U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 26, 2025

Stephen Gallacher

The Broadmoor (East Course)

Quick Quotes

THE MODERATOR: Stephen Gallacher, 2-under 68, a great round out here. What did you learn about the course?

STEPHEN GALLACHER: I think it's just getting used to the altitude really. That's the biggest thing. I think it helped a little bit the rainstorms because it's playing a little bit softer.

Once you get used to sort of how far the ball is traveling, it was just going that distance, it made it a little bit easier to hit the fairways.

But it's still a great course. You just can't switch off for a second, or you hit it the wrong side of the pin and you're doing well not to make bogey.

Q. You wouldn't know it from today, but we've had some weather over the practice rounds. How much have you been able to see the course over the last few days?

STEPHEN GALLACHER: I was lucky I played 18 on Monday, and then I played nine on Tuesday and nine on Wednesday. So I managed to get a couple rounds in, which was good.

Q. A lot of talk about the greens here. What's the trick to them?

STEPHEN GALLACHER: Just got to hit it the right side. If you hit it above it, you've got to take your medicine and two-putt it. Don't get too greedy. If you leave the ball below the hole, they're still good, you can see the ball going in. The greens are sort of the toughness of the golf course. You've got to be switched on the whole time.

Q. A very consistent round today, three birdies. Can you talk about those birdies on 3, 6 and 11?

STEPHEN GALLACHER: That's a good one.

3, par-5, just short of the green. I chipped up to about four-foot, holed it.

6th hole, I hit it stone dead. I hit a good second shot and it came back really close.

Then I had a few chances up to the turn. Was a bit disappointed not to take anything.

Then I hit a lovely 8-iron into 11 to about three foot, which was one of the toughest holes of the course, tough to hit the fairway, and then where the pin was off a slopey lie, I hit a lovely iron in and pitched it exactly where I wanted to and it rolled down to three foot.

I made a couple of good putts for pars, as well, which you've got to do. It's a major. They're trying to trip you up every hole. No, I'm delighted with that.

Q. Were there any pars that you were particularly proud of?

STEPHEN GALLACHER: Yeah, I hit a pure shot on 16. I tried to be a bit greedy and turn it into the pin, and I missed it left. I could only chip it to 15 foot and I chipped it to 15 foot and managed to hole it. That's pretty good for momentum, keep the momentum going. Keep a couple under, and you've got a good couple holes to finish. It was consistent, and I'm happy with that.

Q. Since this is your first Senior Open, what were your expectations coming in?

STEPHEN GALLACHER: I'd heard a lot about the course from a few of my friends that had played it before. One of my mates is at University of Denver, as well, so he's played it. I knew it was a really good golf course, a proper worthy of a U.S. Open golf course.

I can't believe how good the condition is with the weather we've had for two days because it was hailstones both days and flooding, and it's just immaculate.

It's a proper test. It's thick rough, fast slopey greens. It's just what you want in a major and just exactly what I expected.