U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 3, 2008

Fred Funk

FULLAUDIOINTERVIEW

Q. Fred, overall how was your week here?

FRED FUNK: It was a great week. It was a great golf course, and the fans turned out. Everything was a positive, except for my Back 9 yesterday and today. That's just the way it goes. I hit a horrible shot on 13 and then tried something to get it up there far enough, and turned that into a triple, and the tournament's over.

Q. 13 was about where it turned around, wasn't it?

FRED FUNK: That was it. Yeah. I made triple there, and if I had just made a bogey, I'm okay, but oh, well. I ended up, I was trying to force an issue a little bit too much, I guess, with that lie, and I hit, just a couple loose shots again.

Q. Driving today seemed just a little off from what it's been.

FRED FUNK: Yeah. It's been off all -- really, yesterday and today, yesterday on the Back 9 and then -- Back 9 really again today it was off.

It's just a demanding Back 9, and I just didn't get it in the fairway, and you end up making bogeys and unfortunately you're making triples.

You just can't do that. I'd have liked to at least kept it close, but I couldn't do it. I thought maybe if I made that putt on 14 for par and maybe I can get a little momentum back, but I missed that, and the door's closed at that point.

Q. Fred, how disappointing was number 9? You're up there at least in birdie range.

FRED FUNK: Yeah. That was real disappointing. I hit a really good shot, and actually that thing was so close to going really close to the hole. Just if it's a little softer, it catches that ridge instead of running into the fringe and it's going to be an eagle putt from probably about five feet.

Instead I'm on that high cut. I thought I hit a good chip. It was just really fast, and I hit a really good putt, and it just turned off at the little bit.

We read that and it just started a hair right. And then the chip on 10 as well was close, and then the wheels were struggling a little bit from there after my drive on 11.

Q. Going into the Back 9, did you like your position? Were you comfortable with where you were?

FRED FUNK: Yeah. I was playing good again. I was hitting some good quality shots, and I felt comfortable with the putter; and yeah, everything was good. I just -- I hit a terrible drive on 11 and then a 3-wood on 13 was -- that was all she wrote.

I actually hit a good drive on -- hit it good off the tee the rest of the way in, actually. I did end up a little bit in the rough on 14.

It's just unbelievable. You think you got a pretty good lie, and it just doesn't come out, so it's very frustrating.

And I'm very disappointed in the big picture because I really felt like -- you know, I look back and I said I didn't really have to play -- all I had to do was have my normal game and keep it in play and maybe I would have the trophy. But Eduardo played good. He did what he had to do, and I didn't keep the heat on him.

Q. Is it one of those things where obviously you're disappointed, but maybe you're a little happy for Eduardo; he's never won a championship?

FRED FUNK: Yeah. It's great. It's fine. (Laughs). I'm happy. He's a great guy and he deserved to win. And that's great, but it doesn't make me feel any better. I mean first loser's not too fun.

Q. The other day with him would be more fun than today?

FRED FUNK: Yeah. Yeah.

Q. Was it disruptive at all, the holdup? Did that mess with your flow at all mentally?

FRED FUNK: It didn't seem like I ever did have a flow. I don't think anyone in our group did. It seemed like a lot of guys started off with the nerves right out of the gate.

I 3-putted, my only 3-putt all week, I think. I had an easy one on the first hole, and I had an easy uphill, straight-in birdie putt from 20 feet or so, and I ran it by. And then you're in trouble. And Eduardo hits an unbelievable drive and hits a terrible wedge and makes bogey. And Kite and Cook bogeyed the first hole.

So all of us were nervy, I guess, early, and never could get a rhythm. And you know, you get in contention, you gotta deal with that, especially on this difficult a golf course.

Q. Fred, talk about the crowd a little bit. It's the largest U.S. Senior Open crowd in history. Is it what you expected? Was it great playing in front of this many people?

FRED FUNK: Absolutely. It felt like a regular tour event, a major in another regular tour event. So I think it's a great tribute to the state of our game on the Senior Tour, and it's a great tribute to Colorado Springs, I think, too, for all the people that came out and supported, watching this championship, and on this great, unbelievable -- look behind you and see that backdrop, it's just gorgeous.

So it's a really fun place to come, a great golf course, and I hope they get it in the rotation a little sooner than I hear they're going to get it in. But we'll see.