Q. Lexi Thompson, 3-under 68. A great round today. What was working well?
LEXI THOMPSON: It was overall just a very steady day. Just tried to stay in the moment, making sure I committed to my routine and my shots out there and just being relaxed.
A U.S. Women's Open Championship sometimes you just have to aim away from pins, take your pars, and get off the hole, and it's all about patience.
Q. What is it going to take to be successful here now that you've seen it in championship format?
LEXI THOMPSON: It all depends. I think there is a few gettable pins that they'll put throughout the days, but like I said, just being patient and taking the pars when you can and being aggressive at the pins that you can be aggressive at, because some you can just get bit in the butt if you go for a pin and just miss it by a few yards.
So being patient, taking those opportunities when you can.
Q. How do you prepare to go into a day that you know is going to be this hot? Jin Young was just telling us you don't ever use an umbrella.
LEXI THOMPSON: No, and she used it all day. I'm from Florida. I'm used to the heat. I'd rather be sweating than freezing. I'm definitely used to it, but I drank a water every hole or two holes, so got to stay hydrated.
Q. Talk us through the eagle on 1.
LEXI THOMPSON: I ended up hitting a 3-wood off No. 1. I've been hitting driver, but it was a little bit downwind, and ended up hitting top of the hill there.
Had 230 to the pin. Hit a 2-iron and it landed perfectly right into the first cut and kind of killed the speed off it. Ended up about 20 feet short and made the putt. It was going a little firm, but I made it.
Q. Do you like where you are? Do you feel pretty confident with what you did today and where you stand? Do you use last year as motivation or do you flush that because this is a new year, a new venue and all that?
LEXI THOMPSON: Well, honestly I haven't looked at a leaderboard, so I don't even know the position that I am at. I've just been trying to focus on my own game and my emotions that's all I can control, but I know my game has been in a good spot.
And as far as last year, it's over with, it's this year, and I took it, I learned from it, and I moved on.
Q. I know she was in the group behind you but speak briefly about what it means to have Annika here at 51 years old competing back at a U.S. Open.
LEXI THOMPSON: It's amazing to have Annika competing. She's just a role model to a lot of girls and just has made such a big impact on the women's game. It's great to have role models like her, and to have her out here in the group behind us and seeing the crowd, it's just an amazing accomplishment what she's done for the game in general on and off the golf course.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports