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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE INSURANCE

June 4, 2011

Shaun Micheel

DUBLIN, OHIO

Q. Heck of a round out there.
SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, it was a tough day out there. You know, we had some good pin placements out there, and there was -- you know, I thought that the fairways are wide enough out there if you're striking the ball solidly you can get some putts for birdie, but you know, the first two days I didn't really make a whole lot, and then today I finally started to see the line a little bit better and had a lot of easier putts. Yesterday basically all my putts were downhill, so I had to be defensive, whereas today I had a couple like that, but for the most part I was able to put a nice firm stroke on it.
I hit most of the fairways again, which is obviously the key. I was a little disappointed with where my ball finished on 18, but I made a heck of an up-and-down. I was a little more aggressive on my third shot than I wanted to be. I was going to play for the left side there and maybe make a putt or a two-putt, but it was a great day.

Q. Did you have the benefit of the wind coming in?
SHAUN MICHEEL: Yeah, but, you know, I don't know if that's a benefit, because I hit driver on 17 the first day. Yesterday I hit a 3-wood. Today I had to hit a 2-iron. You know, there's not a lot of room up there. There's two bunkers on the left. This course is one you have to carry. I took a 2-iron out and the fairways are just running. It went through the fairway and had a downhill, sidehill lie there with an 8-iron and really, it was kind of feast or famine there, really. I missed it in about the only place that I felt I could get up and down, and I just didn't capitalize on the putt.
I made my share.
But on 18 I've been hitting 2-iron off that tee, or yesterday I hit 3-wood, and the fairways are just running, and I had nothing there. I was just glad it stayed out of the water. I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that I was going to make a 5, particularly where the pin was, and that's why I said I didn't really mean to be as aggressive there because a lot of times you get that ball spinning back and you can be there for a while.
You know, I had a great day, and it finished off probably about as well as I could have expected.

Q. Steve is really starting to separate a little bit, to say the least. There's a lot of you guys kind of in the same neck of the woods. Is he starting to get out of tough?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I didn't really look at the board. I was telling Doug Bell from XM that something similar happened last year at the John Deere when I finished fourth. It was he and Paul Goydos were battling out and I was fighting trying to get that last spot to go to the Open Championship and then it just got to the point where I realized I was running out of holes and everything. But hey, he's riding the momentum of his finish yesterday. What a great finish he had yesterday.
And he's a great player. I mean, he's always been straight. I used to battle him when he was at Illinois and I was at Indiana. You never know. I mean, you've got to throw a good number at him, but he's such a consistent player, fairways, hits it on the greens, and everybody knows how well he putts. I'd like to have a chance tomorrow. There's only going to be one winner. I'd like it to be me, but if it's not, I'm going to give it my best effort.

Q. The training trailer that they take on TOUR, is that something you take advantage of?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I do. I mean, I do a lot of stretching and stuff on my own, but I go in there and it's probably one of the best parts of the TOUR, really. I don't know what it costs the TOUR to have those guys out here, but any little injury, little tweak here or there -- fortunately for me I've been fairly healthy other than my left shoulder having to have surgically repaired.
But the guys in there are incredible. They're here at 4:30, 5:00 in the morning on the first two rounds. They're here until well after the last guy is finished. It's very much appreciated. I think all the guys would say the same thing.
But you know, when I need to, I go in there, but I don't make it a habit.

Q. Do you think that's made the difference in some of the ability of the players over the years?
SHAUN MICHEEL: I think if you didn't have those guys out here, there would be a lot more withdrawals on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Those guys are in there, and they're so knowledgeable, they allow us to get in there and loosen up the tight muscles or whatever it is. But there's no doubt that if they weren't here, you'd see a lot of WDs each week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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