US Open Week at Pebble: Take Two

Best quotes from Tuesday, June 15th, courtesy of ASAP Sports:

Padraig Harrington (when asked if he had a target score in mind):  “There’s no point in me predicting the score. Because if I turn around and say, well, 6-under par is going to win this event, what do I do if I get to 10-under par like Gil Morgan? Do I stop? So you can’t have that sort of thing. But I think you’ve got to be realistic that – the whole thing that level par is going to win, the USGA will probably look for a score about 4 to 6-under par to win.”

Phil Mickelson (when asked if he played more conservatively in the US Open…I know, right?  Laugh, smirk, giggle, Winged Foot):  “No, I don’t. And the reason is I want to play aggressive into the green. I don’t want to play aggressive off the tee, per se, I want to play aggressive at the pin. And when I play 6 I want to play more conservative off the tee, so that I can play more aggressive into the green. If I hit that fairway, even if it’s with a 5- or 6-iron I can play more aggressive into the green. I can hit 3-wood up by the green and make birdie with my wedge.”

Tiger Woods (discussing changes in his colleagues since 2000):  “Back in 2000 the average length of shaft was still about 43 and a half. And now you buy it off the rack or you see these guys are 45 and I think Paddie was using 47 inches at Quail Hollow. So I mean that’s changed quite a bit. The ball’s gotten harder. Guys are hitting it just a lot further.
And the guys have really taken fitness seriously. There weren’t a whole lot of guys in the gym when I first came out on TOUR. A couple funny stories but I can’t share them in here.”

Edoardo Molinari (discussing having a brother in the same event):  “This is the second major we played together. So we only played The Masters and this one. And we are a little bit competitive, but always in a good way. So we always try to help the other and try to play well, obviously to beat your brother, but I think the main goal is to play well and then if your brother happens to be in front of you then so be it.”

Francesco Molinari (same topic):  “There’s obviously a little bit of competition between us, but as there is with any other guy in the field. And at the end of the day you just watch your score and you try to do your best. And then see what your brother is doing and obviously we always hope that our brother is playing well. And it will be great to be both on top of the leaderboard on Sunday. “

Steve Stricker (interrogated on a meal choice at Denny’s):  “Were you there too?  … Yeah, you were the one I saw there. That’s right. I had an omelette. It was good too.”

Lucas Glover (reading between the lines on a failed attempt to keep the US Open trophy):  ” I’m not sure, my wife did it. I was out of town and I was supposed to do it when I was home and I forgot. So I think they had to call and say, you know, we kind of need that. So if you could get that to us we would appreciate it.”

Lee Westwood (on the press and their labels, with a some kind of dig at the end):  “Was it a monkey off my back? Well it was a monkey off my back for you. Yeah. Because you kept going on about it. It didn’t worry me too much. But it’s nice to obviously win over here again. 12 years after the first one. It must be a record. Maybe this time I’ll get to play in Hawaii the following year.”