PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Obviously it got quite windy, but you couldn't have asked for a better setup. There obviously was a couple of tough holes, but all the tees were up. The pins were as easy as can be. Greens were soft. So it was a tough test but very, very fair.
Q. One of those you feel like you could have done better in?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I didn't drive the ball well. Some of the good iron shots I hit, you know, on a tough day just didn't quite -- I hit a nice shot into 7; it was short. Hit a nice shot into 9; it was short. That happens sometimes in the wind.
A few mistakes, and I didn't play particularly well. I didn't drive it very well, which put me under a lot of pressure.
Q. Played with the young guy. How did he hold up?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: He played lovely. 2-over par was the worst he could have shot. He hit it dead straight all day. Didn't really have himself in too much trouble at all. Probably could have been a couple better.
Q. How does he compare to other young prodigies and superstars you've played with over the years?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Have to wait and see. It's hard to know in the wind. He played lovely golf, hit it -- as I said, looked like he could hit it down a rope. I think he wants narrower fairways, if you ask me. He looked lovely.
I'll wait and see another day. He's a little guy, isn't he? He's 17 years of age. Can't remember what I was doing when I was 17 years of age. Yeah, I'm sure it's all ahead of him.
Looked very good. It's hard to tell in one round of golf in all that wind.
Q. What do you talk about with a 17-year-old out on the golf course? You can't really talk about the Beatles or anything.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There wasn't a lot of talk or anything. It was really windy out there. Head down and getting your work done. It wasn't a great day to chat.
A lot of good shots for him, as I said, but not a great day to chat, no. Talked with one or two other amateurs and things like that when they pass, but not much else.
Q. Easier setup today obviously, but balls still dripping off greens here and there and gusts that you're getting. Can you talk about that challenge here at Shinnecock and why it makes it so difficult?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: There was a few gusts, yes. You could get the wrong gusts at the wrong time, for sure, but that's golf. As I said, they couldn't have done move with the setup really. Probably 18 is the easiest pins they'll ever put out on the golf course, and the tees were all up. The greens were soft.
Yeah, you couldn't have really asked for much more. Clearly there's no doubt there will be players who come in and feel they got a bad break here or there, they got a slight misjudgment and the wind caught it. That happens sometimes with the wind. You just catch a groove out, and all of a sudden you're 25 yards out instead of being 5 yards out.
It's a bit like that. You're going to get some good breaks as well as bad breaks, but those bad breaks do hurt on a day like today, and players will magnify the "why me" sort of thing. To be honest, it certainly was very, very playable, especially when it warmed up. The wind isn't anywhere near as -- I'm sure it's the same strength, but it doesn't play as -- you know, with the heat, it's very playable.
Q. Was it the best way to go about it given the forecast?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yes, I think so. I think they'll be happy with where the scoring is at. It seems to be a few guys under par.
You can definitely -- it's very, very playable. There's a couple of holes straight into the wind, which were tough, and the tee's up. It wasn't tough because -- it was just tough because of how straight the wind was. I always like a bit of side wind to help me. So a few of the holes, they changed a little bit like that.
You got 4 and 8 were tough drives. Overall, I wouldn't mind a second go at it, you know, that sort of way. I don't feel like it was -- I certainly didn't drive it very well, which made it difficult, but it was very playable.
Q. 13 as a hole, if you saw it on paper, you would think it's going to be easy for these guys. It's beating everyone up. You made par today. Can you explain to me what makes 13 difficult despite its short length?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It will be interesting to see if -- I'd say players have been too conservative off the tee. If you could drive it in that fairway bunker that's at 275, I think you would gain strokes, strokes gained.
Yeah, you're much better off -- like, I missed the fairway and still was able to hit wedge to 15 feet. I think the stats guys will have a look at that one and go, you should have hit driver.
Q. On 10 you opted to go down the hill. What's the thought? It's actually interesting that more birdies are from guys laying up today so far. Why did you go want to go down the hill?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, Cam laid up, and I think he had 180. I don't want that shot. I had 110. I'd definitely go for it. I don't see it as a layup, no. I just do not see it as a layup. I'm very comfortable down there hitting that shot.
I know it's not the easiest shot from down there, but I think it's easier than the 180-yard shot from the top of the hill. If you tell me more birdies have been made, maybe that's the game.
Q. It's 3-to-1. It's not really a profound difference.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Maybe more bogeys being made up at the top, yeah.
Q. That's a good point.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: But some of that's personal preference. I would always opt to be closer to the hole. Yeah, I just do not see the layup myself personally. I will wait for the -- for all those geniuses to tell us how I should have played it.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports