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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 22, 2009

Ross Fisher

FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK

Q. Can you tell us about how you -- what you hit in to set up the eagle at 13 and how you felt at that point in the championship?
ROSS FISHER: I hit, I think I hit 3-iron from I think it was about 240, 250 playing straight down wind and obviously after the previous 3-putt, I wasn't feeling too good.
So it was nice to pummel a driver and hit the green and hit a great shot to about six, seven feet, knocked it in for eagle straight after Phil he hit that tremendous shot and made eagle. It was nice to get that back, that's for sure.

Q. To be at 3-under and be your first weekend in a U.S. Open and you're in the pick of the theater at this time and there's been a lot of theater in this tournament. What has this meant to you?
ROSS FISHER: It's something I'LL never forget. This is still a new experience for me. This is only my second U.S. Open. But what an experience. Coming to New York, hearing the crowd; I mean, you know, just can't say enough for the crowd.
Obviously they're cheering for Phil and all the other guys, but, you know, I felt like I had a bit of support out there. And the crowd was a little bit loud at times, but they were just tremendous. They kept -- I think they kept me going, they kept, everyone, going. Because it's been a long week.
Without the crowd turning up day after day after day in that weather and especially today, you know, hats off to all the guys and gals who came out to support everyone.

Q. As a young player, you're still developing I'm sure mentally and physically, trying to grow your game. To be able to go out in a tournament where you don't even know what round you're playing sometimes, just be so confusing and you have to stay mentally focused. What can you take away from this experience in terms of becoming a better player?
ROSS FISHER: I think I'll probably go home and work on my putting, I think, because not being funny, but if I would have held just a couple of putts, I think I could have won this comfortably. I feel like I've hit the ball so, so good; probably the best I've hit it ever in a tournament. Just couldn't hold any putts.
And I was working on it this morning before I went out and played, and it felt good. And just the same again, just unfortunately kept hitting good shots and I even had to stiff it, give me a range or holding it 30 foot, because I couldn't buy a putt. Hit a good crucial ones at the start and towards the end when you're in the thick of things the last four, five holes, that's where tournaments are won and lost, and unfortunately my putter went cold. It's a shame, but fifth place I think on my own, it's not bad.
Things are going in the right direction, and hats off to everyone that was involved this week. Can't say enough about how good the course was; the green keepers did a truly unbelievable job, saying to David, I just couldn't believe how dry it was on the golf course. Greens were superb. Towards the end, they got a little bubbly, but that's to be expected; how much rain have we had this past week or this past month.
So to play that golf course under normal U.S. Open conditions would have been brutally tough. But it was long. It was tough. But I think overall it's been a very fair test. And I think you'll see a true, worthwhile champion. I think Lucas should be able to pull it off.

Q. How much attention did you pay to the leaders, the group behind you?
ROSS FISHER: You want to see how you're doing and every time you look at the board and you see your name out there you know you're doing something right. No one was really running away with it. It was unfortunate that obviously Ricky hasn't played great today, neither has Lucas.
So that kind of gave us guys like myself and David and Phil, all the other guys a good chance of winning this tournament. And it was tough. You are looking at the leaderboard. You've got Lucas Glover and Phil Mickelson and saw a certain Mr. Woods' name on there. So there's some good golfers playing in this tournament. Some good names on the leaderboard.
To see my name up there towards the top I was trying to get it right up top. Didn't manage it this week, but hopefully this will be things to come after this. I'll have a lot more U.S. Opens and majors to play in.
So I'm thoroughly looking forward to coming back and playing some more.

Q. Could you describe the highs and lows of missing the short putt on 12 and coming back, making the great shot and the eagle?
ROSS FISHER: It's what you go through. 12 -- I don't know what happened there. I thought I hit two good shots in there. Hit the putt thinking I'm walking off with birdie and a couple seconds later I walk off with a 5. Whether I pulled it or hit something, I don't know. But that kind of stumbled me in my tracks, but I think it just shows how good a mental strength and that I can bounce back and hit two of the best shots I've hit all week and finally holed a putt for an eagle. So that got me back into it.
Unfortunately drop one on 15 and hit an all-right shot on 17. Walked off with bogey. But that's golf. And I'll take a lot from this and make me a better person and player.

End of FastScripts

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