Q. How weird is this week?

BUBBA WATSON: U.S. Opens are always weird because they are always tough conditions, but this one is a little bit weirder, I guess you would say, because it's a hard thing. It's hard to get started. It's hard to stop and get started and start your round. It's just hard to do, concentrating on a hard golf course, first of all, and concentrating on stopping, starting, waking up early, trying to get food in at 9 o'clock night, it's hard to do.

Q. Usually you have a hard and fast golf course at the U.S. Open, and this probably could not be more opposite.

BUBBA WATSON: Yeah. Just one of those ‑‑ doesn't matter to me. Just what the good Lord gives us and that's what we are having to deal with.

Q. Where were you this morning?

BUBBA WATSON: I was on 13. I had about an 87‑yard shot middle of the fairway, and the par 5 there, so I was looking at a good chance for birdie, as long as it didn't spin off the green.

Q. Did you come here early this morning?

BUBBA WATSON: No, I called when I got up, 5:25 was my alarm clock.

Q. How solid was it for you today?

BUBBA WATSON: It's always ‑‑ any time you shoot under par at a U.S. Open, it's great. I had no bogeys. Shot three birdies. I played really good. I played good golf. I played good golf all week, all three rounds. I made a double‑bogey my first hole of the tournament and I'm 3‑under par after that.

Q. Graeme McDowell said a moment ago that it's surreal, you don't even know what round you might be playing in, it's so disconcerting. You're going through that same experience and you're able to put up a good round today.

BUBBA WATSON: You always feel good when you shoot under par, shoot even par. Right now, I'm like eight, seven shots off the lead, nine shots, whatever it is. So I'm not really looking at winning or anything. I'm just looking at trying not to make bogeys, one hole at a time.

Each hole is hard and each hole has its own challenges, and right now, I signed my scorecard a few minutes ago and I didn't know we were done. Just one hole at a time, try to keep my head down and go.

Q. Now that you've played and have an idea of the conditions, what sort of number will win?

BUBBA WATSON: I don't know what the leader is. Leader is at 9 or 8? I mean, he's playing great. It's obvious he's playing a great week. He's hanging on there. Could be 9, could be 10, 12. You never know. It's out there. You could shoot under par. It's just you've got to putt good and hopefully you don't get any mud balls.

Q. How much is your length an advantage in the soggy conditions?

BUBBA WATSON: The only part it's a factor is that out of the rough, I could hit shorter irons so I could get more loft out of some of the rough. That's really it, because everybody can hit the greens and hole the greens so doesn't matter how far you hit it off the tee.

Q. Any mud balls today?

BUBBA WATSON: I had one today.

Q. You had 18 uninterrupted holes today ‑‑ and you're in Tiger's wave; right?

BUBBA WATSON: Yes. No, he's in my wave. (Laughter).

The one time I want to be in his wave ‑‑

Q. Playing three rounds, that was the only one you've played 18 uninterrupted holes.

BUBBA WATSON: I did that yesterday? Then okay, that was the only time. Again, every day is kind of blending in.

Q. Long week?

BUBBA WATSON: Exactly. It's the most I've ever hit range balls, it's unbelievable.

Q. Putting out here, they are supposed to be U.S. Open greens, but really aren't. Is it more of a guessing game this week?

BUBBA WATSON: The greens are still fast. You know, even with these conditions, the maintenance crew here has done an unbelievable job. The grounds crew, you can't even imagine what it would be like in a normal event. These guys have worked around the clock. Footprints are the only thing, because a lot of chubby people out there like me were making some footprint so every once in awhile you have to putt through a footprint and it bounces off, hobbles a little bit and goes offline.

These greens are still running fast. I know they want them faster but I don't know if you could do it faster, because you couldn't stop it in dry conditions. It's wet; it's a little easier to stop the ball now.

Back to Top

< BACK TO PLAYER INTERVIEWS