U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 2008

Tiger Woods

Q. How did you take care of that?

TIGER WOODS: I didn't really hit it close. I just made about some 15, 20-footers and got on a roll that way.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: I didn't do anything. I actually just kept patient. I was trying to get back to even par for the tournament. I was just trying to get back to even par for the tournament. I was playing the back nine at even par. I got messed up at 18. Just play the back 9 at even par. All of a sudden they started flying in from everywhere.

Q. You're certainly not a guy who needs a confidence boost, but having not played for the two months to come out here to do what you did on the front nine, what does that do for your confidence?

TIGER WOODS: It was nice. It was nice to -- I was just hanging around. I was just hanging around, hanging around. I thought I got it with the eagle on 13, and then right back on 16 and 17. And 18 was playing as easy as can be and I made par there. </ p>

On the back nine I made some putts. I was getting a little aggressive on No. 2, trying to drive it down where I felt if I could turn it over I could get on the upslope or the flat and get an easy pitch. I spun my pitch too much, and then all of a sudden made that putt. And then you know what, I went birdie, birdie and all square for the day, just need one more to get back to even par for the tournament.

Q. I know you're in your own world out there. You always say that. What do you think it does to the No. 2 and No. 3 player in the world to see you come off of knee surgery and put in a performance like that?

TIGER WOODS: You're just at the halfway point, you're just trying to play and position yourself. This golf course is only going to get harder and more difficult. And Adam and Phil were playing pretty good. But it doesn't take much, just make a couple of mistakes here and there. This golf course will bite you quick. And you just have to hang in there and stay patient.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: That would be nice. That would be really nice. I don't know where the tee is going to be tomorrow. It's all dependent on that. If you drive the ball in the fairway from the back tee, the back tee was downwind today, you could get there. I didn't think that anyone could ever get there unless it was long downwind, but they played the up of the two back tees, which was nice.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: Actually just stayed patient. If I shot 3- under par on that back nine, that would put me at even par for the tournament. That's all I was trying to do is get back to even par for the tournament. And I just got a couple more.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: It was nice to have to swing. I actually had the perfect angle, had the perfect lie, a lie I could actually spin and control my distance. It was just a great break. And I hit up there pin-high with an 8-iron and capitalized on it.

Q. How is the knee? It looked like on 16 when you pulled the ball out of the hole maybe you took --

TIGER WOODS: 16 was fine. It's a little sore right now, though. But I'll go back home and get some treatment on it.

Q. Was it better or worse than yesterday?

TIGER WOODS: Same.

Q. You talked about just needing to get back into a competitive flow. Have you reached that point now? Do you feel like the old Tiger?

TIGER WOODS: I thought I was back in the rhythm of the round yesterday after about two or three holes. I felt like I was right back in it. I felt I was able to control my distances, the shots, shapes, everything just started coming back. And after that I've been fine.

Q. How did you find the gallery today?

TIGER WOODS: It was loud. It was really loud on 18. Just kind of that -- I don't know, it echoes a little bit more. People are excited. They were definitely jazzed today.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, we saw that.

Q. What was your take on that?

TIGER WOODS: Well, they were being a little loud and a little rude. Stuey is over there on 18 trying to tee off and Tony is trying to make sure that he doesn't have these guys yelling on their swing. And they didn't like that very much.

Q. Was that the exception to the crowd today?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, they were great all day. We just had that one incident.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: I had 57 total.

Q. The fact that you've been away, talk about your thoughts going into tomorrow?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I'm in great shape so far. I'm right there. I think I'm tied for the lead as of right now. It's a U.S. Open, even whether you're playing Torrey Pines or the Buick, this golf course is getting fast and hard and dried out. Some of these greens are getting really firm. You have some of the easy pins you think you have a wedge into -- for instance, I had just a simple little sand wedge on 18. There's no way I'm going after that flag. I can't line it up. It's going to skip over the back and go into the back bunker. You have to be so patient out there. Even if you have some short irons in your hand, you're still going to have to two putt, have a 15 or 20-footer, tha! t's going to be a good shot. It's still playing like a U.S. Open.

Q. The distance on 13?

TIGER WOODS: 13 I had 248 to the front. And I think that was on 18. So I had 248 front.

Q. What did you hit?

TIGER WOODS: A cut 5-wood.

Q. With the exception of the PGA last year and a lot of the Majors you say you've been grinding like crazy, were you grinding out there today?

TIGER WOODS: Yeah, big time. It was a big time grind out there. The golf course is getting fast, and even though the cloud cover came over, the marine layer came over, the greens are still quick. It's a little bit bouncy, too, in the afternoon. The poa is starting to creep up. You want to hit some firm putts, but sometimes you just can't help it.

Q. (Inaudible.)

TIGER WOODS: You've just got to be patient. Hopefully you can position it below the hole, if you can. Sometimes you just can't.

Like for instance over on the 7th hole today, the front pin, you just can't get above the hole. You have to hit pin-high, Skip past the hole. You're going to have to make a 15, 20-footer coming back down the hill.