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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJune 13, 2011Fred FunkBETHESDA, MARYLAND BETH MURRISON: We are very happy to have with us this morning the 2009 U.S. Senior Open Champion Fred Funk, who last week qualified for the U.S. Open here at Congressional at Woodmont Country Club, went through 36-hole sectional qualifying to earn a place in his 22nd U.S. Open field. Can you talk a little bit about going through sectional qualifying and earning a spot here this week? FRED FUNK: Well, Len Shapiro can kind of vouch for my emotions when I walked off the 18th green. My son said that my wife said that I made it, and I went, great and everything, and then the first question I get is what does this mean to you, and I broke down. I didn't really expect that because I didn't know I had that kind of feelings or emotions in me for that at the moment. But I think it was a combination of things that -- how I've been playing the last few months and then making it here, my hometown, probably be -- I knew if I made it that it was going to be my probably last chance to play a major in my hometown because if we stay in a 14-year rotation I'll be 68 or 69 years old next time it comes around. I don't plan on qualifying. I might go 36 holes when I'm that old. But anyway, it meant a lot to me because it is hometown, and Congressional is a very special spot. It's pretty neat. Pretty neat. BETH MURRISON: Speaking of Congressional, you did play in 1997. You were the golf coach at University of Maryland. You obviously have a lot of ties in this area, you're from here originally. What does it mean to play in your hometown and somewhere that you've played before? FRED FUNK: Well, my very first Tour event ever I qualified for -- I think it was 1981 or '82, I think it was '81 I qualified -- had to be '82, I qualified for the Kemper Open, which was here at Congressional, and that was pretty neat. So I remember my first Tour event ever was here on this venue, and I remember making the cut, and I got paired with Payne Stewart before Payne Stewart had knickers or wore knickers, and that was pretty neat. I just remember it was a great experience. I grew up in College Park, but playing Congressional was something that was taboo for a P.G. County guy, you didn't go across the Montgomery County line without a visa. So we didn't get over to this part of the world very often. To have an opportunity to play at Congressional back then was a huge deal, and then I got to playing in quite a few at Congressional, and then the AT&Ts and the '97 Open. When was the Open before that here? Q. '64. FRED FUNK: I didn't know it was that big a gap. That's a huge gap. So anyway, it was always a treat to come over here and play at Congressional. Very special venue. I think it's one of the venues that probably if you asked all the guys, polled all the guys, you'd probably have -- as far as the atmosphere or the aura of the club would be Masters No. 1 and then you kind of can throw in, in my opinion, like Riviera and Pebble Beach and this one and a few others that are all in that same feeling of specialness when you drive in and have a chance to play here. Q. Can you talk about the mentality for the qualifying at Woodmont and then the mentality going into the U.S. Open, how they compare or if they're different? FRED FUNK: Well, the qualifying this year was totally different than I have in the past, I think. I haven't played that well to my standards. I should say I haven't been scoring as well as I have in the past. And my game was -- I just wasn't very competitive, and it was a lot to do with a little bit of ball-striking, mainly my putting and short game, and then it really was getting into my head. And every week it seemed like I'd go in with a great attitude and say, all right, this week is going to change it, and then I'd find a new bottom. I'd just go right to the toilet somewhere in the middle of the tournament and just finish back in the pack. I played five or six regular Tour events this year and still exempt from a win in Mayakoba. My exemption from THE PLAYERS is up but when I won in '07 it gave me until 2011, and at some point I wanted to take advantage of that exemption, and I really haven't been able to. Ever since I started this knee problem I've had -- it has hindered me from taking advantage of the exemptions I had out there to play on the regular Tour. And this year has been -- I just didn't play that well. So I went into the playoff -- or into the qualifier, and it wasn't so much whether I was going to make it or not, I wanted to make it but I wanted to really use that day as I'm going to go back to what I know how to do, I'm not going to work on things I've been working on other than try to have a good attitude and just play the game the way I know how to play. And really three holes into the round, I teed off on the South Course, the easier course, and three holes into that day I was hitting quality shot after quality shot, and my putter felt a little better. I didn't really make any changes other than really using the swing thought that I used all during the mid-2000s when I was playing really well. And I went back to that swing thought and everything just clicked. I was just enjoying the day and having a good time, and I even hit a wedge into the water on the easiest hole on the golf course, on the south, and it bothered me but it didn't bother me, I got over it really quick and moved on and ended up making it. And then like I said, I didn't realize what it meant to me. Now, to play here at Congressional with these new tees, I drove around them last Tuesday, and wow, if they play it from all the way back, which I don't think they will every hole, I can't imagine they'll play the tips every day, but if they do, that's fine, I'll get home eventually because there's some holes I just can't reach. It'll be a test. But I'm going to go out there and really just -- intent on having a good time and enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the hometown, and if I'm shooting 85, if I'm shooting 65, whatever I'm shooting. But I really expect if I play the way I have the last -- really the last week, the qualifier last week and then last week at Hickory, I hit the ball really well, short game was pretty solid, and my putter was better, and mainly I think if I can drive the ball the way I've been driving it which has just been really straight and keep it out of the rough that I can set up the golf balls even though I'll be hitting a lot of ammo into the greens. I've played really well on a lot of long golf courses because I'm used to hitting long clubs into holes anyway that I expect to do okay. I don't know how good. Nobody knows how good they're going to play. But I still have high expectations. I'm not here just to walk two rounds or four rounds and just show up. I want to be able to be competitive, and I truly believe I can still be competitive when I'm playing well and feeling good. Q. I know in 36 holes your knee was bothering you a little bit and your hip. What's your physical condition first, and second -- let's go there first. FRED FUNK: Well, the knee is good. I had it replaced a year and a half ago, and the knee itself is great. What I have is -- and I keep stating I have knee problems. I don't have knee problems anymore; I have what's called IT band syndrome. The IT band that runs down -- connects at the hip and runs down and connects at the knee on the lateral side of both legs on my right leg, I had problems with that long before knee surgery and I'm still having problems with that. That's what's causing a lot of the pain and a lot of the tightness I get in my knee, or really not in the knee but in the attachment area of the IT band. And I just have -- it's a chronic condition with it right now and I'm always fighting that thing. If I could ever get rid of that, the knee would be fantastic. I've got a million guys with a million different opinions on how to get rid of it, but we haven't figured it out yet. And I don't think it's uncommon with people that have had knee replacements, but I had -- previous to having any problems with that -- I think that's actually what's caused my knee problems is having the IT band syndrome that I have. But it's bearable. The rest of my body is good. Everything is working pretty good at the moment, knock on wood. Q. What was the reaction -- how did you celebrate last week and what was the reaction among your fellow pros that you had made it when you got back on the Senior Tour? FRED FUNK: Yeah, I went back to Hickory last week. It was a lot of people -- it trickled through that I made it and I'm actually I think the only senior here because Bernhard is hurt and not playing, and I'm pretty sure I'm the only 50-plus year old in the field. It's pretty neat. They just said, play well, good luck, and some of the guys said, be careful what you wish for and all that. That was the same reaction I had when I qualified for Bethpage a couple years ago. Wow, what a hard golf course that was, too. Really long. But I did make the cut there, but that was surprising in itself because actually that week I couldn't walk at all. That was before my knee replacement, and I was having a lot of physical problems that week but somehow managed to go through that week and made the cut. Q. Can you just talk about the -- is there a balancing act that you kind of have to go through this week in terms of the -- maybe this is the last time to play a U.S. Open here locally? And sort of with your son as your caddie, how does that factor into what it's going to be like to walk the course and be here and at the same time trying to compete? FRED FUNK: Well, I'm really excited my son is on the bag. That was another thing that was a little emotional that I didn't touch upon. I've been wanting to play so good for my son while he's on the bag. He has an opportunity to caddie this year because my regular caddie wanted a little break and didn't want to caddie every week, so I said this is a great opportunity for Taylor to come out, and he's 15 and a good player in his own right. I've been feeling bad because I just want him to enjoy getting in the moment. Really the first day we had together was the qualifier where I really put it all together, and then last week at Hickory and yesterday, I shot 62, so it was a fun day yesterday to go out there and climb the leaderboard, actually got the lead for a little bit, and when I finished unfortunately I didn't birdie the last hole and the guys were able to catch me. But that was fun yesterday, to have him on the bag. To have him here at the U.S. Open and experience the atmosphere of this -- you know, I'm going to get a lot of support this week from a lot of people that I don't know just because I am the local guy. I think not only am I definitely the oldest in the field, but I'm not sure if I'm the only local in the field. Am I the only local in the field? Any idea? Could be. That's pretty neat. I hope to put on a good show for them, but if not I'm just going to ride that wave of support I'm going to get from everybody. It was fun. I remember when I played the PGA at Hazeltine that year that Rich Beem won and I got adopted that week by the Hazeltine people. They were rooting for me more than anyone else. I had a great time. I was riding that wave all time, and that was something -- they were the 15th club in my bag. They were rooting for me more than Tiger and Tiger was actually a little upset about it. Q. Are you surprised how many guys, Vijay Singh, for example, chose not to go through qualifying, and second part of the question, are you going to give those guys any grief that you made it through and some of those guys didn't? FRED FUNK: No, I wouldn't do that because they'll fire back even more ammo at me than I can fire back at them. Vijay has been going through quite a bit of injuries himself, and I think a little bit of pride there. I'm just thinking the first time they ever had to qualify, they just said, I'm above this. Hopefully they're not thinking that way, but they also might need a break. They can save themselves for a week and then get ready for the tournaments afterwards and really push through. U.S. Opens are tough and mentally a grind, and Vijay is one that plays every week, and I think he chose that this might be a good time to take a week off. That could be working in his favor, that's for sure, while everybody else is out here beating their head in, beating themselves up on this golf course. Q. You talked about being here on the weekend, and whether you are or are not playing on the weekend, what will Father's Day this year be like? Will you be here on Sunday regardless? FRED FUNK: Yeah, I will. I'm actually getting my IT band treated by a local guy here with it's called dry needle therapy. It sounds about as bad -- it is about as bad as it sounds. It's an acupuncture needle and you go through, and ouch. I had it done this morning and I had it done last Tuesday here. We're trying to get some relief in that IT band, so I'll be hanging around until Tuesday next week regardless. But with that being said, I would love to be -- Taylor on the bag on Sunday walking on Father's Day, that would be really cool. It is Sunday, isn't it? Yeah, Sunday. I think that would be the whipped cream on the whole week if we could do that. And then if anything else above that happens, then we'll go from there. I was joking last night, this is probably my last chance to get in the Hall of Fame. If I win this week I might get in the Hall of Fame, but that would be one hell of a criteria. I'd need to add something huge to get in it. I was joking about that. I was thinking, maybe that's not a joke, maybe I could do that. But who knows. It would be my qualifier for that. I'd start voting myself in if I did that at 55. That's up to you guys, isn't it? The media votes in the Hall of Fame, or is there a specific criteria? How do you get in the Golf Hall of Fame? Is it a media selection? Q. How often do you think about your career, how magical it's been? You didn't come up with Tiger or Phil Mickelson winning three U.S. Amateurs, late bloomer, yet you've had an incredible career. How often do you think about your ride? FRED FUNK: Quite a bit. I think of where I came up when I first went to University of Maryland my freshman year, I didn't make the team. I wasn't good enough. I transferred over to P.G. Community College and that's when I started playing really good and then came back to Maryland. We didn't have as strong a team at Maryland as they did in 1975, my freshman year, but then I ended up being the No. 1 player for the team. And then I go down and go broke on the mini-Tour in 1981, literally, and came back and I was working Manpower, and I got the coaching job, and my coach got promoted to assistant AD, offers me that, and what it allowed me to do was play and practice a lot, mainly with the kids I recruited working with the golf team. They wanted to beat me, I wanted to beat them, I wanted to play in the section events. My game kept getting better and better to the point where I always thought the Tour players were way up here and I was down here and then when I was qualifying for PGA events and U.S. Opens and I was making cuts I was closer than I thought I was. And when I finally made it, it was just a long progression of being used to my own skin, I guess, being out there and getting used to the environment of the PGA TOUR and playing competitive golf and trying to shoot rounds and make money doing it and put food on the table. That's a big intangible thing of why some guys make it and others don't that you can't put your finger on. I don't know why I made it. I was just a very hard worker, tenacious, and at some point somewhere along that line I started believing in myself, and I look back and I just go, man, I did all right. I think sometimes I read I was an overachiever and I can't argue that point. With that being said, I still expect to achieve a lot more. I don't know, I guess that's what drives you. But all the guys out here are really talented, and I've turned it into a really good career, which the neatest thing for me now is that I'm in a stage of my career where I'm kind of look -- this is what really gets to me is that people look up to me for what I've achieved, and now I'm able to give back and they can pay attention. If I'm a leader at a cause -- I love the Wounded Warriors. I do everything I can to raise awareness for our troops. I'll do anything for them. People pay attention to that. The minute I say what's your cause, what's your favorite charity. Obviously all the kids' charities we do, but my No. 1 right now is Wounded Warriors. To be able to have an impact just because that's the one that's in my heart, it means a lot to me, and to be able to give back and to have an impact on young people's lives and even older people's lives, it's pretty neat. BETH MURRISON: We thank you so much for visiting with us today. We look forward to watching you throughout the week. Thank you. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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