look, who knows.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yesterday I played early. Today the poa is sticking up a bit. I grew up on this stuff. I misread a lot of putts early, I thought they were a lot faster and I left them short and I should have known better. They're fine. It's set up great.

Q. You struggled before and have not been able to play the way you wanted. How do you feel right now?

ROCCO MEDIATE: I feel absolutely perfect. I have no problems. Is there any wood up here? I have no problems.

Q. It's good to be back in position?

ROCCO MEDIATE: It's great. I don't have many mornings left. I'm in a great spot. We'll see what happens.

Q. What is your game plan for tomorrow?

ROCCO MEDIATE: They're hard to hit.

Q. You seemed relaxed. Is that a result of being out in front?

ROCCO MEDIATE: I'm like that all the time. I do the same thing, it doesn't matter. Everyone says -- I'm playing pretty good in a U.S. Open, how could I be angry? I was pretty pleased. It will be nerve-wracking and insane the next few days.

Q. The fact the sun didn't come out, was that --

ROCCO MEDIATE: It came out early early. You guys say marine layer. Like Curtis said, it's fog for most people. The wind laid down a little bit, but not like it was late yesterday morning and early afternoon. It had to help. It didn't get any firmer yesterday.

Q. Yesterday the sun was out.

ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, so it was firmer. It laid down all day. The fog came in -- the marine layer came in all day.

Q. What's making this golf course so difficult?

ROCCO MEDIATE: It's that word, the U.S. Open thing they have on most of the pins. It's so hard. The greens are so firm. They're not really firm, they're not real, real firm yet, but they're plenty. You see the scores -- a lot of guys said this golf course will play much easier for a U.S. Open. If somebody gets to 3-under, it's 3-under par, and it's not going to get easier on the weekend. It seems like they always run first day is easiest, second day is a little harder and it keeps going.

Q. How do you compare this to other Opens?

ROCCO MEDIATE: This is the best. It's perfect. Nothing is wrong. The pins are all good. He put 18 up two days, I like to see that. 13 was way back today. I think that's great. And the 3 and 16 changes, I think that's a great idea. They're doing a great job. I think most of the guys will say the same thing. I haven't heard any complaining this week.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ROCCO MEDIATE: That's the dream. That's what you want. I mean you don't get a lot of chances to play with the best player that does anything, especially at my age. And I played with him a lot -- not a lot, several times over the years. And it's quite a -- it's awesome. I mean you want that. You want that.

Q. How much does your attitude about The Open affect you? How much do you think that comes into play and how you're doing?

ROCCO MEDIATE: I just like a golf course where you have to be precise. I happen to be starting to play better and I'm feeling better and I'm moving the ball pretty good right now. I'm putting it where I want most of the time. It's not going to happen all the time. And that's what you have to deal with. I'm doing a job. But I like the fact that I need to make 8 birdies a day -- it would be nice to.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ROCCO MEDIATE: We're going to find out. I think I can, but there are some other guys it that might have a different say about that. We'll see. I'll give it a shot.