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August 13, 2009
CHASKA, MINNESOTA
Q. What did you take from last week that translated today in this round?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, not much from last week. You know, like the scores did I last week, how I played today is more from what I've been doing the last couple of years, how I've approached many majors for a while now.
You know, if I learned anything, it was through those major tournaments, some of the wins coming close at Winged Foot, places like that; I put it into good use last week, again today.
What's really the difference between now and maybe the first six months of the year, I've been trying to sort something out with my swing and I couldn't get to the bottom of it. I couldn't figure out what it was. About six weeks ago, I got clarity in that. It doesn't mean I got it in my swing at the moment, but I had clarity, so it's eased my mind and my mind can now focus on the important things of getting the golf ball in the hole.
Q. For all of the concentration on the length and how long the course is, why is it yielding low scores?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: The golf course is brilliant. What they have done is they have got some length in it so they can have fair pin positions. It's like Augusta, since they have lengthened the golf course, the pin positions have become much fairer and much more enjoyable to play.
And today, some soft greens out there and some reasonable pin positions that you can go after. And when it's warm like this, we hit the golf ball a long way. You wouldn't want to be playing a 7,000-, 8,000-yard golf course back in Ireland but over here it's okay.
Q. How do you describe the dynamic playing with Tiger?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I think it pushes you. You have to go to a new level. I think it pushes you on and that's what I like. There's no point in being cautious or playing safe and I can get caught very much at times in the middle. You either go for it -- you either play well or you don't is my attitude and Tiger brings that out. He pushes you a little bit more, and you know, you have to go for your shots if you want to compete.
Q. Seemed like you guys might be tired of each other yet you look like you're having fun.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: In fairness, last Sunday, both of us were heavily into our own games. We were both focused and in the zone and all those sort of things. You know, I think today was a lot more easy going. We were a lot more relaxed and we chatted away today so many things, lots of different things.
Totally different atmosphere today. Sunday is a business day. Thursday is let's get into the tournament.
Q. He has struggled to get off to good starts in majors. He has not broken 70 since the 2007 Open Championship.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He doesn't look like he couldn't break 70 out there today. His game was -- you know, obviously years ago, he had probably more flair in his game and a lot more flamboyant about his game. His game is very solid now. Not that he hit all the shots but I think he's putt a little bit of conservatism on his game. It's nice and he's very much in control of it.
Q. What did you do best today? Do you feel like you relied mostly on your short game?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I focused well. That would be the key for me. I think I'm happy, as I said, my mind is clear on my swing, so I'm happy with that, and my focus was good. I actually -- when I'm going to go and work on now is bunker shots. I had two poor bunker shots, actually they were didn't bunker shots but I just misjudged them and that's two shots I let away from the round. If I'm going to look for places to improve the next three days, that's one of them.
End of FastScripts
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