Q. You found a way. Even though there was trouble along the way, you found a way to get a 70 out of this golf course. How did you do it?
ADAM SCOTT: I think generally I played quite well. But I didn't hit that many shots close when I hit the green, so I was grinding hard. I didn't really have many makeable birdie chances. I hit a couple good shots close and made them, and that helps.
I think just generally, you should be happy if you shoot even par at a U.S. Open, from my experience.
Q. When you did find trouble today, you came back with a birdie. Talk about especially the last putt you made on 9.
ADAM SCOTT: It's the same for everyone, but I hit a pretty good shot into 8, and it's very fine lines here on the greens, and I got a bounce to the left and it went into the worst spot you could miss it and made a double.
I felt like I was kind of willing that one in on 9 because I felt like I really deserved to shoot even par. I didn't know why that one shot feels so much better than shooting over par, but it feels like a small victory to say you've shot par at a U.S. Open.
Q. Do you really go home at night after making a birdie on the last hole and feel a lot better?
ADAM SCOTT: I think you do, absolutely. The opposite would be three-putting and you'd just be trying to get over that until you tee off the next morning. I do feel like I'm going to go home and enjoy a quick dinner and get back out here. If I'm playing well, if I can get the birdies in the right order tomorrow and move in the right direction, I feel like I can be very much within reach by the end of the day.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about the journey to even get here; you had to wait a little bit to find out which way either you were going to have an exemption or if you were going to get in as the alternate and also going through the qualifying process?
ADAM SCOTT: Yeah, it was all a little too close for comfort. For a few weeks I was always on the wrong side of the process, and then even the week -- the qualifying being a week before the last cutoff, I wasn't certain, and then of course I wasn't certain after the qualifying being an alternate.
As the week shaped up and I've learned how to feel -- I was pretty confident by Friday after seeing scores at Memorial and everything that I was getting in one way or another.
Q. Do you feel rejuvenated when you finally are in?
ADAM SCOTT: I did, yeah. Honestly, it was a little bit of a weight on my shoulders because I entered an extra tournament to try and get in through the ranking and then played the qualifier when obviously I hoped I wouldn't have to by that point. There was an extra couple weeks out here on the road, and I felt the pressure of that, and it's only because I want to compete here and have a chance to win so badly that it was a little weight on my shoulders, but it was a blessing to not have to play the Memorial last week, which looked like a U.S. Open, and get some good practice in and be really prepared for this week.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports