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THE SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROLEXJuly 27, 2012Gary HallbergTURNBERRY, SCOTLAND STEVE TODD: Gary, very tough conditions out there, just how good of a round was 63 was that? GARY HALLBERG: Well, I bogeyed 2 starting out to go 1‑over. I was 5‑over the first day after nine holes. And I thought, you know, I'm not playing that bad. I'm playing good. I just couldn't get it going. So I hung in there and played a great back nine and started out bogey on 2. That hurt. Missed a short 4‑foot putt and then, boy, I just had the confidence. I think the 40 helped me because it turned me around mentally to go play aggressively. I played aggressively, and had some great putts go in. I missed some putts, probably six, seven feet today but it was just a‑‑ I started to choke a bit near the end. You know what that means: You get nervous, and I haven't been nervous in a while. It's nice to get to that point where you can get nervous. I had that putt on last hole and I wanted that real bad. STEVE TODD: To tie the lowest round at Turnberry. GARY HALLBERG: Yeah, would have been nice. STEVE TODD: Just take us through some of the highlights on your card. GARY HALLBERG: Okay. Well, let's see, No.2, I 3‑putted from the front edge. That was very disappointing. And then starting on No. 5, driver, 8‑iron about ten feet. The wind was into left‑to‑right. I hit a nice 8‑iron. Next hole, the par3, tough hole. Beautiful 4‑iron. Rode the wind about 30 yards all the way across and rolled down about six feet from the hole and tapped that in. And I have the long putter and the putter was weaving, and up until that, I missed every putt. I made a few yesterday afternoon. So that was nice. And then I birdied 7‑‑ I can't remember the holes. What's 7? You're showing me here. 7 is a par 5. I hit a driver and a hybrid just on the front and 2‑putted. 10 was a‑‑ what's 10? A par 4. A beautiful hybrid off the tee. It was 190, hit 8‑iron from 190 about 15 feet and made that putt. All of a sudden, things are going my way now. That's nice. But then we turned into the wind which was tough. 11 was straight into a really hard wind. I hit a driver and‑‑ 11 was the par3, I'm sorry. It was 177. I hit 9‑iron about 20 feet and made that. And I had my nephew and his son here and they were screaming and hollering. So my two people in my gallery sounded like about a hundred; that was nice. They carried me along. 13, I hit a beautiful 3‑wood off the tee and hit a nice pitching wedge, tough pin about six, seven feet from the hole and made that. The next hole, 14, I missed the green to the right. That was really the only shot today I wasn't quite pleased with off the green and I putted it in from probably 40 feet from off the green. Now I'm thinking geez, you know, I'm 5‑under par. The par3, 15, I hit a 5‑iron about six feet there and left it short. The next hole, I knocked it about 12 feet and left it short. And then 17, I made it and 18, I had a chance for that putt and asked my caddie, I said, "Looks uphill." And he says, "No, I don't think so." I didn't want to hear that. I left it kind of weak, short. Wasn't hit hard enough. But I can't complain. You can't make them all. It was one of the great days that I've had in many years on the golf course. It was just a pleasure. I had a caddie last week, I was here a little early, and I was playing another golf course and I said, "How do you handle the wind over here?" He says, "We lean on the wind over here."  And I saw that as a positive. And I said to him, "So that's a good thing."  He says, "Oh, yes, sometimes you need that wind to lean on a little bit."   Kind of changed my thinking believe it or not. So today I leaned into the wind and it was favourable. Q. Your main job is television work. Does it still not match being out there and doing that today? GARY HALLBERG: No, I'm not the TV guy. I think you're thinking of Gary Koch. Looks like me. Has the same first name. But I don't think that's‑‑ I don't do much of that, no. He's quite a good TV guy. Q. I noticed you played in the 1977 Walker Cup, there was a Scot called Steve Martin; do you recall much of that? GARY HALLBERG: I lost? I was 4‑0 that week that year. They told me I was one of the only ones not to lose a match‑‑ it was so long ago. (Laughter) maybe one, give it to him. Q. Did it ever cross your mind today, a 59? GARY HALLBERG: Actually, when I hit that iron in on 15, quite close, that would have put me at the time 7‑under at that point. You know, I thought, well, I had a few I missed out there. If I make 7, I could be 9, and maybe birdie or something like that. It did cross my mind just for a moment, wow. In fact, after the birdie on 14, I didn't know how many under par I was. I was just going along and enjoying the day, leaning on the wind, you know. Because when you shoot 5‑over the first nine of the championship, that's really far away. And to be where I am right are now, that's pretty amazing I think. Q. What is your lowest competitive round? GARY HALLBERG: 61. I did it at the Hickory tournament two years ago to beat Fred Couples by one shot on Sunday. Timely; it was a timely 61, that one. But that was my lowest. Q. Where was that? GARY HALLBERG: It was at North Carolina at the Hickory Classic. Q. Where do you rank this? GARY HALLBERG: This happens to be one of the top rounds ever, for sure. It could have been worse; it could have been better. But you know, I don't know, it was a cold, early tee time and windy. You don't know what to expect, right. And I think I was in a good frame of mind because of that first round 40 on that front nine. I think that you hate to say that, but it kind of slapped me in the face. I said, don't play cautious, come on, just go play golf out there. So that was good. Q. My facts can be slightly incorrect; did you lead The Open halfwayat Birkdale? GARY HALLBERG: I did. Q. What do you remember about that experience, especially with the links and everything? GARY HALLBERG: Well, Birkdale, it was very windy. It was firm, as well. So lots of low shots. I remember playing with a couple of Americans hitting it straight up in the air into the wind and going nowhere, and I had a little more creativity than them. I was surprised, the shots they were trying to hit. But yeah, you know, I wasn't so concerned hitting solid shots, as to hitting the right flight and the right direction back then. But that was a thrill. That was quite a thrill. Q. What happened at the weekend? GARY HALLBERG: You know, I don't remember. You know, I had a few of those Majors like that where I was in good shape, but wasn't meant to be, I'll put it that way. Wasn't my calling, if you will. Q. Where was the event you played last week with the wind? GARY HALLBERG: I was at Renaisassance over by Edinburgh. I had a great caddie. He said some classic things. I hit it in the bunker on one hole and he looked in there and he says, aye, only room in there for an angry man and a niblick ‑‑ (laughter). That was the greatest thing I ever heard I thought. Loved it. Have you heard that one? Probably have. Q. That's one of Scotland's newest championship courses. Possibly going to get a Scottish Open venue in the future. GARY HALLBERG: Tremendous place. Loved playing there. It's Scottish, and it's difficult, and it's beautiful, too. Beautiful place. I didn't play the new holes. Saw the new holes. But it's championship, for sure, future, you know. Q. Can you just explain when you say‑‑ when you use the word lean on the wind, can you explain just roughly what that means, how you leaned on that? In what way did you lean on the wind? GARY HALLBERG: Well, when there's no wind, sometimes you're indecisive sometimes what shot you want to hit: Do I draw, fade, low, high. I think when the wind is blowing, you don't have a choice. You have to hit one shot, use the wind. I have to hit up into the wind and let it come across. So to lean on the wind, if it's a crosswind you hit up into the wind and let it come back. Into the wind, you know you're hitting it low, and downwind, I try not to hit it too high. But I think that's it. You only have one choice. It's pretty clear, cut and dry what you're going to hit. So maybe that's what he means. Makes the decisions easier. Q. The caddie from the other week at the Renaisassance, do you remember his name? Did you ask him to come to Turnberry? GARY HALLBERG: I did‑‑ was his name John or Scott? That's not good. His name was John and he's from Dunbar area. And yes, I did, I said, you know, I've got my caddie, my friend, who also helps me with my game, as well. He came over, but if he wasn't coming over‑‑ if something happens and he can't make it, would you please caddie for me. He was a great guy, just great. Q. I suppose if you were to follow on, you would owe him a sizable tip? GARY HALLBERG: Yeah, I'll tell him, you know what, you keep your head down and follow through. (Laughter) And be nice to your elders. Yeah, he was tremendous. My caddie was great today, too, my friend and caddie. He did a great job out there, as well, reminding me of my one thought for the day, which I'm not going to tell you what that is, but you have to have a thought out there, something, a feel. Kept reminding me, because he knows how I forget things, like my wife. We forget. Right, guys? Just happens. Very helpful. Q. Inaudible. GARY HALLBERG: Well, the thought happened on the 10th hole yesterday. I said, you know what, I think I'm going to try this. I think this is what we are looking for here. Hit it‑‑ I think that was it. So anyway, it's been a great day, really great. Because you don't get that many like this, you know. So it's fantastic. So now I'm going to go pray for rain and wind. STEVE TODD: Thank you, Gary. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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