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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

August 1, 2009

Joey Sindelar

CARMEL, INDIANA

THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Joey Sindelar to the interview room. Joey's 12-under par for the championship, one shot off the lead going into the final round tomorrow. Tell us a little bit about your satisfaction being in that position and what you think you need to do tomorrow.
JOEY SINDELAR: Well, thank you. Of course, I'm very happy to be in this spot. You know, a little sloppy at the end. The three 5s on 14, 15 and 16, you know, that -- look a lot is going to go on tomorrow, but it would have been nice if those three were 4s and would have been at the head of the pack.
But it's what this course does, you know. It gets a little tougher, a little more interesting toward the end. And I don't mean it's less interesting in the beginning, but it really starts getting your attention later on.
So I'm very happy. If you would have told me I'd be in the second group going off tomorrow within a shot, I'd have jumped right on it, so good stuff. I'm a happy.

Q. Joey, there was some really good golf early on when you guys traded birdies on those couple holes; can you talk about, you know, the good moments of the day?
JOEY SINDELAR: Well, thank you.
You know, first of all, my congratulations to Tim. I don't have any idea what he said in here and it's not even the question you asked me, but, you know, I can't imagine what he's feeling. You know, that was somewhat nerve-racking for a veteran, you know. That's big-time crowds right there and television cameras all over the place, that's the real deal, and that's what we do, and it's not what he does. And I just think he handled himself incredibly well, and not only that, he played good golf. He's nowhere near done yet. So my congratulations to him and my wishes that he doesn't turn pro and join the Champion's Tour (laughter.) He can just stay away.
So we did. I mean, it was good golf really most of the day. I mean, you can't shoot par, a couple under and scrape it too much around here. There's a little bit of room, but, personally, I'm pleased. You know, I hit a couples of clunkers, but there were a lot of good ones in there. It's just a stressful golf course.
For instance, I don't know what it looks like to you guys on TV, but that shot on 17 today was so hard. You know, you can't carry the bunker because it's going to go over the green. If you play to the right and you are more than three yards right of the left bunker, its going go the other way. And there's just little spots out there that you just got to bear down and go, okay, par is a really good number on this hole, an we're going go play offense somewhere else. If you do that, it's a lot smoother.
So anyway I'm happy. It was good solid day. Thanks, Bill.
THE MODERATOR: Speaking of playing offense, Fred Funk's 9-under on the Par 5s for the week, and you are just as high on the Par 4s as you are on the Par 5s. Did you have that expectation on this golf course that you would be able to do that?
JOEY SINDELAR: No, I would have expected -- you know Fred Funk, he is a bomber. All the bombers have the advantage.
You know, my drives on the 5s, I've been just out of position, you know, close enough, but not quite, you know. For instance, number 11; there's such a small area to hit that fairway. We like to be a little -- but, on the other hand, on the 4s, my iron game has been very good this week. My swing plane is just right, so consequently my aimer is pretty good.
So it's been fun. I've had a lot of very short birdie putts and that explains it. I didn't know that stat, but it felt like that as I was playing so I'm happy to hear that.
But, yes, you expect to be on the offense on the 5s out here, for sure.

Q. My curiosity has the best of me, what happened on that third shot on 14?
JOEY SINDELAR: That's called a shank [laughter].
You know, I've worked really, really hard on my chipping for six or seven years now and I've tried lot of deals. Right now I'm trying very hard to get the wrists out of it and I kind of feel like a manikin out there the way I'm going about it. I watch even a guy like Tim Jackson today who just hit about four beautiful, beautiful chip shots off tight stuff, with a lot of people watching, you know. I mean, he did it, you know, that was -- and I'm over there going, I could putt that [laughter].
But it's interesting, I mean, look, stuff happens. That shank wasn't as much a product of a shank like from anywhere else. It was -- sometimes in the rough -- like I was in the rough just short of number 10 today, and it was this beautiful, whiskey grass, there was no rat's nest of hair. It was just beautiful grass, and it was the same kind of shot, and I did it and it was perfect.
That one looked like a bowl of spaghetti. You know, the grass was matted and it was all over the place and it was just a big swing. To be honest with you, I don't know whether I hit it off the heel or the toe, but I know it went over there when I was looking over there.
So, again, I don't know. Because the grass probably wrapped around it. It was just one of those insane U.S. Open lies that happens, and it wasn't the greatest execution.
But the crowd was very kind. They didn't ooh very loud, and I didn't hear a single person laughing, that was great, which enabled me to then hit my next shot.
But the next shot after this shank is the very hardest one, there's no doubt about it.

Q. (No microphone.)
JOEY SINDELAR: I had a perfectly juicy lie with a square face pitching wedge and right up the slope and I could stab at it and it worked. Chipping is not where I exist, although I'm trying very hard.

Q. Joey, Fred lost a playoff for a major six days ago over in England and Greg went into the final round that day with the lead; is that resilience or just a couple of hot guys staying hot?
JOEY SINDELAR: That's a couple of really good golfers. You know, if Greg played, you know, 20 or 25 events, you'd see a lot of that. Fred is just one of the thoroughbreds out here. It's absolutely no surprise that those names are there.
You know, Fred, where is the weakness in his game? I mean, he does everything really, really well and he is feisty and he's won enough that he is use to winning and he loves to win, and he's won at virtually every level. So no surprise.
And Greg, I mean, equally talented, different ways. And pretty amazing that as little as he plays he can be this good. You know, and, of course, he loves the environment. He loves the challenge and the competition.
And it's amazing to see the crowds, how they love to watch him play. Unfortunately, I'd rather be the group behind like today than the group ahead tomorrow but because he brings a lot of people and they're going to be waiting for those groups. It will just be awesome out here tomorrow. Better to be behind something like that than in front of it.
But no surprise. Great players. I mean, you can, you know, Mark Omagra is starting to play great golf. I see him sneaking up there. Dan Forsman, one of our newer players, really, really good. Jay Haas, I don't even know what he did, but, you know, a bad week from him is twentieth. So it's amazing. There are some guys out here that can really go.
And the harder the courses get, that cream continues to come to the top.
THE MODERATOR: Joey, thank you so much for your time. Best of luck tomorrow.

End of FastScripts

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