	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2010

Lucas Glover

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

BETH MURRISON: Good afternoon. Welcome to the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. We're joined by the 2009 U.S. Open winner, Lucas Glover. After a memorable win last year at Bethpage, a wet win, but a memorable win, a great week.
Lucas, you're playing in your fifth U.S. Open but your first one at Pebble Beach, you said earlier that you've actually been to Pebble Beach you played the Amateur here in '99 and then the AT&T. Can you talk about being here for U.S. Open this week?
LUCAS GLOVER: It's obviously a lot different. Amateur in '99 it was similar, but not as much, not as drastic towards the water and the new grass on the bunkers and obviously they hadn't put in some of the bunkers and different stuff. And then I hadn't played since 2005 for the AT&T, so it was nice to get in early Saturday evening and I played 45 holes so far and it's great. So looking forward to the week.
BETH MURRISON: Can you talk about what the last year as U.S. Open champion has been like for you?
LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, it's been a little busy, but it's been fun. I get to come in here on a lot of Tuesdays now and do stuff like this. But it's been great and I'm obviously honored to be back and have a chance to play well again. But it's been a good year and it's hard to believe it's been a year, but that reality set in when I had to send the trophy back.

Q. Patience was such a key at Bethpage, you started out slowly there, and you were not known as the most patient player throughout your career. Now 12 months down the road do you think you really learned from that?
LUCAS GLOVER: Absolutely. I had that preached to me and preached it to myself a long time and then I kind of forced myself to believe it starting out last year and then as the year progressed obviously it helped me and I can still obviously get better at it and still think about it. But I think I said it a year ago, but after I got one on the first hole, that would have been two or three years ago I don't think I would have even recovered and made the cut. But that was -- I think that was from working between the ears a little bit. And just realizing that it had to be that way to succeed.

Q. You spoke about having played several round out here already this week, can you tell us how the course is playing, maybe how bad the rough is or how difficult the rough is and how you expect it to play heading into the weekend?
LUCAS GLOVER: It's firm and fast already. I played Sunday and it was warm and sunny and I could kind of feel things drying out a little bit as I played. But obviously a lot firmer and faster than I would say I would be used to for AT&T in February where it's usually wet, but the rough is standard U.S. Open. It's got the graduated different levels, the further you get off the fairway and it's just what we expect. You miss the fairway by a couple yards you'll have a chance, you miss it by several yards you'll be penalized. And we know that going in and that's to be expected and that's the way it should be. So greens are smooth and fast just another typical U.S. Open thing, but all in all it's in great shape and it's going to be a great test.

Q. Two questions, one, do you ever get tired of being called the defending U.S. Open champion?
LUCAS GLOVER: Absolutely not. Absolutely not.

Q. And two, nobody has been called the two time defending champion since the '80s, what is it about this particular tournament that's so difficult to repeat? Is it really just the courses change so dramatically from year to year or what do you think that is?
LUCAS GLOVER: I just think it's, I don't know. I hadn't really thought about it. But I would say it's just the difficulty of it. Mentally, physically, everything. I assume it was Curtis Strange 20 years ago, so yeah, so obviously a great feat to do that two years in a row. But it's such a grueling test on your mind and then on your game. And you've got to get -- you've got to have some good breaks too. I think anybody that wins any week, much less a Major, you get some good breaks and so I can't answer your question factually, but that's just what I would think.
BETH MURRISON: Many times you'll hear people for instance the Stanley Cup they will bring the cup somewhere that it goes on road trips, did you do anything interesting with the U.S. Open trophy in the last year?
LUCAS GLOVER: Not really. I took it to my -- took it to our fundraiser we have in December and some friends took it over in a corner and filled it up with stuff and drank out of it. But nothing really outlandish. I sent it down to Sea Island, Georgia for a few days after, right after, and I let Mr. Jones show it around a little bit down there at his clubs and just as a thank you. But other than that it stayed at the house.

Q. Did you become significantly richer, more popular, more recognized or anything like that after last year's win or did life stay pretty much the same?
LUCAS GLOVER: Well, just like I said earlier, just a little busier. Phone rang a little bit more. I signed a few more autographs, but nothing too crazy. And that's probably the way I would want it and would like it to stay, but nothing too off the charts.

Q. When did you send the trophy back?
LUCAS GLOVER: Two weeks ago.

Q. Did you have to, do you mail it here or Far Hills?
LUCAS GLOVER: I'm not sure, my wife did it. I was out of town and I was supposed to do it when I was home and I forgot. So I think they had to call and say, you know, we kind of need that. So if you could get that to us we would appreciate it.

Q. You haven't changed since last year's championship. Was that hard for you or is it just a matter of that's the type of person that you are?
LUCAS GLOVER: I just didn't really see the point and why would I? Davis Love told me something pretty important or I feel it was pretty important, he said, "You won playing like you so don't change it." And that didn't mean don't practice or don't work on your game, that just meant your method's pretty good, just, you know, work on. I've always tried to focus on working on my weaknesses and getting better and I didn't see a point in changing me or my golf swing or anything like that.

Q. Of the five or six holes where they have cut the fairways or changed the fairways, which holes seem to be the most drastic and possess the most danger?
LUCAS GLOVER: I would say 6. Because I just remember from years past and again it's been five years since I been here, but you had -- you had to hit a really, really poor shot to miss that fairway. It was wide and the bunkers were smaller and there weren't as many of them and then the right side you had some protection from going into the water with a little bit of higher grass or rough, what have you.
But now it's a heck of a hard tee shot. Especially with a driver. I hit driver Sunday, Monday, and did okay and then today it was a -- I hit 3-wood and I can see downwind hitting even less than that because the bunkers you might not be able to get up top, if you hit it right you're hitting three. So I think for me it would be that one.

Q. Last year qualifying, something went off in your head and you were really hitting the ball well coming into Bethpage, are you hitting it as well right now?
LUCAS GLOVER: Yeah, I am. I played well today. I feel pretty good about it. Just got to -- around here you got to hit greens. So you've got to feel good with the irons and work your ball and different stuff. So I've got some things I can work on today and tomorrow to get ready, but I'm hitting it pretty good. We never hit it like we want to. If we did, we would never go to the range. But it's pretty good.

Q. What sort of styles tend to win the U.S. Open in terms of aggressive, passive, off the tee, going in, and what sort of style do you think best suits Pebble Beach here this year?
LUCAS GLOVER: I think that you look at the past champions and you got every style. You got your Tiger Woods and your Corey Pavins, and that's a testament to the tournament. It doesn't matter if you're long or short or hit it high or low, if you're playing the best, you're going to win. And that's the way it should be.
But I think the same holds true for here. You'll have guy that is hitting it longer and higher that will fly it on to the green and then you'll have guys that hit it lower and shorter that can bounce it up and be just as effective. And that's the beauty of Pebble Beach and most Open tournaments or most Open courses.
BETH MURRISON: Lucas, thank you so much for joining us today and congratulations again and you've been a wonderful champion and we look forward to watching you defend your title this week.
LUCAS GLOVER: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297