Q. First of all, obviously the 1st tee ball as an Ohioan, how special was that moment when you realized you had that honor?
RIK CRAMER: It was a pretty cool bonus to the week. No idea that was even a thing. Then I realized, after we had the 7:00 tee time, that was the first tee shot being hit.
So took me back a little bit initially, but what an honor. Yeah, it's a blessing.
Q. How was it just seeing that gallery and seeing that (indiscernible) off of 1 tee?
RIK CRAMER: Oh, yeah, they were great. A bunch of members from my club back home and a lot of family. Had some family flew in from Texas, Virginia, quite a ways away to come and see, so it was nice.
Then to come out here and deal with the heat and follow us around and cheer us on, it was -- took a little oxygen off the tee box, but it definitely pumped us up, kept us going.
Q. Going back to qualifying, what was that playoff like? Obviously the familiarity with the course, but obviously knowing this could be your first U.S. Senior Open.
RIK CRAMER: Yeah, for sure. Obviously having it at home is much more comfortable than a place you're not familiar with.
But it's a quality field, you know what I mean? You've got to go play golf. You've got to do it well. It's considerably tighter to play with the ramifications of what's coming off of this if you do well.
I had a couple of TOUR winners even in our playoffs, guys that these aren't just anybody coming off the street. These are pretty solid golfers. We were fortunate to get through it in one hole, so it was great.
Q. One birdie on the scorecard today. What does that look like for you?
RIK CRAMER: Well, it was looking for some bright side there. Like I say, the oxygen left the tee felt like off the 1st hole a little bit. Took us a while to get through that, and then a little tight spell, just keeping it in front of me. A couple of bad decisions, and that frees you up some.
By the time we got to 12, it's a good opportunity for me. I'm able to get to that green in two with less than a 3-wood. It's all about getting a good tee shot there and getting it close to the green, which I did, easy up-and-down.
Q. First U.S. Senior Open experience; what has it been like for you?
RIK CRAMER: I play in a few other pretty big events as well, but the USGA knows how to do it, right? There's no expense spared here. There's food everywhere you turn. There's people helping you out. Anything you need, it's there for you.
The USGA has been great. The club has been fantastic to work with and deal with. They're awesome, yeah.
Q. Obviously you're relatively local. Had you played Scioto much before? What's it like in USGA conditions?
RIK CRAMER: So I had played here a number of times actually in the past, but it had been about 22 years ago when I was here. There are about 3,000 trees -- 3,300 I think is what they told me light from the last time I saw it.
I was fortunate after I got through the qualifier, there was a friend who hosted us on a Friday to come up and play so I could see it, take a look. Still the same great golf course. The conditions are amazing. Lots of places to play from here other than the rough.
A few less trees, had to kind of zero in on some aiming points off the tee to know where it to hit it to and let it bleed into bunkers or whatever if you're looking off the ground. Seems like off the tee, I like to look up and see trees in the distance. There wasn't of that anymore, so took us a minute to get that.
I felt really comfortable all week. All practice has been great, making a bunch of birdies. Just a tight day, right? Got to get through that and hopefully come in tomorrow and free it up a little bit more.
Q. Any nerves standing over the first ball?
RIK CRAMER: Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's funny because obviously a lot of text messages and phone calls, well wishes and stuff for the past week.
But everybody up on the tee box -- my kid, for example, I've got an 8-year-old son. He's got friends that came up to visit. Hearing the kids cheer us on and everything.
I was putting the ball on the tee, and my hand was literally shaking. I didn't feel it quite so much, but clearly physically it was taking effect.
That was a lot to deal with initially. Didn't hit a great tee shot, but made a pretty good par on the 1st hole to get through it.
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