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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 18, 2008

Rocco Mediate

SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND

Q. How did your round go?
ROCCO MEDIATE: It was good. I was fine. I made two bad swings today, really, on 11 and 17, and I got what I deserved on those holes. I hit a lousy swing with a 3-wood into the par-4, 11th. I was just trying to chip it, and I chipped it and it just went sideways a little bit on me. And then 17 I hit a bad tee shot. Other than that I didn't make as many putts today, obviously. I hit the ball a million times better today, shot four shots higher, go figure. That's how it works here in this game.

Q. Feel good to finish it up?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, that was good. I just wanted to give myself a chance, and I got a chance. It turned out good. It's always good to do that; it gets you closer to where you want to be.

Q. Amazing you guys got the break both days.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Really? What were you watching today (laughter)? Oh, yesterday we had a huge break, because on the range it was nasty yesterday. Today it was just heavy wind all day, in a little different direction. It changed a few degrees. But the golf course held up nice.

Q. You've got a nice rapport going with the galleries, as well?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Yeah, I love it. The roars are different over here. They're deeper. I don't know how to explain it to you, but it is, it's pretty cool.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ROCCO MEDIATE: Maybe it's the wind, maybe it's the stands, who knows, but it's cool. I don't know, it's different. They won't let you know anything if you've hit a bad one. In the States they'll give you a couple claps or something. Over here, no.
I hit a shot, a funny thing, today on 7, the par-3. It was straight into the wind, and I hit this 4-iron, hit kind of a low one for me, a little chip low one, and you could hear in the back, "Ooh, he hit it low," because I don't hit low ones very often. But they notice those things.

Q. Some of the guys came off yesterday and said it was the worst day they've ever played.
ROCCO MEDIATE: Early in the morning yesterday it had to be. I didn't get to do that. But like I was telling Matt, my caddie, it's the two hardest days we've played, just the heavy wind. I'm not hitting it 300 yards out there, so I'm hitting a lot of long golf clubs into these greens, and these greens don't like that sometimes. You just have to be a little more careful in spots.

Q. You've enjoyed the challenge?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Love it, absolutely love it. How can you not? It's the Open. There's nothing else you'd really want to have a challenge with on this golf course. And I hear it's supposed to get worse. Lovely.

Q. Do you feel like it's a survival test?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Absolutely.

Q. I hear no one talking about attacking anything.
ROCCO MEDIATE: I had some good birdie putts early and I missed them. I hit it close on 2, 3, had a reasonable putt on 1 and I just missed them. So you want to get those because you want to have something to play with out there because you know you're going to make bogeys. It's hard not to out there, even with good shots. I didn't quite make enough, but I got it in somehow.

Q. Is the course playing fair?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Absolutely, sure. Why wouldn't it be fair? There's certain things you get to do here, like for instance, on the 6th hole and on a few holes that are really long into the wind, if I'm not able to hit it far enough to be able to play the hole, too bad. You know what I mean? That's just how it is. I've got to hit 3-woods and hybrid clubs into some of these holes, where some guys are hitting 4 and 5-irons. That's just too bad. I've got to deal with it. No, there's nothing unfair about it.
They maybe could move the 6th hole up a couple yards maybe, but it's not unfair. I'd just rather hit something other than a 3-wood, but it's fine. For instance, that green will accept a 3-wood shot. Just because I don't hit it 300 yards off that tee or 280, it's too bad for me. I've got to figure out another way to make a score.
It's interesting out there. I was 40, 50 yards behind Angel today and Paul Lawrie, but that's just how it is. That's just how it goes.

Q. 40, 50 yards?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Sometimes, yeah. That's the thing. It's like fairways here means length because you get to hit your second shot at the green. I cannot hit it in the rough. Not many guys can, but I certainly can't. So I'll take 30, 40 yards behind everybody, but if I can get an iron on it, I'll be fine.

Q. Would it be fair to say after what happened to you at the U.S. Open, you've got one better chance here because the one person --
ROCCO MEDIATE: Because Tiger is not here? Well, it's still a major. It's still going to be the most exciting thing ever coming down if you're in the hunt, but the difference is, like I said, you don't have to look him in the eye. It's different. It's totally different. I'd rather him be here than not, to tell you the truth.

Q. You're speaking from experience?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Very interesting, very fun, a very satisfying day, even though I did lose. I can't really say much. I don't know what else to say.

Q. How is your back holding up?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Good. It's good. Yesterday it wasn't as good. Today is way better. That's just how it is. I'm fine.

Q. Is this the old guys' Open with you and Norman out there?
ROCCO MEDIATE: I guess. I guess it is. With Greg, you never -- if he gets his mind into the game -- obviously he's been doing a lot of other stuff -- he's just fine. He's proving it. I heard the radio say that they don't expect Norman to be in there on Saturday, and I'm looking at them going, they don't know who this guy is, because if he gets a taste of that again -- you don't win 70 or 80 golf tournaments in your life and not know how to do it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's there right now. He's actually leading the tournament right now. Nothing that guys like that do surprise me.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ROCCO MEDIATE: Like I said, I couldn't do much more. We all want to make a few more putts, but it's just so hard out there. It's good. It's a battle.

Q. Would it be fun going head-to-head with Sharky on the weekend?
ROCCO MEDIATE: Oh, absolutely. Why not? That would be absolutely outstanding, would absolutely be fun. I think it would make for some good theatre. I've got work to do to get him, though, because I'm sure he'll finish it off nice like he always used to.

Q. Any interesting belt buckles?
ROCCO MEDIATE: No, I've got nothing. Maybe on Sunday it'll come out, you never know.

Q. No Hell's Bells, no AC/DC?
ROCCO MEDIATE: No, I haven't listened to anything over here lately. They play a lot of '80s music here, which I like.

Q. (Inaudible.)
ROCCO MEDIATE: No, I wanted to go see Murph, but I didn't have time. I think he's at home. I wanted to go so bad, I just couldn't do it. We've got to go back right after, so I can't do it. I get over there a bunch, I love it over there.

Q. Did you play any links golf before this week?
ROCCO MEDIATE: No, I just came here.

Q. Do you keep replaying the Open in your mind?
ROCCO MEDIATE: I still think back to our Open, and I still don't even know what the hell happened. I can't believe that that was me, that I was the other guy, I really can't believe that. It's hard to believe. It was just the coolest moment. I'd like to have another one of those soon.

End of FastScripts

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