THE MODERATOR: We're here with Scottie Scheffler, 1-under 69 today. That's still one of only two rounds under par so far. How difficult was it out there?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah. I mean, the golf course got -- started to firm up. There's still some -- it was kind of a bit of a guessing game in terms of what kind of bounce you're going to get, soft or firm. Especially coming into the greens, the fairways are starting to really firm up, so they were playing narrow.
As this golf course gets firmer and firmer and with the wind up, it just, like you said, only a couple rounds under par. It's extremely challenging out there.
Q. How were you able to stay patient out there? What did you flip the switch at at 14 and your thoughts going into the final round?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I got off to a tough start today. I hit a decent drive there on 1. I got the worst lie I've seen from anybody all week that you couldn't even advance really with a wedge. Ended up making a really nice bogey. Hit a couple of decent shots there on the second. Made another bogey.
Just did my best to try and stay patient. I made a really nice birdie there on the 10th. That was a hole where it's really hard to hold that green, so it was really nice to kin of steal a shot there. Good par on 11.
Definitely stole one with a pitch in there on 14, which gave me some momentum, and took advantage of a few opportunities late, as well.
Q. On 14, you let out a pretty good bit of a emotion there. Is that a release from the grind of the day?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, at that point I'm still over par for the tournament, staring at a pretty tough up-and-down. So to steal a shot there at least is a pretty good feeling.
We've been battling for three days now, and yeah, at that point over par for the tournament, you can feel like it's kind of slipping away. To steal one there was really nice.
Q. As a quick follow, do you feel in a good position going into tomorrow if things remain relatively the same?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, I'd rather be leading (laughing).
No, I mean, after three days, like I said, I've been -- we've been battling hard for a few days, and I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament. I'll need a really nice round tomorrow if I'm going to try and catch Wyndham.
Q. Is there anything that you'll work on on the range this evening, and how are you going to spend what will be a pretty long wait tomorrow until your tee time?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I'll go hit a couple balls, hit a few putts. Just part of my kind of normal routine just to cool down.
Then tomorrow, with kids, I'm not really going to have too much downtime. Chase around my son for a bit. Sam should be at the house for a while, as well, and we'll have breakfast and hang out. Yeah, watch a little golf, see how the course is playing. That's about it.
Q. The USGA said that they were going to kind of ramp up the firmness on the weekend. Did you see a significant change in the course today, and what are you expecting tomorrow?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, the fairways were starting to firm up yesterday. Then the greens today started to firm up. There were still some kind of -- you could see on the greens, you'd see some pretty green grass and then some very brown grass, so there was a little bit of mystery in terms of how the ball was going to react when it hit the green.
But once again, that's just part of the challenge of U.S. Open is judging the conditions and putting yourself in the right spots and hitting great shots.
I feel like if you hit a great shot, you're going to get rewarded. Good shots are going to be borderline. I assume going into tomorrow they're going to continue to get firmer and firmer.
Q. From your perspective, the harder the setup, better for you as a chaser?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I've always enjoyed the more challenging setups. Like I said, if you're hitting great shots, for the most part, you're going to get rewarded, and if you're hitting good shots, you're going to be a little bit on the edge.
So just go out there tomorrow, continue to try and execute. I did a really good job of that on the back nine today, and keep that momentum going into tomorrow's round.
Q. The putt on 18, even though it was short, looked very tricky. What did you see, and what was the read?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I'm glad it looked tricky from your line, too.
Yeah, late in the day, the greens, there's a lot of activity, and with so much pitch and wind, there's a bit of mystery as to how the ball is going to break. We had a kind of inside left read, hit a solid putt, and just kind of kept breaking.
Q. Right now you would be in the final group. Are you indifferent to that? Would you like to be in the final group? Does it matter to you?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, if you're in the final group, that's less people you've got to chase. If you're in the final group, you're one of the top two people on the leaderboard. Yeah, it's definitely better than being -- I don't know what the term would be, but not in the last group, further away.
Q. You mentioned earlier that you've been leaning on Ted a lot this week. Can you talk a little bit about what you've been looking to him for specifically and what he's been telling you?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I mean, pretty much the normal amount. I feel like I rely on Ted pretty heavily most weeks. We talk through each and every shot together.
This week we've been reading the greens together, as well. He's done a really good job of keeping me in the right head space, keeping me committed to what we're doing.
Like I said, you can hit a lot of good shots and end up in some spots where you're going to be frustrated with the result, but I think that's part of the U.S. Open test. We did a good job of staying patient and stealing some shots where we could. The back nine definitely stole a couple shots.
Q. It seemed at a couple of points there was traffic on the course. On 16 I think you had to wait a little bit, and Ted charged down there and got someone out of the way. What's it like having him in your corner? And how did you overcome that to then drive the green in that instance?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, people in the way is part of just playing golf, I think. When you're playing and there's people out there and marshals and people inside the ropes, there's just activity. That's part of it.
I think for us, as players, it's something you get used to. That one there, that tee box on 16 is so far back, and then 15 green kind of comes up pretty close, and then you get marshals and camera people walking up behind the green, and you're basically hitting right over them.
If it's a bunch of people moving, it doesn't really matter, but when it's one or two people and they're walking right where you're looking, it's kind of like, man. So Ted finally I think got tired of trying to holler. When you're pointing at them, whistling, and then they kind of look at you, you're like, Move over, and they're kind of like, you know, they turn around. I think finally he just got a little impatient and ran up there and got them out of the way.
Yeah, one of Ted's jobs out there and roles is to help me be committed to what I'm doing. If there's someone walking in my way, then they're going to be a hindrance to me being committed to what I'm doing, so he's going to do everything he can in order to help me be committed to what I'm doing over the shot.
Q. You mentioned the kids earlier. Obviously tomorrow is Father's Day. Tomorrow is your birthday. It's the Grand Slam. Do you allow yourself to think about what the emotional feeling would be to do that all tomorrow and to win this tournament?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think it's appropriate to understand what's at stake. I've worked really hard for a long time to have a chance to win golf tournaments and to win major championships.
Yeah, I think understanding the moment and giving it your best shot I think is all part of the process.
Yeah, Father's Day, my birthday, I kind of lost a day there. You only get one day to celebrate (laughing). But yeah, like I said, we want to be in these positions. This is why we practice and play, to have the opportunity to win golf tournaments, and that's what tomorrow is.
I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament. Going into tomorrow right now I think I'm five shots back, but we'll see what happens as the day goes on. I could be 7 shots back and could be 3 shots back. I don't know what it's going to be.
But overall, proud of how we played on the back nine, and going into tomorrow, just continue to do what I need to do and try and execute.
Q. For the ordinary fan at home, it sort of looks like a British Open course. I'm wondering if it feels like that for you or like Portrush or anything like that?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I think links golf is more unique in the sense of the greens are always a bit flatter, and it's typically more uniform in the firmness. It's just by nature of how the golf courses are, how this soil is, the type of grass it is. The greens are also typically a bit slower over there.
Here, it may look like a links golf course because there's no trees and you kind of have that grass, but I don't think it necessarily plays like that. You can hit a few linksy-type shots, but overall, the ball is still played in the air on this golf course. The ball needs to be hit up in the air, especially to hold these greens.
When you have big false fronts and then some of the greens even pitch away, like No. 10 is a good example of you physically can't -- it's almost impossible to get the ball to run up that hill. Depending if it gets even firmer tomorrow, maybe that's something that we try.
It looks like a links golf course, but I don't think it necessarily plays like one.
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