U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 16, 1994

Curtis Strange

CURTIS STRANGE: It hit it over the green on one and chipped back. Very close. Made par. I parred 2. Parred 3. I birdied 4. 2-putt the from about 80 feet, I guess. Right edge of the green. Hit a driver 3-wood in there. 5; 6-iron, to 20 feet, par. 6, the par 3, I hit 5-iron left of the green; chipped to six feet; made it for the par. 7 hit an 8-iron four feet; made it for birdie. 8, I hit a 2-iron to 30 feet, 2-putted for par. And 9, I hit a wedge to about 15 feet, 2-putt par. 10, 2-putt par. 11, is 3-putt bogey from about, oh, 15 feet or something. 12, I made a 20 footer; hit a wedge for 20 feet; made it for birdie. 13, 6-iron to about ten feet; made it for birdie. 14, 3-putted from about 30 feet for bogey. And 15, I hit a 5-iron to about twelve feet and made that for birdie. And 17, I 2-putted for par. 18, I 2-putted for double bogey.

Q. Where did the drive go?

CURTIS STRANGE: To the right, and my second shot went to the left, and my third shot went short, and then I chipped to about ten or fifteen feet. Who cares? I missed that. I didn't hit it bad. I didn't hit a terrible drive. It wasn't a bad or good drive. It's kind of just what happens out there sometimes.

LES UNGER: Questions, please.

Q. What was your first reaction when you knew you were back in the hunt; how does it feel?

CURTIS STRANGE: I guess my first reaction was I made double bogey at 18. I don't know. You know, this is only Thursday at the Open. You don't -- you are not in the hunt Thursday of the Open. You are in contention. I feel like I don't look at it as being in the hunt. I look at it as being a good solid first round. I played very, very well; as well as I have played in a long time. And I like -- hopefully I can sleep on that tonight and sleep not on the last hole, but we still have a long ways to go.

Q. How many times have you used your driver today?

CURTIS STRANGE: The driver?

Q. Yes.

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, I have to -- the first hole, the third hole, the fourth hole. What is that three now? Used on 7, 9, 15 and 18, seven times.

Q. Curtis, how do you handle the heat? What do you do?

CURTIS STRANGE: Nothing. You just drink a lot of water. I rather have it like this than some of the other weather we play earlier in the year. It is not bad. Need to be in relatively good shape; sometimes you got to stand up and be a man and do your job, I don't know. We do this all the time. So it is really not bad. I don't think of the heat out there. Your hands are sweating pretty good, but it is no problem.

Q. You said you hoped to go to sleep tonight thinking about how you played; not 18. How good are you at putting a double out of your mind?

CURTIS STRANGE: Well, we will find out later in the week. I am okay. I have played a really well, and that is what happened -- everybody will go and make a double bogey this week somewhere along the way. I happened to make mine the last hole today. I hope it is the last. But I think everybody in the field will. As we were talking in the locker room the other day, everybody in the field will probably have a double bogey or 2 and 3 and everybody in the field will putt off the green this week. You have got to take your medicine and go get the next one.

Q. Curtis, can you put into words how you feel about U.S. Opens; does it still really pump you up more than anything else?

CURTIS STRANGE: This is the biggest tournament in the world for me. It always has been even before, you know, playing well in a couple. I have always enjoyed the U.S. Open; always played reasonably well in it. It is the one tournament that I can look forward to doing well in of the majors and of the big tournaments. For obvious reasons. The Masters is a different type golf course. The PGA is normally the same. British Open is a different type golf course. I always look forward to the Open. It is a good time of the year for me, June, I am kind of getting going. I always feel like I play well in the summertime, and hey, it is a big, big golf tournament; it always gets me going. The only time I can remember in the past I didn't quite have it that week was and-- I mean, mentally, is at where Payne won, Hazeltine, I didn't quite have it that week. I was playing real poorly and didn't particularly-- it was a beautiful golf course. I just didn't do anything for me, so you-- it just kind of happens once in a while. But I love Oakmont. I think it is a great test. There has been some complaining the last couple of days, but I think it is sporting. I think it is good. I think you really got to know what you are doing out there. I think you really have to control your ball. You can make putts. I mean, I made a few putts today, Ben Crenshaw made a lot of putts; I just hope some of that, that talent he has with a short stick rubs off on me. I am telling you, this guy is not even a close second to Ben putting. He didn't play his best round today. I am marveled at him. He just made some unbelievable putts and perfect speed right in the middle of the hole. It was fun to watch.

Q. How bad was that lie at 18; what did you try and hit there? Do you think you can get to the green?

CURTIS STRANGE: Okay. I will go over it. Actually, the lie was pretty good. I was going back between 6 and 7-iron, and 7-iron, 6-iron to fly up the front third of the green. I never gave it much thought. My lie was pretty good into the basic rub, but I had those strands of long wiry -- not a whole lot of them, but there were some around my ball. I didn't give them enough thought I guess, my club hit that stuff and closed it down and the ball went over my left shoulder just about. I guess I didn't think enough on the lie. I was thinking more on the shot, and the green and how far it would run out of the rough to hit the green, and once I hit it in the face of that other bunker, I was not in good shape. I could have hit a little better third shot, but I didn't.

Q. So you went with 7?

CURTIS STRANGE: I went with 6, sorry, to answer your question. It didn't make any different, 7 or 6-iron.

Q. During the dry spell, how much of it was mechanical and how much of it was mental and currently how do you think you stand in both of those areas?

CURTIS STRANGE: Some was mechanical but not much. You know, I just didn't -- didn't trust what I had been doing over the years. I tried to change some things in my swing and it just didn't work. I go back and forth still to this day, but right now, to answer your question I was pretty much on top of everything today and have been all week. And very much so this week, so I look forward to the rest of the week. But you know, the mind can do strange things to your ability to hit the golf ball and put it in the hole.

Q. Do you have your red shirt saved for Sunday?

CURTIS STRANGE: That is it, okay. Thanks.

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