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U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 13, 2013Fred FunkOMAHA, NEBRASKA THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome Fred Funk to the Media Center. Rounds of 67, 70, 67, total of 204, 6 under par, and currently in second place, two off the lead. Fred, you were in here the other day, and you said you weren't playing the par 5s all that well. Today you birdied all three of them. FRED FUNK: Yeah, that was a bonus. That was nice, because I haven't. I kept screwing them up with wedges, like I told you all yesterday. That's where you got to get it. That's three of the holes out here that you feel like you need to at least try to set up a birdie and try to make them, and I did today. So that was satisfying. THE MODERATOR: Now, you started the day seven back, and now you're within two. When you're in the position where you were, within the top five but still seven strokes behind, do you come in with a different game plan, trying to play more aggressively? FRED FUNK: No, I was playing really good, and I didn't‑‑ I wasn't trying to be aggressive. I was trying to just go with quality shots and trying to set up, but not being overly aggressive, trying to be smart. I was 3 under through seven and could have been a couple better there, and then I had an easy up and down on 8 and another birdie putt on 9. I didn't get up and down on 8. I felt 2 under was good. It could have been a lot better. Then I drove it absolutely perfect on 10 and had an 8 iron in to make double. It just really threw me for a loop there walking off because it was like, golly, I played the hole‑‑ I'm taking on that creek and taking on everything down there, and I drove it up there and have an 8 iron and just hit it in the wrong spot. I was trying to do everything I could not to make double. I was trying to just accept bogey, and I still left my first chip short in the rough, and then I was really in trouble. Anyway, probably the turning point was really the next par putt on the next hole. I had about a six‑, seven‑foot putt for a par. I left my first putt short going up that hill. I was feeling the heat on that one. I wanted to put a good stroke on it and try to make that one and move on, and I did, and I did. I made another really, really good par, probably the best putt I've hit all week on 15, when I hit another wedge, I didn't quite get it on. It came back down the fairway, and I had a really tough chip, and I made probably a 10‑, 12‑footer for par there. Then birdies the last two‑‑ 17 was a nice putt. 18 was a bonus. I actually told the USGA‑‑ I didn't know. I set myself up for a bad one on 18. I said, this is stupid to have this tee way back here with this wind. And then I hit my tee shot‑‑ this was after I hit my tee shot. I could see it hit the hill and kind of roll backwards a little bit. I didn't even know whether I made the fairway or not. I said, who set this up? And he goes, me and Jeff. And I go, oh, sorry. So I shouldn't have said anything. And then I said, do you still feel good about it? He said, well, we had it good up the first two days, and we had to play it back today. I said, well, that's fine. I said, you know we're old guys. And he goes, yeah, but you guys are really good. I go, yeah, but we're really old. And then I go and birdie the hole, and I go, you're forgiven. So anyway, it was a funny little banter going back and forth coming up 18. THE MODERATOR: Well, you haven't had your best year yet this year. You said you just really figured out your swing the last couple of weeks. But you've had a lot of success at the U.S. Senior Open. Two runner‑up finishes and a win in 2009. How fun is it to be back in the mix here again? FRED FUNK: It feels good. I love playing hard golf courses when I'm feeling good. I keep the ball in play. Keep it in front of me. Try to keep it in the lateral stuff, meaning the rough. Right now I'm hitting the ball really solid. Each day I'm hitting the ball a little bit better. Today I discovered something on the range. Trying to fix my wedges, I carried it on and narrowed my stance. As I got into my longer stuff, I kept my feet narrow, and all of a sudden I was hitting the ball even more solid. I did it all the way through to the driver, driver where I feel my feet are almost tied together, but I think it allowed my body to turn a little bit more, and I had a little more freedom. I was really hitting the driver solid today overall. I only missed a couple of them, but they were straight. Felt really good about that. So I'd like to carry that through tomorrow and keep setting up birdies. Hopefully, the putter will cooperate. You never know. The fact that Kenny had 64 today, and we had the 63 yesterday, and Corey had a 64 today, the scores are out there if you keep it out of trouble. You can come from behind. And with that, Mikey not heading further away from us, coming back to us a little bit was a big difference. He could have shot 67 or 66 today and just said, see you later, guys, but he didn't. Put everybody back in the game, or put a lot of guys back in the game. Put it this way. THE MODERATOR: Questions here. Q. Hey, Fred, can you talk about the short par 4s on the back nine and just how much your strategy has varied over the three days, if at all, and just what your thought process is on those two tees? FRED FUNK: Well, we've had it back every day on 13 so I'm not going for it from that back tee. I doubt if I'd go for it. In practice rounds, I went for it from the front tee, and I can get home there. It would depend where the pin is. If the pin was in the front and I was feeling really good, felt like I had to do something, then I would take it on from that front tee. I don't know whether they'll have it up or not. 17 and 15. 15, just hit driver up there, 3 wood, doesn't really matter. You got a wedge in your hand. Then 17, they tease you. This morning‑‑ or today, with the tees up, my son was fore‑caddying on that hole, and I took my 3 wood, but that was too much club because of the bunker, and I had to call him all the way back. I hit it my 3 iron off the tee. Still just trying to get it in the same spot. The danger in that area, though, is all the divots. Everybody is in that little feeder area, and there's a lot of divots. But it worked out today. I'm really not changing my strategy on those holes. The key is just, again, just get it in the fairway, get it in play. Any time you got a wedge in your hand, you should be able to get it in there. I haven't, but you should be able to get it in there somewhat close. Q. Scores seem to be lower than a typical third round. Was it just set up that way today, conditions, or knowledge of the course that you guys are gaining? FRED FUNK: The greens are really soft so they had a little more speed to them today. They actually had a little more run‑out. That actually caught me a little off guard. I thought the putting green was a little quicker. 1st hole, I said it looks faster, and I hit my putt, and it went like three feet by, and I went, it is faster. So I had to adjust from there, and then I left a few of them short because I overcorrected. Yeah, I guess it's more of a comfort level. Everybody's getting a little more comfortable with the golf course. It's still tricky, though. Obviously, there was a couple really low ones. Probably with Mike out there shooting 63 yesterday, everybody went, heck, somebody can do it. If he can do it, everybody‑‑ it's not that‑‑ you know, it's out there. If somebody does it, everybody goes, oh, shoot. They got a whole new idea of what a good number is. Again, if you get those 5s and you take advantage of the shorter holes and get by the tough ones and don't make any big boo‑boos like doubles on 10, you'll do all right. Q. Also on 18, what was your yardage, and what hybrid did you use? FRED FUNK: I had a 3 iron hybrid. It's really a very confused club. It's in counseling because it it doesn't know what it is. It's about my 215 club. I was back there‑‑ I think it was 203 adjusted to the front edge, but not adjusted for the wind, just for the elevation. And I was actually thinking a 3 wood, but 3 wood would have been way too much. I don't know if I could get it up there with all that wind. But I hit it really solid. I was just pleased that it was on the green there. Q. How much energy and heat relief do you get when you go birdie, birdie finish? FRED FUNK: Well, that was pretty nice. It will make that first two or three‑‑ one, two, three‑‑ at least two beers taste really good. That third one might taste really good too. I'm going to enjoy those. It's just nice to finish off, especially after I made that double and I was going backwards. I told you guys yesterday, I think I only got two speeds, reverse and forward. I had forward going, and then I went reverse for one big hole, and then I managed to get it back in gear again and gradually climb back up that hill. So I just need to do that tomorrow. I'm playing real solid. Just got to go out there and allow myself to play and try not to make mistakes and let the other guys make mistakes hopefully. THE MODERATOR: Any other questions for Fred Funk? Fred Funk, 204, minus 6, second place. Good luck tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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