U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2003

Jim Furyk

Q. How do you feel seeing all those big names on the trophy?

JIM FURYK: Incredible. My wife and I were reading them as we were on the 18th green during the presentation, and from a professional standpoint, that's the most special thing about it, my name will be on that trophy forever with some unbelievable names in golf, so you can't take that away from me now and it's a special feeling.

Q. Some special moments out there with your family, as well?

JIM FURYK: Yeah, we go through so much. My wife puts up with a lot. It takes a special person to be married to someone that does what I do for a living, and I owe a lot to her, really looking after our family, and my parents made a lot of sacrifices for me growing up so that I could basically have a lot and be given a lot and had a lot of opportunities as a child, and I'm very close with them, and they also went out of their way to make sure I had a special life. To be able to share that moment with -- it's a team basically, me playing is -- my family is part of my team and the main reason I'm up here. To be able to share that with them tonight -- the professional part is putting my name on the trophy but the special part is being able to share it with my family.

Q. A week ago what would you have assessed your chances of being up there?

JIM FURYK: I really liked the way I was playing. I had a great year so far. I've played very solidly and I haven't won a golf tournament. I've had to hear about that for a while, the last couple of months. I really felt more comfortable about my game and I came in here with a mindset thinking about how I've been playing. I was thinking and talking with my family about winning this golf tournament before I got here, and I think setting that positive frame of mind, not only coming in here trying to play well but really thinking about winning this golf tournament, was one of the keys.

Q. What was it like playing with a three- and four-shot lead all day long?

JIM FURYK: Very nice, it was very nice. I love being the frontrunner. I love being out in front and hitting solid shots and trying to put the ball in the fairway, put the ball in the middle of the green and put the pressure on the other guy to hit the shots. Stephen played very well today. I got a couple breaks early, he got a couple poor breaks early and that kept us separated. You know, it's nice having that big lead. You can afford to make a mistake. You can make a bogey and say I'm up three now instead of four, let's keep at it and keep hitting golf shots. A got a little tentative out there, which I didn't want to do. I left a couple of putts short, but I always sucked it up and made the three or four-footer and made the par and got on with it. It's a great feeling. I've never come down 18 with a big lead -- actually 2. I've been up 2 a few times on the 18th tee, and the guy I've been playing with has always birdied the hole. It was nice having that four-shot lead knowing I could hit it anywhere on the 18th tee, I could shape it up there on the green and make double bogey and win the golf tournament. After I hit my second shot I was done for the day, after the second shot went to the green.

Q. Since your dad has been your coach for so long, could you have given him a more special Father's Day present?

JIM FURYK: I would say no, absolutely not. I had a hard time -- I actually had a hard time wishing him happy Father's Day this morning. My wife sees me on a more regular basis in tournament mode and she's gone home with me at night when I had the lead and sees how I act and react and she really understands when I want to talk, when I don't. She has a very good knack for that. This morning I was stone quiet, watching TV, holding my daughter, doing whatever. I didn't say too many words and I wanted to wish my dad a happy Father's Day obviously, but I knew that when I did I would be a little emotional about it, so I kept trying to hold back and hold back and hold back. Finally we got to the course, we ate lunch, I was getting ready to go to the practice tee and I said I've got to get it out, Happy Father's Day. He's always been there for me as far as -- in all parts of my life, but with this tournament in mind. He's been there for me with my golf game and my teacher. I just told him Happy Father's Day, I know you'll be out there with me today, let's go get 'em.

Q. (Inaudible).

JIM FURYK: I honestly didn't see her. My back was turned. I think I marked my ball after I hit a pretty good putt, my back was turned, and I heard a fan yell out "You've got to be kidding me". The reaction struck me funny so I immediately looked to my playing competitor, to Stephen, to see if something had happened, what he had done or what had gone on, and I was looking at him and he had a blank look on his face looking behind me, and it caught me off guard. She was right there. She was four feet away with a flower of some sort. It was a total shock. At least if I would have been able to see it coming or seen her walking up from 20 feet away, but I turned around and just went, whoa, you don't know how to react. I love my wife and I just kind of wanted to say, you know, I don't want the flower. It's an embarrassing situation on national television. You know, hopefully it didn't affect play too much. I know if it affected anyone it would have been Stephen because he still had about a six- or seven-footer for par there and he did not make that putt. For me I had a tap-in and I had five minutes before I was going to hit my next tee shot. It was no effect on me.

Q. What area of the game were you most satisfied with this week, just one area?

JIM FURYK: I drove the ball very well, got the ball in play and I put it in position where I could play from, and I think that was the most important thing. You couldn't play from the rough out there.

End of FastScripts....