U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 1997

Scott Dunlap

LES UNGER: Scott, I think we'll get started. And, as you know, we're in a little bit of a lightning delay right now, but it looks to me like you had some lightning of your own out on the golf course.

SCOTT DUNLAP: Yeah, it was kind of nice. It was one of those rounds -- I mean, it's interesting watching the Open over the years, some guy suits you (sic) great round-- he always talks about, he not only played, but he got lucky too. And today that was that combination of driving the ball in the fairway and hitting some great shots, but my few suspect shots took some good bounces too.

LES UNGER: From looking at the record, the two Opens you played you did not make the cut. From looking at the record thus far this year, this is a welcome change of events, isn't it?

SCOTT DUNLAP: Sure. Exactly. I haven't set the world on fire. There hasn't been much lightning for Scott Dunlap in '97 yet. But, I always look forward to the Open because I feel like if I have a good week with the driver, it does suit me. I mean, it's hitting long and middle irons and par golf is good, which does play up my alley. But, you have to drive the ball in the fairway.

LES UNGER: Please take us through the round if you would. Ignore the routine pars but, give us some details on the others.

SCOTT DUNLAP: Certainly. 8-iron into the first with about a -- that was probably about a 30-footer. No. 3 was one of the good breaks, drove it poorly to the left, but got a good lie. Got it up on the front fringe and holed another 30-footer.

Q. What was the club for the approach?

SCOTT DUNLAP: 6-iron.

Q. Thank you.

SCOTT DUNLAP: 6-iron. And the 5th was a chip out wedge to about 10 feet and holed a par. I have yet to find that fairway. Some guys might think that is a birdie hole. Not for me. And then 6 drive, 4-iron to about 5 feet. And, sand wedge at 9 to a foot. No. 10 was the good break. I flew the ball into the trees on the left, came back in the fairway, knocked a 2-iron up and made a routine 4 which would have -- probably would have been a routine 5. 8-iron to probably 8 feet at 11. 5-iron to about 2 feet at 13. And, then from 15 on in, it kind of got interesting. 15, I never saw the fairway, ended up getting it up-and-down from the hay even with the pin, so I made a 2-footer. I was happy to get out of there with a 5. And buried it in the right bunker at 16. I was surprised that that happened. I had no chance to hit the ball near the hole, so I ended up 2-putting well. I hit it 20 feet past the hole, hit my putt 8, 10 feet coming past. Actually made it coming back. It was a great bogey. 17 drove in the right rough, played short right. Good pitch to about 6 feet, snuck it in there. And 18, I was hitting first and it was probably a 6-iron shot if I had to hole it, but I hit a 5-iron in the back right bunker, tried to take my chances of making par, hit a decent bunker shot out. But it was really fast again, probably went 15 feet by and 2-putted. So, you know, I didn't hit a bad shot there, but in hindsight, it was probably a 6-iron.

LES UNGER: We'll entertain questions, please.

Q. How long was your shot 4-iron on 6?

SCOTT DUNLAP: On 6, I had 214 to the hole. I wasn't even trying to get it all the way there. I was trying to get it short left. I just killed it and pushed it right towards the pin.

Q. Any thoughts of a record coming down the stretch at all?

SCOTT DUNLAP: Well, I was in a groove. And, I was just thinking about making birdies. And, obviously making the turn 4-under, and, you think you might hit the breaks and came out hit a couple more shots and was still playing aggressively. But, 15 kind of took the wind out of my sails. And, I hit a poor shot into 16. And, then the finish is very difficult. And I don't -- I guess 63 is a scoring record. But, no, I think when I got out there it was nice that I got it back in the red and would have loved to have kept it there. That would have been really, really neat. But, all in all, I was happy with the finish.

Q. Which was the more difficult par save, 15 or 17 and can you go back over those holes?

SCOTT DUNLAP: Just the save part of it, yeah. 15 really deep lie, but luckily, there was some air underneath it. It ended up not being that tough of a shot. If I had misgauged a lot, I could have left it there or hit it 40 feet by. But, luckily it came out perfect. And, yeah, not even 2 feet. And, then 17 -- 17 was difficult. It just came out perfectly, just inched over the hill. And, snuggled down there. Yeah, 17 was a little more difficult. They were both nightmares, though.

Q. Scott, if I may, congratulations but --

SCOTT DUNLAP: Thank you.

Q. -- but course conditions, were they good and in your mind, if we get a little rain on there and soften up those greens a little, will they be a little easier this afternoon for the rest of the guys?

SCOTT DUNLAP: Yeah, any moisture makes it more playable. The greens have not gone over the edge yet this week. I don't know even know they would even if it hadn't rained at all. They're in such perfect condition and so healthy that it just would have taken perfect sun and 90 degree weather all during the day for them to really, really get baked. They were getting a little bit there yesterday. But, certainly a little bit of rain is going to make it that much more playable.

LES UNGER: Any feeling like last night over par by 4 yesterday, I guess it was -- or 5, right?

SCOTT DUNLAP: 5.

LES UNGER: How do you gear yourself up to the kind of a round you had today? Did anything turn you on?

SCOTT DUNLAP: Actually I felt good last night because I birdied 17 coming in. I actually missed a 3-footer at 15. Probably would have had a chance to save another shot. Having played in a couple Opens, I have the idea that you don't panic just because you're 4- or 5-over. You do have a chance to play well if you start hitting some fairways, so I felt good about my finish yesterday's round last evening and felt good coming into today.

LES UNGER: Anyone else? Continued good luck. Thank you for coming in.

SCOTT DUNLAP: Thank you.

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