U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 1996

David Berganio, Jr.

DAVID BERGANIO: I started off with a bogey -- I started off with a bogey. I hit it, hit the right fairway bunker and chipped it and missed the putt, missed the fairway again on number 5 and, you know, had a long par-putt and then on number 8, missed the fairway as well. Number 2, hit driver, 3-wood just short of the green and hit L-wedge up there about five feet and made the putt, so I shot 2-over on the front side. 10, made par. 11, I hit it in the fairway bunker, hit a 7-iron from about 144 yards to about 8, 10 feet, made it. The next one I hit into the rough again. 6-iron, 9-iron from about 132 and hit the pin, that was about two feet and made some pars. And then on 17, I hit a 3-iron from like 198 to about eight, ten feet straight up the hill and made birdie. On 18, I was in that thick rough short of the bunker, short of the green. I was practicing those shots yesterday. I kind of knew what it was going to do coming out and I hit it to about a foot and a half, luckily.

DAVID BERGANIO: Five missed the fairway about four feet and had no shot and landed up short of the creek and hit an 8-iron, I don't know, 30 feet, and missed the putt. And 8, I hit it in the rough and then about 4, 5 feet out of the fairway as well. Wedged it up there about 20 feet behind the hole and 2-putted for bogey.

DAVID BERGANIO: Yeah, I thought it was going to be dry -- just kidding. It was wet. I have been playing in the rain for two weeks, so it hasn't bothered me, but I think it was -- we should have picked and cleaned today because it was wet today. Especially when you have some wedges and 9-irons, just -- I saw Ken Green chunk one, second hole and I chunked one I think, on number 6.

DAVID BERGANIO: I felt, you know, every time I got over my driver -- I mean, that is the key to the U.S. Open is hit it in the fairway. For me, every time I got on my driver, you know, you just see me be a little nervous and -- so much pressure to hit the fairway, and I didn't hit it as well as I had been. I made some putts and, you know, I didn't make any 20, 30-footers, but I felt once I got it on the short grass I played really, really solid, but just my tee ball was a little crazy today.

DAVID BERGANIO: I hit the ball better on the backside. I didn't hit it real well on the front and, you know, I had a bunch of 30-footers for birdies or 20-footers for birdie. You are not usually going to make them on these greens. But on the backside I hit it close on 11, close on 12. I hit it close on 15 and 17, so you know, I think that is why I scored a little better.

DAVID BERGANIO: Well, it was just wet, and I expected that. It didn't effect me because, like I said, I have been playing in the rain for two weeks now, and I just set it in my mind that we are going to play it out and everyone had to play the golf course wet, and it didn't bother me.

DAVID BERGANIO: Third.

DAVID BERGANIO: Yes.

DAVID BERGANIO: That is a good question, because I played one practice round on Tuesday and we were interrupted. I figured I'd come out Wednesday and work on the greens. I just came out Tuesday and looked at the course to see what I was going to hit off different tees; then I was going to work on the greens yesterday, and we couldn't go out and practice on the greens because of the weather; so I went out there kind of not knowing the greens.

DAVID BERGANIO: I am from L.A., it doesn't rain in L.A.

DAVID BERGANIO: I am not on the Tour. I am on the Nike Tour. So I don't think that I would consider myself a rookie, but I am enjoying it. This is fun coming up here and doing stuff like this. I am not going to change my routine. I am going to out and practice like if it was like a Nike Tour event. I will be nervous tomorrow morning, but it is all right.

DAVID BERGANIO: I think the rough is like a half-shot penalty because you know you are going to wedge it out and you have got 50/50 chance of getting it up-and-down. Either you are going to do it or not, but the rough is definitely penalizing, and that is what the U.S. Open is all about and you can't get frustrated because everyone else is going to hit it in there, so definitely penalizing.

DAVID BERGANIO: Yeah, it was pretty bad. That was the worst lie I had all day. I was down there, but it was weird because yesterday afternoon I was about ready to leave and I said I am going to drop some in the real high stuff on the chipping green down there and I hit maybe 20 shots and it was exactly the same shot that I was practicing that I had today and I happened to hit a good shot. It was luck, you know, any time you hit it a foot from there, it is luck.