U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2025

Mark Hensby

The Broadmoor (East Course)

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Mark Hensby, 3-under, a pretty unbelievable, sitting here as the leader. Just three pars today. Talk us through that round.

MARK HENSBY: It was up and down. That's about all I can say.

Q. What have you learned about the course so far?

MARK HENSBY: It's difficult. The greens are where all the problem is. But yeah, it's a hard golf course from around the greens.

Q. The issues on the back nine, was that more just the course catching up to you or are you not swinging it as well?

MARK HENSBY: Probably a bit of both. Just a couple of wrong clubs. With the air being so thin, hit a couple over the back and then a couple short.

Q. Anything you can take -- I know you shot 63 last year at a U.S. Open, which was a pretty good number. Anything you can take -- I know you're disappointed now, but out of the front nine today, that round last year, and bring into the next couple days?

MARK HENSBY: No, not really. Two totally different golf courses. The front nine on this nine, this course is pretty short. The back nine is a totally different nine. I just took advantage of all the short shots that I had on the front nine.

Yeah, obviously totally different golf courses.

Q. You described the greens, I think people who know this place know they're tough. Can you just tell us what is so difficult about them?

MARK HENSBY: Just the slope. I mean, there's so much slope, and it all comes off that mountain most of the time. Sometimes it doesn't. But yeah, the greens were softer today, so it kind of made it a little bit easier and probably not as fast as they can get.

But you put the pins in certain spots, it's pretty tough.

Q. You're leading the field right now. You don't necessarily look like it or look happy about it. Do you feel like you left something out there? What was your motivation or confidence coming into this?

MARK HENSBY: Yeah, obviously I felt like I lost some out there. It's just frustrating. I played like shit the back nine. What else can you say?

But I've never been a very consistent player. I'm hot or cold, and that kind of sucks. Certain shots I keep hitting during rounds, it just pisses me off, so to speak. So yeah, the back nine was just kind of a bit of that.

Q. I know this is a little bit off trajectory, but I know you've had a winding road to get here. Take us through a little bit of your career after you got to America. I know you were sleeping outside a golf course in your car or something like that.

MARK HENSBY: Yeah, but that was a long time ago. I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I've obviously told that story a million times.

I think if you really want something bad enough, you work hard to get where you want to be in anything you do in life, whether it's adversity or in certain other ways.

You just try and be the best you can be with what you've got and see where it takes you.

Q. How were your practice rounds? Did you feel this coming today?

MARK HENSBY: Not really. I had played nine and nine early in the mornings. But when you tee it up, it's a totally different atmosphere, totally different adrenaline. You focus better, and when you're playing practice rounds, it's just getting a lay of the land so to speak and your caddie does a good job around the greens to see where it should be hitting it, et cetera, et cetera.

But I've been playing decent all year. I wouldn't say I've played great this year. I think I've only had one top 10 on the Champions Tour. A lot of top 15 to 22. But just haven't played that great this year.

Q. When you start with conditions the way they were in the morning, so favorable, did you understand the importance of putting up some numbers at that point, and then how important was that in putting you in front right now because you were able to capitalize?

MARK HENSBY: Yeah. I mean, conditions -- when they're softer like this, I definitely didn't think you'd go out there and capitalize on it. It's a long tournament. You just go and try and hit your numbers and hit it where you want to and see where it goes. Obviously it got a little breezy out there the back nine which makes this course tricky, that's for sure, especially with the elevation and stuff.

I think the guys this afternoon -- because the greens are pretty soft. I think they're going to get pretty bumpy. Definitely an advantage going off first thing this morning, that's for sure.