MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen,
Steve Lowery, 68, 2 under par for the Championship.
Q.
You had it to 4 and finished at 2.
Was it just a bad break, or did you not finish as strongly as you wanted
to?
STEVE LOWERY: Well, I hit not a very good shot on 17, but
buried in the bunker. It was a bad break
in that regard. I was pretty fortunate
to make 4 there. 17, I hit in the right rough over there, tough spot.
So just didn't finish good. A little disappointing, but I made seven
birdies out there, so I felt like there was a lot of good golf.
Q.
The wind picked up from the morning. How much of an effect was it on you guys
today?
STEVE LOWERY: It was a little bit. I didn't think it was dramatic. But I think it definitely affects the drives,
trying to aim the drives, the targets and everything, tend to fit them in the
slopey fairways. It's definitely a
little bit of a challenge when a golf course is firm and fast.
Q.
Obviously, you're picking up more and more knowledge of the golf course
if you made seven birdies today. Did you
feel you got some more today, ammunition for the weekend?
STEVE LOWERY: I think so.
The more you play, the more comfortable you are with the lines you're
picking and where you need to be on the greens and everything. And the speed of the greens down is important
so you feel like you can make some putts.
Q.
Despite the fact that you lost some shots at the end, other folks who
are in the lead are dropping away as well.
The gap is narrowing. And
obviously, it's a USGA event. So
anything could happen. What's your
mindset going into the weekend?
STEVE LOWERY: I feel like my game's good. I'm up there.
I've got an opportunity to play 36 more holes, and I just keep playing
the good golf and trying to eliminate some of those mistakes. I'll be right there.
Q.
Does the fact that the guys who are in the lead are backing up toward
the field ‑‑ what does that say about the golf course? Or is that just the competition itself?
STEVE LOWERY: I think the golf course is firming up, and I
think as you're out there in the heat and playing, it just, your focus and
concentration, after time out in the sun like that, I think it just gets a
little harder and harder. The golf
course is getting harder and harder.
So I think, yeah, if we don't get
any rain and the golf course keeps firming up, I think the scores are going to
slow over the weekend.
Q.
Does that suit your game? You
like that consistency to try to grind for pars?
STEVE LOWERY: I hope it plays hard, I really do. I think I play better when it plays
hard. I don't want to get where guys are
shooting really low numbers out there. I
think it has more of an advantage if the golf course is playing closer to where
a couple under is a good score.
Q.
You like the golf course?
STEVE LOWERY: Yeah, I do.
It's got some challenges about it.
There's obviously some uniqueness to it.
But all in all, say it's a good golf course. It's not as long a golf course as I'd like
for them to have. I think if the golf
courses were longer in majors, I think it would be better. But it's a good golf course.
Q.
Thanks. Appreciate it.
STEVE LOWERY: Thank you.