FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 16th, 2017

NOTABLE QUOTES: GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE U.S. OPEN, FRIDAY PRIMETIME – 4 PLAYERS TIED FOR THE LEAD AT 7-UNDER

Golf Channel Notable Quotes
Golf Central Live From the U.S. Open (primetime)
Friday, June 16, 2017
Erin Hills
Erin, Wisconsin 

On Paul Casey, co-leader after two rounds at 7-under par (1-under par 71 on Friday)
Brandel Chamblee – “He was going down the leaderboard sharply. It is very hard when you are sliding down the leaderboard to stop that slide. Which he did, all the credit to him, and he played himself right back into the lead.”
Chamblee – “Maybe we’ll see a different Paul Casey this weekend, the same way we saw a different Sergio Garcia at the Masters.”
Duval – “I was overly impressed with what he did today. Making a triple and following it up with a bogey, and then playing flawless golf on a U.S. Open golf course. He managed to right the ship in the U.S. Open. Not only righting the ship, but he made five birdies to get himself back into it.”
Duval – “Brooks Koepka hasn’t taken that body blow yet. Paul Casey took it today, and if that is his only one – because everybody is going to get one at some point in the U.S. Open – then he looks like he is in good position.”
Nobilo – “Paul Casey is happy again. Happy with his golf and he is getting another baby girl in September. The happy golfer. We saw that at Augusta. It really does work.”

On Brooks Koepka, co-leader at 7-under par (2-under par 70 on Friday)
Chamblee – “We had video of him working out last night. Sit ups apparently help your putting. Today he was sitting them up and knocking them down.”
Duval – “We’ve talked about this course being a big-hitters golf course and he certainly is that.”
Frank Nobilo – “Koepka is checking all of the right boxes at the moment. He has only missed three fairways and has only missed a handful of greens in regulation. He is getting so many looks, and he appears patient at this stage.”
Chamblee – “He is putting very little stress on himself.” 

On Rickie Fowler, T5 at 6-under par (1-over par 73 on Friday)
Duval – “He is holding his head up high and he knows how he wants to get around this golf course.”
Nobilo – “Beautifully positioned and he didn’t lose patience today.” 

On Erin Hills
Duval – “It is nice to see the golf course doing what we all thought it would do and what the USGA thought it would do, which is let them play let’s figure out what this golf course is and how it can be set up.” 

On World No. 1 and defending champion Dustin Johnson missing the cut
Nobilo – “Just like Henrik Stenson, he putted with boxing gloves on today. He had 65 putts. Only missed two fairways today, but over two days he had 24 looks at birdie and only made four birdies. Can’t do that around here.” 

On eight of the top-12 in the world golf rankings missing the cut at the U.S. Open, including the top-3 in the world
Frank Nobilo – “To use a boxing analogy, they got knocked out. The golf course gave them a little bit of a rope-a-dope. It gave them enough width to go, ‘have at it,’ and they all got caught.”
Duval – “The big challenge for these guys is to regroup. Just a month away is The Open. You have to move your way around Royal Birkdale. It is much more of a chess game and these guys all have those tools. Weeks like this can be a blow to the ego.” 

-NBC Sports Group-