U.S. SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 31, 2004

Bob Gilder

Q. Would you start us off with birdies and bogeys, please?

BOB GILDER: Okay, what did I do here? Well, I started on 10. No. 11, I hit a good drive off the tee with a 5-wood and had kind of a tight little shot with an 8-iron and I pushed it, and it caught the tree and dumped it in the hazard. I had a heck of an up-and-down for a 5. Made bogey there.

Par 3, I almost made an ace. I think I was about maybe eight inches from the hole, on 13.

Then 14, I don't remember the hole. I don't remember the hole.

Q. Well, skip that one then.

BOB GILDER: I remember the par 3. What's the hole right after that? Oh, well, I made birdie. Doesn't matter.

15, I made bogey. How did I make bogey there? I can't remember that hole. How am I doing (laughter)?

Q. You're providing a wealth of information.

BOB GILDER: There you go. You didn't want to know this anyway, did you?

17, I hit driver, 5-iron, sand wedge to about five feet short of the hole and made that for birdie.

18, I hit a drive in the right rough, hit a 6-iron about ten feet short of the hole and made that for birdie.

15, I hit a perfect drive right down the middle of the fairway, and it went through the fairway into the rough, and I got an awful lie. I just drove it too far, and all I could do with an 8-iron was get it to the bottom of the hill. I chipped it up about ten feet and missed it. I had a downhill, sidehill curler there.

I still can't picture 14.

Oh, I hit driver to the right edge of the fairway, and I hit 8-iron to the right of the pin and knocked in about a 15-footer for birdie. Now I remember it. Are you satisfied now?

Q. Well, they all look the same, long, hard holes through the trees.

BOB GILDER: When you're switching nines all the time, I never put a number to a hole. That's why I can't remember them that way.

Q. How do you feel about the way you played? You've got yourself into good position.

BOB GILDER: I'm hitting the ball well, giving myself a lot of chances. I'm just not getting a lot of them in. I'm getting a few of them in, but not enough.

To be two behind with 36 holes to play, I feel really good because I'm in shape and 36 holes is nothing for me. I relish the fact that we play 36 holes.

Q. Do you think it'll rule some guys out?

a name=6>BOB GILDER: Yeah, if it's hot. I love the heat, and, you know, there's no telling how I'll play. Just because I like it and I feel good about it doesn't mean I'm going to play great, but I've got myself in good position, and I feel like I'm hitting the ball pretty good, and we'll see what happens.

Q. Were you surprised at first when they announced a 36-hole finish? Did you think they would do that?

BOB GILDER: No, nothing surprises me. If they want to get it done on Sunday, that's what they're going to have to do, and I don't think 36 holes is a bad thing to do.

Q. Do you think there are a number of guys in the field that can win because of fitness, because of --

BOB GILDER: You know, I don't know. There's some of them going to have a hard time. Hale isn't. Peter might have a tough time with his hip, I don't know. That's too bad because he's playing well, and he might just get pretty fatigued playing 36 holes.

Q. Does this golf course suit your game well or is it a case when you're playing well, you can pretty much play well anywhere?

BOB GILDER: You know, when you're playing well, you can pretty much play well anywhere, although, you know, some golf courses look good to you. I mean, you feel comfortable on the tee and the shape of your shot fits some of the tee balls and some of the shots into the pins, and that makes you feel a lot better sometimes. This is pretty good, it really is, although changing the pins out here, they can give it a whole different look every day, so you never know what they're going to do. I can't believe some of these pins they use. They have some of these pins on some slope that you just wouldn't put it on, on some ridges, they put it right on top of the ridge.

Q. (Inaudible).

BOB GILDER: It's got to be because it's soft. That's the only defense they have on this golf course because you're firing it right up -- landing it and stopping it right where it hits or spinning it.

Q. How do you analyze your year?

BOB GILDER: Very unfocused.

Q. Why?

BOB GILDER: Oh, things going on in my life. It's just been a tough year for me, a very tough year for me, and I just haven't been able to focus this year. It's been a real struggle. That's as far as it goes.

End of FastScripts.