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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2010

Gregory Havret

PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA

BETH MURRISON: We are very happy to have with us Gregory Havret, who shot a 1-over 72 today and finished 1-over for the Championship in his first U.S. Open. Could you give us your thoughts about your play today and your time here this week at Pebble Beach?
GREGORY HAVRET: Well, it's some great feelings. It's been a great week. I holed a 50-footer to win a playoff and qualify for here on the last green. And then all of a sudden I'm here playing on the last hole, but just before with Tiger, and obviously a great feeling at Pebble Beach in the U.S. Open.
It's my fourth Major, first at U.S. Open, you're right. It has been a great week. Of course I'm a bit disappointed now because I've been so close to heaven. But, anyway, it's great for me here, for sure.
BETH MURRISON: Would you mind very quickly going through your scorecard, your birdies and bogeys for everyone.
GREGORY HAVRET: Sure. I started with some very good shots at the first. I was very glad because first time with Tiger, it's quite something. The crowd is just incredible for him and for me, too, respect really, really strongly all my shots and my game, and I really enjoyed that.
But it's really something to play with him. I was very good shot at the first, very nice second shot, and I holed that putt from, yeah, 11-, 12-footer. That was a very good start.
Another bird birdie at the 6th, which is probably the easiest hole on the course, I guess. Very good 3-wood, 6-iron not far off. And it was not very far for make an eagle, but it was a good four.
Then the bad came a bit. I hit a very good tee shot at the 8th. I made about a 6-iron into the trap, made a good shot from there, but it was a good putt. It was a good putt, but I over scoped it.
The 10th was two very good shots. It's a shame that my first putt totally not misread, but didn't expect it being that quick and that much downhill. So I passed it by 10, 12 feet and missed it again. And then...
And then many pars until the 17 which is one of the hardest holes in the course. I made a nice tee shot, but standing too much right in that trap. It was great to be in the trap, it's not a bad place there. But I hit the putt too hard and missed the putt.
1 then 18, I had a very good driver, good 3-iron shot. My ball came back very nicely to the green and then at the last minute, I don't know why, it just maybe grabbed or was doing something, and just turned right and middle of that trap. Bunker shot was fine, again, not a very good putt. It's a shame, particularly since it wasn't as good as the other days.

Q. Your caddie said that even an 18 when you went into that trap he was remembering that you hit out of the trap and beat Phil in the playoff, that you won in your other tournament by making a great up-and-down from the trap.
So he was thinking maybe the gods were with you. Were you thinking something similar?
GREGORY HAVRET: Yeah, I didn't think at that moment, yeah, sure, I want -- I was in the trap, both times up and down. Here, yeah, not very good bunker shot. All the week was very good for the bunker shots.
On 15, I had a very good up and down from there. I think that's another one. And the other days was very good from there. Bunker shots and putting from 5, 6, 7 feet. And, yeah, hit it good, but it wasn't a mistake. The mistake was the putt. The putt was bad. It was -- I don't know, 10, 12-footer again, right-to-left, quite a big slope. And I pulled it.
So, it's like that, but, yeah, it would have been nice to do it again, yeah.

Q. I was wondering the meaning of what you have stitched on the back of your hat. You had two good seasons on the European Tour, you struggled last year. What went wrong and what you did to turn it around?
GREGORY HAVRET: Jeanne is my daughter. Yeah, I had a great seeings on in 2007. 2008 was good, too. I made 15th in the world and top-20 at the Open. It was a nice one. Not a great one. 2007 was probably by peak, that was the win, and that was a nice result. And from there it has been a lot of struggle, you're right.
You know how golf can be. You know how life can be. But, I mean, I'm not looking for excuses. I lost confidence a bit and I needed a week like this week at the Open for me to believe in myself a little bit more than I do. It's probably -- the main problem I had would be not as confident. That's the thing.

Q. Forgive me if I'm asking a question you might have covered earlier, what were your expectations coming into this week? Did you expect a good week, or how are you feeling about things?
GREGORY HAVRET: I didn't really expect anything. I mean I came playing my first U.S. Open in Pebble Beach, a links course, which I love links courses. I really enjoy playing on this type of course. It suits fine to my game, I think, and I wasn't expecting anything.
For Monday I started to hit balls and the main point was to be as much focused as I was about to really put 150 percent into every shot. And that was the thing for this week because it was the same for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
And the putting was good, too. I wasn't putting very good the last four or five, even six months. I had the small putter, and I came back with the belly putter the week before the U.S. Open. And the belly putter I won at Loch Lomond, I put it back on the bench, taking the other one, but I was obviously quite wrong. I came back with it, and I'll not change for a little while, I think.
But after nine holes, ten holes on Thursday, I felt confident. And said, okay, do whatever you can, just fight on everything. And if you have to fight to finish in the top-20, okay, fair enough. If it's to be better, okay. If it's to make the cut, it's going to be the same. It was my things -- my thoughts of this week, yeah, for sure.

Q. Would you say that in your practice rounds you started to feel confident with the course here, or was it more just a feeling as you continued to play and stay aggressive that it just seemed to come in line for you?
GREGORY HAVRET: Yeah, well, from the practice round I was playing fine, making many mistakes because mistakes are coming quick here at Pebble Beach. Being on the bad side of the greens and like on 11 you don't want to go in the right rough. It's better to be on the left. If you go in the rough, it's better to be on the left, and those kind of things during all of the 18 holes.
Yeah, it built my confidence probably on Tuesday and Wednesday playing fine, putting fine; and the short game, I worked a lot on it. I worked a lot to find the base, to find the stroke. And, yeah, there was all right. I'm driving better since two or three months now. It was probably a key this week to be in that position, to be in contention.
Yeah, it was -- I was quite happy with everything. And I let the things just happen, you know, and it came about, yeah.

Q. At 1 there's a big scoreboard and your name wasn't on it, did you notice that?
GREGORY HAVRET: Yeah, I saw that. Thank you. I appreciate (laughter).

Q. What did you think about that, and did you feel that maybe it was a benefit to you to be a little bit overlooked?
GREGORY HAVRET: I would like to see where I am. No, of course not. I know I'm coming from a little bit far. I know I'm playing No. 1 in the world. Yeah, I'm coming a little bit from nowhere. Even for me it's not such a big surprise. But it is, I have to say. And, yeah, I was like --
But, yeah, it's been a little bit of a surprise, but hopefully -- these kind of things can happen. I don't take it badly, of course.

Q. Were you aware of what was going on behind you with Dustin, and were you surprised to find yourself back in contention so early?
GREGORY HAVRET: Yeah. I was. I was surprised, yeah. Dustin -- I really don't know what happened. But he struggled a little bit. And then from the 6th or 7th, I saw the leaderboard and thinking straight away I was in contention. I didn't expect it, of course.
But on this kind of course you never know what can happen on any hole, any position. Anybody can make mistakes at anytime. The weather was fine for four days, a little bit windy, but nothing bad. And the winning score is just par. And ten years ago it was Tiger, okay, but the rest was pretty much the same. This course is really hard, and mistakes are coming really quick. So just -- I was just doing my things, avoiding mistakes as much as possible. And then tried to take the opportunities to make birdies sometimes, to make a difference.
But, yeah, I was surprised it came that quickly, for sure.

Q. You won against Phil Mickelson, you held your own against Tiger Woods, why do you think you're able to play well with the top players in the world?
GREGORY HAVRET: Good question. Because when I'm playing with them means I'm playing good. I was paired with Phil in the last round at Loch Lomond. Obviously I had three beautiful days before. I'm pairing with Tiger here. Obviously three very good days before. And both times I was very much into the feeling that I had just to continue the thing and do the job like I did for three days. And both times I thought exactly the same. Also thinking that I got to make the job done.
I mean I'm working very hard since 20 years now to be able to live this kind of moment. And I don't want to open my eyes at that moment and thinking, okay, or what's going to happen now. No. Things happen badly when your thoughts are not that much on yourself, not much on your game and your shots and thinking always about the next one and forget the last one, and those kind of little things that help you to go forward.
Yeah, that was very exciting. But I wasn't under pressure at all, both times. Yes, it's great moments, for sure. But I won't remember those moments like a hell of a game. But in the future, I don't know, I might be paired with them anywhere, anytime, and do badly. It's not going to be because I will play with them. It's because my game won't fit as much as that at that moment. It was quite nice and I enjoyed a lot.
And Tiger has been very nice. And Phil was very nice three years ago with me. And we talked a bit, and it was a gentleman game, and it was very good, yeah.

Q. At any moment today, either when you looked at the scoreboard or after one of your birdies or nice pars, did you allow yourself to think, I can win this?
GREGORY HAVRET: Yeah, I thought -- even this morning before playing I thought I was about to win it, even the day before it, even Thursday morning. I mean, what, 156 to play the thing, after two rounds -- well, a lot of player, 84, 83.
But, I mean, we have not many opportunities to win such a big tournaments. As soon as they come, you've got to take them. And you've got to try everything to be there.
I knew I was about to win it. I knew I was about to be bad and to play bad, to make bad choices and to putt badly or, you know, I know everything can happen, really. And I proved it today. I played with Tiger. Tiger didn't play good. He played great yesterday. Why such a difference? He shot, what, 5-under with three over on the first three, and a few bad shots.
But he kept on going and that's the way it is. And we are so stronger for that seeing him playing like that, top No. 1, didn't say anything, just make the hardest to be as low as possible to the last putt. That was a great experience, yeah.
BETH MURRISON: Gregory, thanks again for joining us, and congratulations again on your wonderful play this week.
GREGORY HAVRET: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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