Player Interviews
Thursday, June 12, 2008Eric Axley
Q. You had a different start for this Open than your previous Opens. Was there a change in your approach or attitude or just how did that work today?
ERIC AXLEY: I think it's more I'm just playing a little better now. In previous Opens, I think I would say I got a little jittery and a little out of my game a little bit, but I feel really comfortable over the ball right now. I think it was just more I'm swinging better.
Q. How hard is the golf course out there compared to being unfair?
ERIC AXLEY: I don't think it's at all unfair. It's very fair. If you miss it a little off the fairway, you can get in lies, even control some shots into the greens. So very fair.
I felt like ‑‑ I played yesterday in the afternoon and the greens were really firm, and today they felt even a little softer than yesterday, maybe that was because that was in the morning. All in all, I think the course played very fair.
Q. You've watched Opens before and you've always heard about people talking about the difficulty of a course and you don't hear nearly as much groaning about the setup. Why is that?
ERIC AXLEY: I don't know. Like I say, I think it's just a fair golf course, first and foremost, and they moved some tees around today. Now, granted when they did, they kind of put some tougher pins in there. I think the USGA just did a really good job on the setup.
Q. (No mic.)
ERIC AXLEY: Well, it seems like in the past, I've played one bad round. I've played three ‑‑ this is my fourth U.S. Open, and the first three I played really well one of the days and missed the cut by one, two, and I think three on the others. So just got off to a good start this year, and just try to keep doing what I'm doing for the rest of the week.
Q. (No mic.)
ERIC AXLEY: I did. I did. Kind of walking along the water and looking out, I did think about him some. No, I thought about him.
Q. (No mic.)
ERIC AXLEY: Yep. I started on 10, 3‑wood, 8‑iron to about I think it was about 18 feet and I made ‑‑ missed the fairway on 12, pitched out, wedge, and missed about a 15‑footer for par, so made bogey.
15, I hit a good drive and a 6‑iron to 12, 15 feet, and made it.
Bogeyed 16, with just a three‑putt from the front fringe. I was just in the shaved stuff and just hit a bad first putt.
Missed the fairway on 17, chipped out and made bogey, as well.
And then a good driver and 3‑iron on 18, and made the putt for eagle.
Birdied 2, with about ‑‑ just off the back fringe, made it from off the green with the putter.
Birdie on 4. I hit a really good drive and a 9‑iron to about four feet and made birdie.
I bogeyed 5, hit a fairway bunker and caught a really bad lie.
Q. You are familiar with Steve. Can you just expound basically about what that involves?
ERIC AXLEY: Anyone that's lost someone that's close to them knows what it's like, so he was a good friend and good person and had a huge heart. It was tough out there today when I started thinking about it, but I also have to play golf. He was with me out there.
Q. (Inaudible.)
ERIC AXLEY: I don't know how close to giving it up. It was a matter of, at the time it happened, I was getting ready to turn pro and kind of had some sponsors lined up and stuff like that. It happened, and I didn't get to play golf for two years. So it was more of a setback and how long is it going to take me to get back to where I was. I never felt like I would give it up. It was more just the process of getting back to where I was.
Q. (Inaudible.)
ERIC AXLEY: In Tennessee, my hometown.
Q. (Inaudible.)
ERIC AXLEY: No, just riding with some friends.
Q. Do you feel flamboyant?
ERIC AXLEY: This is very calm right now, this is very calm.
Q. (Inaudible.)
ERIC AXLEY: Right. No, I don't know Ricky that well. I've played four ‑‑ actually three holes with him in the playoff. He seemed to strike the ball well. Obviously his early career as a college player kind of speaks for itself. He's obviously a great player. And no, I mean the golf ball, the golf course, they don't know how old he is, why can't he play well?
