THE MODERATOR: I'm not going to ask about the bogey at 18.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, you can. Same answer (laughing).
Q. Like you said, it was kind of a dream kind of start when you are trying to make a move. Talk about the move you were able to make in the end of it.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I got off to a good start. Made two good birdie putts on 1 and 2. I got lucky on No. 7 to have a shot. Good birdie on 9. 10, 11 obviously were good.
You are always going to hope to go play a perfect round. It basically never happens. I mean, three bogeys definitely hurts, especially when you are trying to chase, but overall I did some good things today. I'm definitely going to need to do more of the same tomorrow.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about 7? Can you kind of tell me what the lie looked like down there? At one point it looked like Ted was pointing towards the fairway, and you were pointing towards the green.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: It was kind of an interesting one because the lie at first looked bad, and the more we got in there and looked at it, the kind of more options that came about.
You are kind of in these airy type of not bushes, but the grass was more airy that it was thick. For me to go back to the fairway, there was kind of a bush behind my ball and on that side of the ball, so I felt like it was actually safest to go to the green.
Originally when you get up to a lie like that, I think the first thought in your head is the safest place is to try to get it back out in the fairway, but the areas where I was going to chip it out seemed like a pretty hard shot. It looked like I had something through the trees. The penalty for not pulling it off wasn't too bad. So just figured I would try something.
Q. Did you solve something today that you hadn't the first two days?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, not really. I think the greens out here would be probably the most difficult thing to figure out. They're very challenging in terms of they're flattish, but there's just a lot of mounding on them. So when you are dealing with these mounds, sometimes it can be really hard to tell for me especially how much that ball is going to break off of this mound.
I had a lot of putts the first couple of days from 8 to 15 feet that are double and triple breakers. So it can be really challenging when you are looking at a putt that has two or three different breaks, and it maybe is only an outside left putt. Sometimes they go in, and sometimes they don't.
Today I felt like I definitely rolled it better than I did the first two days. Outside of that, I wouldn't say there was really a huge difference. I just hit a couple of better shots today than I did the first two.
Q. The course speeding up every day?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Gosh, I felt like the greens were going to be firmer today, but I also was out pretty early. I think as the afternoon goes on, you'll see them continue to firm up. Then I'm sure you'll see them pretty firm again tomorrow.
Q. When you start ten back, is your level of engagement somehow different than when you're one or two?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, I think there's always some type of internal battle when it comes to stuff like that. I mean, there's definitely -- I think maybe you have to do a little bit more to amp yourself up when you are sitting ten shots back versus when you are already near the lead.
Today I had to go out there and make a bunch of birdies, which I was able to do early in the round. Like you said, I struggled a touch on the back nine, but overall I put up a decent score.
Q. Coming off the emotion of winning the Nelson and your third major, how are you not mentally exhausted? On the same lines, what was your mindset coming into moving day today?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, I would say mentally I definitely am a bit tired. I'm definitely taking a lighter schedule this week than I normally would at a tournament, but overall my game, it feels like it's in a good spot. I felt like I was able to get some good rest to start this week.
I'm just out here battling. I had a good day today. The first two days definitely could have been a bit better, but we'll see how things shake out during the course of the afternoon and see what I can do tomorrow.
Q. Clearly you need to go to the Stars game because they didn't win without you there.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, Stars struggled last night, but it's early.
Q. Did you stay for the whole game the other night?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I did. I did.
Q. You got to see the good period?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I got to see the good parts.
Q. I know that in anyone's book 64 out here is a good round of golf. Was it a good round of golf for you with a little bit of a frustrating inward 9?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I got off to a really good start. Kind of a dream start when you are looking at pretty far back on Saturday. So, yeah, got off to the start that I definitely wanted to. Was in a great position after 11 holes.
The golf course just gets challenging towards the end. I mean, 12 through 16 here is a pretty challenging stretch. I made a few sloppy bogeys, but overall I'm pleased with the results. We'll see what happens with the rest of the afternoon.
Q. I was with you a couple of years ago at TPC Sawgrass where you had a great finish on Saturday and birdied the last three holes, and you come from behind to win. I thought that was in play here today. How much does the bogey at 18 affect that strategy?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I've tried to birdie the last three. It's a two-shot difference.
Q. I understand that. I'm looking forward to Sunday, but I appreciate the quote.
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, it will be a two-shot difference going into Sunday as well.
Q. One more time. Trying to get this out of you. What are your thoughts going into the final round?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, I'm going to try to get the two shots back as quickly as possible, and then we'll go from there. We'll see what happens this afternoon.
Yeah, right now, what am I, at 7-under and, let's see what we have, 14. So right now seven shots back. We'll see what happens.
Right now things are out of my control, but we'll see. I think the conditions will be pretty challenging again tomorrow, so there's always an outside chance.
Q. What are some hole locations on the inward nine that are challenging?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: On the inward nine that will be challenging? When you turn into the wind on 12, 13, 14, I think those holes are really challenging. It's a good pin on 15 as well.
This golf course, any time you're in the fairway, you're going to have a good chance, but when you are outside the fairway, the golf course gets really tough really quickly.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports