US Open golf: All the best quotes from Merion

Phil Mickelson

It was a day that I thought you could get‑‑ you could get under.  And the fact that I was 2‑over early, I had to be really patient not to force the issue and fight for a lot of pars out there.  And take advantage of a few birdie opportunities.
I thought that I played better again than the score dictated, but this is a really fun challenge.  It is a hard challenge, but it is a lot of fun.  Every shot requires such great focus because the penalty can come up and bite you so quickly here.  It’s just a very penalizing golf course.  But there are birdie holes out here.

Luke Donald

When you look at Phil, he started winning Majors around 34 or 35.  So I think that I have some time on my side, luckily, in this game.
Yeah, of course that’s my goal.  I want to win Majors.  I got to No. 1 in the world and I’ve won a great amount of tournaments around the world, but I would dearly love to win one of these.

Tiger Woods

It is certainly frustrating because I certainly was feeling like I was playing well this week and I just didn’t make the putts I needed to make.
The first two days, I had like three 3‑putts and I was four shots off the lead, and I missed a boatload of putts within 10 feet.  So I really wasn’t that far off.  If I clean up the round and don’t 3‑putt, I’m one shot back starting out today.
So it just basically I just didn’t have the speed right this week and it certainly showed.

Hunter Mahan

You still have to go out and play golf.  The leader is irrelevant, you’re just trying to play good and hit your shots.  Thinking about the lead or your position is a waste of time because it’s a tough golf course, you’re going to make mistakes, they’re going to make mistakes.  To lead out here every day would be an incredible feat.

Lee Westwood

Right now my chances are slim.  But you never know what’s going to happen in a Major Championship, so just go out tomorrow and try and shoot something mid 60s.  It’s been done before.  And see what happens.
"I’ll be in a situation tomorrow where I can play a clean few holes to finish and post a number and you never know." – Justin Rose

Steve Stricker

I really didn’t know what to expect coming into this week.  Last time played was PLAYERS Championship a month ago, so I really didn’t know what to expect.  I’ve been playing well at home, been hitting it well at home, but that’s home, it’s not out here.
But I just figured that I’m in a good place mentally, I feel like I’m doing the right thing by not playing.  I’m enjoying my time at home, so it all makes sense in my mind and I guess that’s the most important thing.  And I’m happy the way I’m striking it.
Couple loose shots today that I’m not so happy with, but overall it just justifies what I’m doing and especially when I play well.

Charl Schwartzel

I think in a way, on a golf course like this, where you, where if you make bogey you’re not falling too many places, it almost motivates you.  Because there is a few holes here where you feel like you can make a birdie, so if you do make bogeys, it’s sort of a comfort you got is you know everyone’s going to make bogeys around this place.
So you don’t‑‑ where normal tournaments, you make bogeys, you really feel like you’re losing a lot of places.
For me, I’m playing good golf, and I know that I just got to sort of grind it out and stay with it.  Not let it get to me.

Justin Rose

I felt a little bit hard done by on 17 for sure.  I hit a great 3‑iron that pitched in the middle of the green and just trickled off a swale into that really terrible lie where you kind of ‑‑ you’re really hoping you can make contact.  You sort of ‑‑ I tried to hold down a sand wedge just to try and get as much of the ball as I could with the toe of the club and didn’t get any ball.  So that’s tough to take.
Obviously, 18, tougher hole, but I hit a good tee shot there, could have, should have made par.  Poor swing with a 4‑iron.  But that is Merion for you.
I’ll be in a situation tomorrow where I can play a clean few holes to finish and post a number and you never know.

Rory McIlroy

If you’re not on your game a hundred percent, you get on the wrong side of the greens and it’s just freighting because I didn’t feel like I played too badly.  I missed a few shots here and there, and I was trying on every shot out there and I was trying to get myself back into it, but it’s tough.  If you’re just not a hundred percent on top of your game, it’s going to expose some of your flaws or weaknesses.