IAN POULTER: Between the three of us, we hit four bunker shots, all our bunker shots were plugged, very plugged. Three of those shots were hit by woods and that buried in the face. It's just a shame that you have to play a course that's so difficult, and you bury your ball in the face of a bunker with a 3‑wood, but we just have to get on with it.

Q. Mike Davis, who sets up the golf course, says he almost wanted players to be complaining about the bunkers at the end of the week and wanted them to be more hazardous.

IAN POULTER: He's obviously done a good job. If that's what he's wanted, then he's done a great job.

Q. So what's been the most difficult thing about playing this over two days?

IAN POULTER: It's always tiring takes them four hours to make a decision yesterday to abandon play for the day. So a lot of hanging about and you just have to get back to the hotel room and rest, and 4:50 alarm call this morning to get back up and get back out there. It's nice to get on the course and finish what was a decent start to make a decent run.

The golf course was surprisingly playable after all of that rain yesterday. I didn't think we would start on time this morning. So I'm not sure what time those greenskeepers had their alarms set, but mine was set for 4:50, and I'm sure theirs was set for a bit earlier.

The golf course was playable but it was obviously saturated and obviously those holes on the back nine were playing longer than in practice.

Q. How pleased are you with the round all together?

IAN POULTER: Good, solid start. I'm very happy, three birdies, three bogeys, and it's a nice start to a U.S. Open.

Q. And ideally, would you like to be starting your second round again today because you won't start until tomorrow when the weather is not good again.

IAN POULTER: I don't mind. It is what it is. Your draw is your draw. You can't think too much about it to be honest. It will be what will be. If it's going to rain in the morning it's going to rain and not much we can do about it. It's going to be a wet weekend from the forecast so just have to get on with it.

Q. How were the galleries?

IAN POULTER: The galleries are good. A New York atmosphere is a New York atmosphere. It's always good.

Q. Talking about the USGA saying they are never going lift, clean and place, what's your feeling on that, having played today and the way the forecast is for the weekend?

IAN POULTER: It is very difficult to go into a lot of par 4s, certainly a U.S. Open golf course, when balls are picking up so much mud. You know, I don't think a driver I hit today went forward more than a foot. If that's going to happen, it's taking more than a pitchmark and you're going to have mud on the ball.

Everybody is in the same boat, but, it's a little excessive when we are having to go into par 4s which are 520 yards, 500 yards, your ball is flying 270 off the tee. Well, that's 230‑yard shot left. And that for me is at least a 5‑wood.

So it's pretty tricky when you are going into greens with so much club when there's a bit of mud on the ball. So a little bit disappointing, but the rule is the rule and he doesn't want to change it.

Q. So is the key focus yourself that everybody has to deal with that?

IAN POULTER: Everyone has to deal with it, but the other factor in this is we have four bunker shots between our threeball, and all four bunker shots were buried. So not only are we standing in the middle of the fairway with 5‑wood, 3‑wood, whatever club you're going to hit, you're thinking, if this doesn't come out cleanly, then it's going to pitch in the face of the bunker, you barely can get it out of the bunker.

Justin Leonard hit 3‑wood into a par 4 today that, the 10th hole, pitches in the face of the bunker, which is quite a steep face, buries and you can't get it out of the bunker. So not only are we factoring in the mud, we are factoring in if you pitch in the bunker it's going to plug.

He's succeeded in his thought process of making hazards hazards because they truly are.

Q. Basically a very tough golf course much, much tougher.

IAN POULTER: Yes.

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