Q. How would you assess that round out there today, especially with how difficult the conditions were?
JUSTIN SUH: Really good. I would take that 6-under any day. In the beginning I made, on the first hole I made a 12-footer for par on the fringe. I just kind of kept the confidence with the putter going.
I thought off the tee I didn't do so great, kind of missing fairways with the driver early. But here, you don't hit too many drivers. You hit a lot of irons off the tee, hit a lot of 3-woods off the tee. So I thought those I did well. But hopefully I can clean up the driver on the weekend.
Q. Your career, you were a terrific amateur player, terrific in college, great on Korn Ferry Tour, made a lot of cuts here. Is this the next step, contention, winning? Do you feel like you're on that trajectory?
JUSTIN SUH: Definitely. I think this year I've put myself in this position a few times. Didn't do great on the weekends as far as I would have hoped. But I think over time and experience, I think it will get me probably a little bit more comfortable. You learn a little bit more about yourself and how well can you handle the situation.
So I think overall I haven't changed much. I think just small things about making the right decisions over the course of 72 holes.
Q. What was maybe some of the biggest things you learned, maybe at the Honda, PLAYERS, and at the PGA just a couple weeks ago?
JUSTIN SUH: I would say the pace is a little bit faster than a Thursday, Friday round. Obviously, on the weekend you're playing faster because it's twosomes. But I think when you're in the moment and you're playing up in the leaderboard, things are moving faster. I think slowing it down, just kind of being aware of it, helps you just stay in the moment and play the shots that you need to play.
As far as dealing with that, I think having a system with your caddie really helps. We have a pretty good system already, but I think just being aware of what we're trying to accomplish on the golf course just helps.
Q. I saw you left here for one term and that was kind of a turning point in some way for you? Do you remember? It was a vague reference, so I'm not sure what it was, but it must have been playing here and you went back home and you made some kind of adjustment after that?
JUSTIN SUH: I mean, this is my first professional start. I think during that time it was kind of a whirlwind of a lot of golf. I went from regionals to NCAA championships, flew here, I think, on a Monday, played this event, went back to California, and I think there was a 36-hole qualifier in California.
So I mean, it was just a long week and I remember I left this golf course knowing that I really like it, just the way it plays and how it fits my game. So for me to come back a few years later, I was super excited this. This is kind of the tournament I had my eyes on.
Q. Do you always expect to putt the way you did today?
JUSTIN SUH: No. I don't think anyone is expecting to gain seven strokes off two days.
Q. So you looked at that. Okay.
JUSTIN SUH: Yeah, I just found out five minutes ago.
But I think my putting has definitely been my strength over the course of my professional career. Like I said, I don't do any drills, I don't really -- I don't put any tees down, no putting plates. For me, putting's all about just practicing how to make putts. I think I've done that for so long where the only thing I really trust is my eyes and just my feel and setup.
So I keep it pretty fresh tournament to tournament. For me, feel is huge on the putting greens, for me to just kind of walk on my line and feel the slope. So I think for me it's just all visual and internal, really.
Q. What was your favorite? You had a number of pretty good par saves today along with all the birdies. Any of those stand out?
JUSTIN SUH: Probably the one on the 1st. That was a big momentum swinger just off the bat. I hit a horrible chip to the front fringe. It was actually a tricky putt. It was breaking heavy in the beginning, then straightened out. For that to go in, I thought it just kind of put a little more pep in my step for the next 17 holes. So I think that was a big putt to just start off with.
Q. You made the one on 18 to give yourself the lead. Were you aware that if you made that you would have the second-round lead?
JUSTIN SUH: Yeah, I was pretty aware. That leaderboard is pretty big on 18, so I saw that. Yeah, I mean, like I said, I've been in this situation before, so I think -- I mean, Hideki's also a great guy. I really enjoy playing with him, so I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun.
Q. Do you feel like your game sets up well for tough golf courses? Because you played well at Honda, PLAYERS, PGA, now here.
JUSTIN SUH: It seems so. I've done a lot better in I think tougher tournament conditions and I think just the way we kind of piece a course together in our strategy and how we play courses, I think the tougher it is the better. I think off the tee I find a lot of fairways and I try not to get into too much big trouble. I definitely enjoy faster greens.
Yeah, I've definitely noticed that the tougher the course is, the better I play, so that brings some confidence.
Q. I'm trying to remember when Viktor and Collin came out. Were you about --
JUSTIN SUH: Same year.
Q. Okay. So you were kind of all kind of packaged together almost in some pretournament stuff at some early tournaments, right? Was that -- to see them go off and succeed immediately and you not doing bad, necessarily, but not at that same rate, did that affect you in any way, make you envious, make you want to kill 'em, any of the above?
JUSTIN SUH: No, I mean, to be honest, like I wasn't, I was actually doing pretty bad. I was missing cuts, I wasn't doing great. But as far as mentally and physically I was -- I injured my wrist coming out of so much golf and that obviously hurt. But as far as knowing how to get better and what I find myself improving, I really didn't care what they were doing. I thought the better they do, almost better for me. Because they're the same year as me. If they can do it, I can do it. So it brought a little bit more confidence. I thought like over the course of three years I didn't really think about what they were doing. I knew what I had to do to get better and I've stayed consistent doing the same things for probably ever since I was in college, the system that Coach Zambri put on how to practice, how to get better, all those combines that we do. So, yeah, I mean, their early success was great for me, I thought. I didn't pay too much attention to it.
Q. I just wondered if that didn't put extra expectations on you when things get promoted that way.
JUSTIN SUH: Not at all. I think everyone's kind of on their own path. So for me to just realize that and just focus on myself. I knew I had to get better, because obviously the golf I was playing in 2019 sucked. So I think I knew I had to get better and for me to just find a way to get better in how I practice is probably what I'm most proud of. For it to show over the course of these tournaments is, it's cool.
Q. You mentioned the qualifier a minute ago. They have been do you think this for a couple years. But how sweet is it to, with the Korn Ferry Tour points exemption to not have to play golf Monday if you don't want to. Unless you want to play a practice round somewhere. Getting in the U.S. Open is what I'm getting at.
JUSTIN SUH: Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely. It's cool. Just because it's in L.A. this year, so I'll be going back, it's pretty close to where I went to school. I played it probably 10 times when I was in school. When I was there at Riviera, I got an exemption this year, the fans were amazing. I got to see a lot of my friends. The atmosphere is really exciting. So I'm looking forward to going to L.A.
Q. Give us some thoughts on LACC.
JUSTIN SUH: It's long, it's very difficult. It's probably one of the most craziest green complexes that I've seen. You got to, there's places to miss it, places to favor and I think it's just going to be a great test of golf.
Q. Which of the par-3s stand out to you of the five?
JUSTIN SUH: The one where I might have to hit driver. (Laughing.) Yeah, there's a few really tough ones. But I think it's number, like No. 6 where it's, they can stretch it out to 290. So hopefully they won't go that far back, but I'm sure they will.
Q. What do you think about 15? The one that's about 80 yards.
JUSTIN SUH: 15?
Q. Or can be 80 yards.
JUSTIN SUH: Yeah, I think that's a cool one just because for how short it is. It's still tough. You have to hit the green. So I think it will just, depending upon how fast the greens are, it will be a tough test.
Q. What are you expecting? You've played LACC, but you haven't played it when the USGA puts their hands on it.
JUSTIN SUH: I don't really know what to expect. I think, depending upon how long the rough is, that will dictate how hard the course is. So I think to see that on Monday and Tuesday it will be interesting. But, I don't know, for me like each tournament I just try to play my best golf.
Q. Where was high school for you?
JUSTIN SUH: Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose.
Q. How many California courses have bent greens? I always thought that was kind of weird about LACC, you kind of expect poa wherever you go.
JUSTIN SUH: I'm not sure. Yeah, I think I grew up on poa, but bent's pretty similar. I think as far as just kind of how it rolls. I think poa is just a little bit, a little bit more variable, especially on those short ones. Bent seems to stay smoother throughout the course of the day. So that's definitely a plus.
Q. You're living in Las Vegas now?
JUSTIN SUH: I do.
Q. David Lipsky. Had a great round today. Are you close with him?
JUSTIN SUH: We had dinner yesterday. It was me, him, J.J., Kurt Kitayama and Taylor Montgomery. So most of the Vegas guys. And Lipsky actually paid so we thought it would give him some good luck. So maybe I'll have to pay tonight, so we'll see.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports