U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 3, 2008

John Cook

FULLAUDIOINTERVIEW

Q. Tough day to get things going?

JOHN COOK: Yeah, right from No. 1, I thought I hit two pretty good shots and they were a little long, and I dribbled a little pitch shot down there about 2 1/2 feet and missed it, and that just summed up the day.

Really didn't do a whole lot right. Didn't get the bounces when I needed it, and I missed six 3-footers, that I've been making all week. A tired guy out there today, I can tell you that. I was whooped. I was trying to fight it all day long and just couldn't do it, my mind was -- I was trying as hard as I could, and I just don't get it done.

Q. Physical fatigue from the altitude and heat or mental?

JOHN COOK: Just emotional. I'm physically fine. Just mentally tough and really disappointed.

Q. Three tough weeks in a row.

JOHN COOK: Yeah, I let that one get away last week, and this one, I knew what it was going to take, and it just -- I knew even par today would have been good. 7-under would have been a good score, and I was trying. I was battling. I kept hitting shots, and you know, my pace on my putts wasn't very good, and I think that just comes down to being just emotionally drained.

Q. The back NINE really hurt because you were still in it.

JOHN COOK: Yeah, I had an 8-footer for birdie and missed it and from then on, it was a struggle. Hit some pretty good shots. I hit some good shots and didn't come away very well, and I thought I pulled it at 18 and came up short and spun back down the hill and 3-putt that had one, too. Kind of sums it you have.

Q. Are you surprised that this course only yielded three players under par for the tournament, or is that a testament to the course?

JOHN COOK: Absolute testament to the golf course. Nowadays, well-designed and -crafted golf courses will defend themselves. It doesn't need 8,000 yards. It doesn't need big humps and bumps in greens, and Oak Hill for our PGA was just that way, and this course was the same. Well-designed golf courses defend themselves, and this one certainly did.

Q. Eight rounds under par today, all reasonably early.

JOHN COOK: Yeah, it was tough out there this afternoon, without a doubt. The wind was tricky and the greens got really swirly, here it comes, it's pretty standard. Tough golf course, and like I said, I tried to muster up some energy emotional-wise, and just couldn't do it.

Q. These two days and last week's tournament and the start of this week, what did you think; did you think it would be tough to do? What were the thoughts Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday?

JOHN COOK: Monday was not a good day. I came out and walked a few holes just to get some fresh air and fresh thoughts, and get everything done. And Tuesday, Wednesday were great. I had great practice rounds with Mark O'Meara and Greg on Tuesday, and Joey and Mark on Wednesday. And had a lot of fun first three days. The first three days of the tournament, I struck the ball beautifully. I put the ball in the right spot. Putted well. And today, I just couldn't do it.

Q. After a couple of weeks together, is this maybe about right this week after what you went through last week; could you have expected too much more?

JOHN COOK: I expect more out of myself for sure. Even a battle today; I let that go. I didn't putt very well, but you have to have clear mind to putt these greens, and I just wasn't very clear on what I was trying to do.

If someone would have said, yeah, you're going to finish fifth this week after last week, I'd have said hey, cool. But you know, when I had a chance to win, again, I'm disappointed. I really am disappointed, last week and this week, that I didn't finish it off, and I've got a week to figure out what went wrong and try to be better, because we've got another major the week after next in the Tradition.

So just got to gather myself this week and not beat myself up too much, which is going to be tough to do, but we're going to go see Seinfeld on Saturday, so maybe I'll get to laugh a little bit.

Q. Where?

JOHN COOK: In Vegas. So maybe that will get me going in the right direction.

We've got a couple more real big weeks, and then the whole month of October is big for us. So you know, I'm disappointed right now, and I haven't closed the deal yet this year, and that upsets me more than anything. I've been in position now five or six times to win and haven't come away with it, and there's some things I need to do. I'll figure it out.

Q. Two tournaments that could have been great.

JOHN COOK: Yeah could, have been a great run for sure. If someone said you were going to go to the British and finish second and finish fifth at the Open, I'd have said, hey, that's a pretty good two weeks, but standing here, I can't tell you I feel good about it.