U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2001

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: I really felt like I've played the first two rounds well enough to be under par, and it was nice to close it out. I made a couple of birdies late in the day, and then hit a couple of errant tee shots, where I basically had to pitch out, and it was nice to end up under par.

DAVID DUVAL: This golf course for me, the shape of it and such off the tees, it requires me to hit a lot of 3-woods and a couple of irons. I think I hit iron about three or four times, I hit about 6 three woods and only hit four drivers. And, actually, I've only hit three, because I hadn't hit driver on 18 at all. You've just got to place it. You've got to be careful off the tees.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, I feel pretty good. I was at home, I've been home for three weeks, and I was home -- I couldn't go to Memorial, because a friend of mine was getting married, and a lot of people seem to know, I was in the wedding. I'd like to go out west and go fishing for a week or so. I decided to stay home and as much as anything, not hit balls, because I would have had plenty of time, ten days before I had to come here. But actually it was good for me to stay home and hit balls in the middle of the afternoon, when it was really hot. And through that time I hit a lot of shots and working on my alignment, and working on some other things, and it felt really good this week. I've been pleasantly surprised.

DAVID DUVAL: I think that -- I certainly felt like I could have got it down to where I could tap it in. Even if I made it, I don't think it would have gone a foot or two by. I accomplished what I wanted to do with the speed, and got the line, as well.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, yeah. We've had a long day, we had to really start early, and played -- I didn't play as many holes as some other folks are going to have to play, but we played 26 holes, 25 holes, and without much of a break, as you know. And I feel real good. Anytime you're under par, really. I don't foresee anybody being very far behind.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, I teed off at 10:25. I went in and ate and that was about it, ready to go.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I can't really comment on that, because I haven't seen him play or hit a shot. If he's been playing out of the fairway, yeah, I'd be surprised. I don't know where he stands and where he's been playing from.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, we had to play it twice that way. Yeah, in the two times I hit it, I hit a pitching wedge and sand wedge in. And I've hit a -- I buried a 7-iron in the front bunker this morning. I hit probably a 7 or 8-iron today. I probably hit a 7-iron in. I was in the fairway. I hit an 8-iron from the right rough. It's playing dramatically different.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, you know, you kind of feel it really when you're done, not so much when you're doing it. It's a small price to pay to have a chance to win a U.S. Open. And you kind of know that -- you really figure this time of year, this part of the country, you're going to have a day or two of delays at some point with weather. It's not a big deal, really. And then it turns out today such a nice day, it's not very warm, and there's not much humidity. I think it could be worse.

DAVID DUVAL: I'd hate to have to do that here. I think anybody -- a lot of people in this field are capable of doing it at any time, but it would be a difficult task. There are a lot of places to get in trouble.

DAVID DUVAL: Sure seemed that the score was pretty good last year, too, except for Tiger. And they always are in these golf tournaments, and it's a lot of fun to have that challenge.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, that would probably be about a first since I've been playing. How is he standing and what's the projected cut? Six? That's hard to talk about, really. It would be very different than what you're used to.

DAVID DUVAL: I'm good, actually. I feel pretty good, it's the last little bit coming out, as you can tell. I've been coughing a little bit, and that's about it.

DAVID DUVAL: No, just keeping moving and plugging along, and just hit the ball wherever I can, each time, and that's about all I can do.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, it's going to dry up some, obviously. But, sure it's an advantage, because the longer hitters can still fly it to those yards, as you know, a lot of times. And it's always -- I mean I seem to get asked, does it favor -- I tell you, it's always better to hit it long, if you can hit it straight. Any golf tournament, doesn't matter, U.S. Open, Masters, anything, the further you can hit it, assuming you're hitting it, straight is better.

DAVID DUVAL: On the bottom? Today I was. I was up on that ridge this morning.

DAVID DUVAL: It's not a whole lot different. It plays a couple of more yards uphill, and you can't see as much of the green from down there. But you end up being 15 yards closer. It's still a guessing game. You hit a shot and it looks like you've hit it off your right foot, it comes out, and it looks so low.

DAVID DUVAL: Probably -- no, certainly, not probably, most definitely.

DAVID DUVAL: Not really. I still hit -- I hit the same club off every tee that I planned on.