U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 12, 2008

Eric Axley

Q. You had a different start for this Open than your previous Opens. Was there a change in your approach or attitude or just how did that work today?

ERIC AXLEY: I think it's more I'm just playing a little better now. In previous Opens, I think I would say I got a little jittery and a little out of my game a little bit, but I feel really comfortable over the ball right now. I think it was just more I'm swinging better.

Q. How hard is the golf course out there compared to being unfair?

ERIC AXLEY: I don't think it's at all unfair. It's very fair. If you miss it a little off the fairway, you can get in lies, even control some shots into the greens. So very fair.

I felt like -- I played yesterday in the afternoon and the greens were really firm, and today they felt even a little softer than yesterday, maybe that was because that was in the morning. All in all, I think the course played very fair.

Q. You've watched Opens before and you've always heard about people talking about the difficulty of a course and you don't hear nearly as much groaning about the setup. Why is that?

ERIC AXLEY: I don't know. Like I say, I think it's just a fair golf course, first and foremost, and they moved some tees around today. Now, granted when they did, they kind of put some tougher pins in there. I think the USGA just did a really good job on the setup.

Q. (No mic.)

ERIC AXLEY: Well, it seems like in the past, I've played one bad round. I've played three -- this is my fourth U.S. Open, and the first three I played really well one of the days and missed the cut by one, two, and I think three on the others. So just got off to a good start this year, and just try to keep doing what I'm doing for the rest of the week.

Q. (No mic.)

ERIC AXLEY: I did. I did. Kind of walking along the water and looking out, I did think about him some. No, I thought about him.

Q. (No mic.)

ERIC AXLEY: Yep. I started on 10, 3-wood, 8-iron to about I think it was about 18 feet and I made -- missed the fairway on 12, pitched out, wedge, and missed about a 15-footer for par, so made bogey.

15, I hit a good drive and a 6-iron to 12, 15 feet, and made it.

Bogeyed 16, with just a three-putt from the front fringe. I was just in the shaved stuff and just hit a bad first putt.

Missed the fairway on 17, chipped out and made bogey, as well.

And then a good driver and 3-iron on 18, and made the putt for eagle.

Birdied 2, with about -- just off the back fringe, made it from off the green with the putter.

Birdie on 4. I hit a really good drive and a 9-iron to about four feet and made birdie.

I bogeyed 5, hit a fairway bunker and caught a really bad lie.

Q. You are familiar with Steve. Can you just expound basically about what that involves?

ERIC AXLEY: Anyone that's lost someone that's close to them knows what it's like, so he was a good friend and good person and had a huge heart. It was tough out there today when I started thinking about it, but I also have to play golf. He was with me out there.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ERIC AXLEY: I don't know how close to giving it up. It was a matter of, at the time it happened, I was getting ready to turn pro and kind of had some sponsors lined up and stuff like that. It happened, and I didn't get to play golf for two years. So it was more of a setback and how long is it going to take me to get back to where I was. I never felt like I would give it up. It was more just the process of getting back to where I was.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ERIC AXLEY: In Tennessee, my hometown.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ERIC AXLEY: No, just riding with some friends.

Q. Do you feel flamboyant?

ERIC AXLEY: This is very calm right now, this is very calm.

Q. (Inaudible.)

ERIC AXLEY: Right. No, I don't know Ricky that well. I've played four -- actually three holes with him in the playoff. He seemed to strike the ball well. Obviously his early career as a college player kind of speaks for itself. He's obviously a great player. And no, I mean the golf ball, the golf course, they don't know how old he is, why can't he play well?