THE MODERATOR: Matt Gogel, 2-under 68. A week ago is when you found out officially you were in the field. Talk about your prep for this and what the last week has been like.
MATT GOGEL: This was the first year for final qualifying, like the U.S. Open. I thought there would be a pretty good shot at it because I think my position was fourth of the re-allotment, and I know that playing the Champions Tour full-time there's always four guys or five guys that are pretty hurt.
Anyway, I think I got the call like Wednesday of last week. So that just kind of made it pretty easy. I've been living on the edge of the Champions Tour. With my status, I'm kind of usually two, three in, two or three out. So I have to wait until closing, so it's nothing unusual.
I only got one practice round in due to -- I came in Tuesday; the weather hit Tuesday afternoon. That was my scheduled practice round. I played yesterday morning, and it blew literally 30 minutes after I finished.
It's a tough golf course. I kept it below the hole, which you have to do. There's really no mystery out here other than it's really hard to put the ball where you want it with altitude on severe sloped greens. Today worked out pretty well.
Q. How much homework do you do because it's that altitude and all that in that week that you have? Or were you kind of preparing as though you were going to be here a week?
MATT GOGEL: Google Earth helps, so that's one thing. Yardage books are great as well. We still don't use laser finders, range finders on USGA events. We do on the Champions Tour and the PGA.
I mean, with all the data it's almost too much numbers anyway, but it is still right out -- and I've been playing a lot of golf. I think for a guy who qualified who's maybe played one or two tournaments this year, this is really tough.
My game is I know my misses. I know I'm playing pretty well. I know that there's a long way between now and Sunday. So get some rest and then go out tomorrow morning and hopefully shoot a couple under again.
Then it's a long -- then we have 36 holes. We're not even in a third inning here.
Q. Not to rehash this, but what's your immediate reaction when you find out you're coming here? Specifically the Broadmoor, knowing this course is as tough as it is.
MATT GOGEL: Well, you don't want to miss out on any tournament at our age. A U.S. Open, it's our National Championship. I think that there's three big, big, big events, four really, that we have all year, and that's the U.S. Senior, the British Senior, the Senior PGA, and the Senior PLAYERS last week. I don't do very well in the Senior PLAYERS every year; that's just a tough course for me.
I'm thrilled to be here. Obviously we're all collecting points, and these count for our Schwab Cup points, dollars if you want, but points is what we're supposed to say. So this is important because this is our biggest purse of the year.
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