THE MODERATOR: 2-under 68. Three birdies and one bogey. Tell us how you played today.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it was a solid day for me. I feel like I trophy the ball really well, which was nice. Although that's sort of half the job done around here because second shot is so demanding.
I got lucky a couple of times some of the shots in. There were a couple of times where my shot in, it kind of goes off the green. Sort of mixed back there.
But overall pretty happy with how I played.
Q. You've had success in this championship. Does that bring you here in a positive mood when you come to a U.S. Open?
TYRRELL HATTON: Not really, to be honest (smiling). Obviously that's in the past. I think I finished sixth at Shinnecock when it was pretty mad, especially that weekend.
Yeah, I mean, this is a new week. I kind of had a few practice rounds Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. The course was feeling -- especially Monday-Tuesday, I was like, Oh, my God, this is so hard.
I think they'd put a little bit of water on the greens. They definitely felt a little bit slower than where they were in practice. I mean, it's only going to get faster from here.
Q. Now that you've seen this course in competition, what do you think of the challenge that it presents? Is it like Shinnecock on a Saturday?
TYRRELL HATTON: Hopefully it doesn't get to that point (laughter).
Q. How does it stack up so far as a U.S. Open test?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, it's really hard. Certainly like where the pins are, you can hit a great shot. Keeping it on the green 20 feet away is a great shot, which is mad to say when you're hitting, like, a wedge into the green type thing.
It's just trying to accept that pars are a good score. Even if you do manage to hit the green, like 2-putts aren't that very simple. Yeah, it's just a really tough test. I felt like today was a fair test.
So, yeah, I'm just happy with how I started this tournament.
Q. I wanted to ask you about the tee shot at 17. You didn't seem particularly pleased with the ball in the air.
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah. I mean, that was sort of one of the shots I was kind of referring to where I got lucky. Hitting 5-iron there. I feel like I fated it a bit and hit it out of the toe. It's just a disgusting feeling.
But, yeah, I didn't even see where it landed. Must have landed just above the bunker. Everyone that was landing on the green was just going into the back bunker.
Obviously that was lucky. I made the most of that with holing the putt. I felt like I putted really well today. As we all know, you're going to have a lot of putts from around the 10-foot mark this week, mainly for pars. I feel like I did a good job of holing those today.
Q. Do you prefer this kind of grind as opposed to Valhalla?
TYRRELL HATTON: Yeah, I guess in some ways, with it being harder a lot of guys sort of losing their head, it sort of brings them to my level because I just lose my head every week (smiling). They can kind of experience what it's like in my head for a week.
But no, I mean, it's a challenge. I've done really well today, but still hopefully three days ahead of us. It's only going to get harder from here I think. Imagine they won't be overly pleased there's a couple of guys at 5-under.
But yeah, I'll go out there tomorrow, try my best, try to be in the fairways as much as possible, try to hit as many greens as I can. See what happens.
Q. Did you usually have a good gauge on how you're going to play when you show up at a championship like this on Monday or Sunday ow do you surprise yourself?
TYRRELL HATTON: My manager's giggling behind you because he knows that I've been an absolute head case, even more so in the practice days. I mean, I literally didn't think I was going to break 80. I go out there and, like, just have a practice swing on the 10th tee. I was like, That actually felt right. Then tee off the 10th, actually hit the fairway. Okay, that was a nice feeling. I had a good feeling all week in the practice days.
Yeah, it was nice to take that and kind of roll with it. As I said, I drove the ball really well today.
Q. What were you like Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night? Were you trying to psych yourself into it?
TYRRELL HATTON: No, I mean, I wasn't very happy when I was at the golf course. Tried to forget about it when I got back to the house that I'm staying in.
Yeah, I mean, it's hard. Like, in the moment I can't not be intense, frustrated, because I want to be able to play the best I can, give myself the best chance.
At the same time I have to try and sort of accept that it is a practice day. It would also be nice to have some sort of positive feeling in your golf swing going into a tournament like this.
I guess we all know golf's like a weird game, and things can change in a heartbeat, yeah. Today it felt better, which is a good thing.
Q. Do you believe in the golf gods and what is your relationship with the golf gods, if you do?
TYRRELL HATTON: Well, I feel like if there is a golf god, I've got a few in the bank, some good breaks. Every golfer, we all think we're the worst done by with the breaks that we get.
Yeah, I think I've got a few in the locker, a few good ones.
Cheers.
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