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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 13, 2013Kenny PerryOMAHA, NEBRASKA THE MODERATOR: All right, ladies and gentlemen. Good afternoon. We have Kenny Perry here in the Media Center. Rounds of 67, 73, and a 6 under, 64 today. Total of 204, 6 under par. Kenny, 73 yesterday, 64 today. You started the day ten off Michael Allen's lead. What were you thinking you had to do to come out here today? KENNY PERRY: Well, you know, I was sitting around last night thinking, I've got to somehow get within five of him. Four or five was kind of my goal starting out the day. I was kind of in that rocking chair seat. I was kind of in a very aggressive mode, where if I go out and play great today, I've got a chance to move my way up the leaderboard; or if I don't play any good, it's okay too. Birdied the first two holes right out of the gate, great start, kind of set the tone for the day, and it was foot to the floor. I was trying to birdie every hole out there, and I had so many great opportunities. I mean, I played a phenomenal day. It could have been 59 out there. So very happy. Actually, I achieved my goal. I've gotten close enough to him to where, if I play a good round tomorrow, I got a good shot at this thing. THE MODERATOR: We know you can go low, 63, 63, 64 to close at the Senior Players. Another 64 today. You said it could have been even better. Let's go through your round a little bit. Start with some of the birdies. You start out with birdies on 1 and 2. KENNY PERRY: Hit driver to about 60 yards of the hole, chipped it up there to about three feet. I hit driver, 3 iron on the green on 2 and two‑putted. Three‑putted the next hole, which kind of set me back. Then I hit it close on 4 and 5 and missed them. And then 6, I hit a 9 iron to a foot, maybe six inches, eight inches, tap‑in eagle. So that was nice. Then I bogeyed the next hole. I hit it in the greenside bunker and didn't get up and down. Then I birdied 9. I made a nice birdie on 9. I hit a driver. I was 65 yards from the flag and hit a 64 degree sand wedge to about ten feet left and was able to get that in. Made a nice birdie on 10. I hit a driver. I had 127 yards out of the rough with a pitching wedge, and I hit it 20 feet right of the hole and was able to make that. Then 13, here's my run. I didn't get anything‑‑ I hit a driver on 13 that landed four feet from the hole in the air, and it went over the green into a bird's nest back‑‑ I mean, it was in a terrible spot back there. I chipped it to about eight feet and missed it. And then the next par 5, I hit a beautiful drive right down the middle, and it ended up in a semi‑divot or something down there. I don't know what it was. And I couldn't even hit‑‑ I had 180 yards to the front of the green, and I couldn't even hit a 5 iron 150 yards. I didn't get that up and down. Then the next hole, I hit a driver up there by the green. I had 70 yards, and I hit a 64 degree sand wedge to ten feet, and I left it in the lip short. But then on 16, I hit a nice 7 iron, and I made about a 15‑footer. And then I drove it on the‑‑ pretty much on the fringe close to the green on 17 and chipped it up to a gimme for birdie. And then 18 was playing really long into that wind. I hit driver, 5 iron and two‑putted. THE MODERATOR: Let's talk about the 10th hole. You're the only player today to birdie the 10th hole. You came in here before the Championship, and you said you weren't really sure how you were going to play it, and you obviously figured out something today. KENNY PERRY: I tried iron, 3 iron the first two days. The last two days, I tried driver and bombed it as far as I could down there. I hit pitching wedge into the green both times. That green is set up for pitching wedge. It's not set up for a 5 iron from a downhill lie up that hill. I'm just going to be aggressive with it, and somehow I hope to get that driver on the fairway tomorrow. THE MODERATOR: You mentioned 13 and 17, two par 4s playing very short. You hit driver on both of them, very aggressive right around the green. Do you like those risk/reward holes? KENNY PERRY: I do. They're fun to play. They can really change the outcome of the tournament. You can make up two shots in a hurry. Guy makes par and you make eagle or he makes bogey and you make birdie, whatever. But you can also make big numbers on those holes if it gets away from you. But they're fun to play. I just like playing them. I like the challenge of trying to hit that driver on that green. It's fun. It's a fun holes. THE MODERATOR: Any questions in the media? Q. Kenny, third rounds of Opens aren't usually supposed to produce this type of scoring. What explains today's outburst? KENNY PERRY: The golf course is soft. They're having to water the greens for all the heat, and they're dying right in front of us. They've got brown spots all over them, and they'll hold a shot out of the rough. Normally, U.S. Open are firm and fast. If you're in the rough, you can't control it. It will go over the green. These greens will hold shots, even out of the rough. I think that's the biggest difference, why you see guys‑‑ if you get it in the fairway, you can attack this golf course. That was the key for me today. I hit a lot of fairways. Q. I know you couldn't have been happy with yesterday's round. Just wondering what adjustments you made, if any, or was it just a matter of nothing worked yesterday? KENNY PERRY: I hit my driver left on every hole yesterday. I found out my tendency. I tend to move off the golf ball too much on my backswing. So today, I tried to post up more on my left side, keep my head on the golf ball and eliminate the bigger hook. It still draws, but I don't need to pull hook. And I drove it beautifully. It was a great little tip that I was just working on on the range today and felt great. I said, we're going to try it, and I drove it beautifully. Q. You won the Memorial, your third one. I believe you had pretty much‑‑ didn't you make the same kind of adjustment off the practice round? Someone had told you that, I think. KENNY PERRY: Tommy Armour did, yeah. To me, my head always wants to fall back on my backswing. If I keep my head up and it stays up, I usually don't hook it too bad. Q. Kenny, who gave you that tip today? KENNY PERRY: Just me. I was just on the range trying it, you know, trying to find something to get me through the round after I hit it so poorly yesterday. And I knew after a few swings that tip was going to work. Q. Also, what was your yardage to 6 with that 9 iron? KENNY PERRY: On 6? I think it was 155 yards. Q. Do you think it's going to take another 64, 65 tomorrow to win? KENNY PERRY: Great question. I hope not. I hope I don't have to shoot another one of those rounds. But if you do shoot that round, you would definitely win that‑‑ you'll win the tournament. I don't know. It's a very difficult golf course. If you get out of shape on this golf course, it gets you. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for Kenny Perry? All right. 6 under, 204. Kenny, best of luck tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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