U.S. Senior Open Championship

Friday, June 28, 2024

Newport, Rhode Island, USA

Newport Country Club

Paul Stankowski

Quick Quotes


Q. Got to be happy about two 67s on this course.

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Yeah, very happy. Today was tough. Right when we started, right when we got on the first hole, our 10th hole, it was downwind. I was like, okay, this is going to be good. Just hang on for a couple more holes. And it turned as soon as we hit.

No, it's good. Under-par on this golf course is good. It's drying out. It's starting to get a bit of fire back in it, and so tomorrow should be a little more fun.

Q. Living in Texas, does that help you around here with the wind and everything?

PAUL STANKOWSKI: Yeah, I mean, wind is -- we've all done this before. We're a bunch of old guys, right? Playing in the wind, I grew up in California, coastal, so we got a lot of those afternoon breezes too.

Yeah, you've got to be patient. You've got to think your way around the golf course. This is different kind of golf. It's linksy. I haven't played much linksy kind of golf.

Thankful for the rain we had a couple days ago. It softened it up a little bit. So the golf course is definitely playable, as we've seen, a lot of low scores.

Tomorrow, if the breeze picks up, it's going to get a little firmer and going to be a little tougher.

Q. You're certainly in contention here. What do you have to do on the weekend to win this thing?

PAUL STANKOWSKI: I've got to play really solid golf. I don't want to say flawless, but I've got to keep it in front of me and roll the rock well.

My iron play's been solid. I've been driving the ball solidly as well. Yeah, more of the same. If I can shoot 67, 67, I'd be pretty happy.

Q. Any of the birdies or pars that you were especially fond of today that kept the round going?

PAUL STANKOWSKI: I made a good up-and-down at 7 -- 6. I hit it in the right bunker. 4-iron into that green, and it's a left pin. I was just trying to get it on the right edge of the green. I got ahead of it into the wind, and I was in the right bunker, which was not really even in play. I hit that to about six feet and made that one.

I made another really nice par saver at 3. Hit a hybrid into the green, left pin. I hit it in the front left bunker. Hit a nice bunker shot to about six feet, and it was a cup and a half of break, dying in, wind off to the right, poured that in the middle. Those two were huge.

You're not going to make birdies every hole. You're not going to hit every green. The key here is to keep -- put yourself on the good side. If you miss the green, it's okay as long as you give yourself a chance.

A lot of golf to be played, but I'm thrilled that I've gotten off to a good start. I'd love to keep going.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
145782-1-1041 2024-06-28 22:52:00 GMT

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