Q. Solid start to the tournament here. Describe how you played today.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, it was nice. It was nice to play golf. Obviously, this golf course is very challenging and it demands a lot of good golf shots, and it was nice to see those. Obviously, playing with Scottie, you expect good golf. It's always nice to play with someone who is also playing well. So it was a good day and hopefully we can keep that up.
Q. When you're playing with Scottie, somebody as competitive as him, just like you are, how much does that drive you both competitively on each hole?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, I think so. At the end of the day, I'm doing me and I'm not trying to be someone else. Obviously, seeing good golf shots is always nice. It's always nice to try to keep up. But obviously, really pleased with today and hopefully, we'll keep hitting good shots and make sure that we're right around there come Sunday.
Q. Did you get many mud balls today?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, we got a few. I think it's just from the rain that came last night and yesterday, which makes a lot of sense. I also felt like the greens held up really nicely. You'll still get that first firm kick coming into some of these greens. But yeah, the fairways are still a little bit soft, but I expect it to just get firmer and firmer.
Q. Are you an expert at mud balls? Do you know how to hit 'em?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Well, I mean, there's only so much you can do and try to figure out if the mud's on the left to go right. But I think you just got to take more margins, be okay with whatever outcome happens, and try to put a good swing on it.
Q. Are you over the injury now?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah. Yeah, my knee feels good. It's been nice to have a couple of weeks. We were just saying before that, I haven't really played that much lately, so it's just nice today to be back playing. My first start since the PGA, and then I had three weeks before that off, so it's good to be back and you kind of miss it when you're not playing.
Q. Was that a problem at the PGA, the knee?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: No. No, I wouldn't say so. I felt like I hadn't really played that much before and didn't really -- wasn't really prepared when I came there, I would say.
Q. Last week, Michael Thorbjornsen was No. 1 in PGA TOUR U, the spot you held. I know you guys played in college together. Just your impressions of him and what your relationship is.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, definitely me and Michael were good friends. I was texting him and his caddie, Drew, after he got the award. He's a great player. We played a bunch my senior and junior years. It felt like every other tournament we played with Stanford, we were always paired together.
He's a great player. He'll be a good asset to the PGA TOUR, and he'll bring a lot of good golf. Yeah, looking forward to seeing him out there and hopefully play some late tee times with him as well during the weekends.
Q. A lot of college guys, Jackson Koivun, who is here this week, Nick, have referenced the success that you had early as kind of inspiring to them to show that they can come out here quickly and find success. Wondering if anyone's -- if they have said that to you or if you feel like you made an impact on some of the younger guys coming up.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, I think it shows the levels of college golf, I would say. It was the same thing for me when I turned pro -- obviously, it was a year prior, but when Viktor and he and Collin turned pro, it was basically the same thing, where they showed that you can win tournaments quite early in your career, and I think if I can somehow motivate some of the other guys coming up, that would be great.
But, yeah, I mean, obviously, if they need some help or need some guidance or anything, I might not know everything, but I might know a little bit more than them, and I'm glad to answer any questions.
Q. Is it becoming a jinx that anyone who is No. 1 at PGA TOUR University ranking is going to miss U.S. Open qualifying?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: (Laughing). Yeah, maybe. I don't know.
Q. You have The Open next week and then the British. That will give you your year of having done everything. Do you look forward, kind of onward from there of having a year experience, no new courses?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: I think so. I think just the deal of having played the golf course before is quite nice. You don't have to spend that much time Monday through Wednesday, and it's, you have the memories and you know exactly what it's going to be played at. Those things are nice and that's what I'm looking forward to. But on the other hand, I feel very fortunate to be able to have had that year that I've had and to be able to have those experiences that I had last year and earlier this year, so it's been all good and looking forward to many more years.
Q. Have you played this course twice before today?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, the practice rounds, yeah, I came here first time on Monday.
Q. Couldn't figure out why, when your ball was right of the green on 5, why you walked left all the way around. Were you just following --
LUDVIG ÅBERG: I thought there was a bridge somewhere and there wasn't, so I just took a massive detour. I should have gone right, I didn't.
Q. Was there any trepidation coming in, being this is your first time here at Jack's course, any kind of nervousness, trepidation?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, there's always going to be nervousness teeing up in a golf tournament, whether it's your first one or your second one. It was the same thing for me. Obviously it is a cool golf course. It felt like a lot of these courses I like, because it feels like I've been here before because I've seen it on TV and I've seen the shots. And it's, those are the experiences that I think are really cool. It's the same thing this week. But hopefully we'll play some good golf for the next couple of days as well.
Q. How much different was it watching on TV and then actually getting out and walking the course itself?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, I mean, it's still, you know, some of these holes they are really tough. You can't really bail out, there's always, it looks like you might go right because there's water left, but if you do that you're in a downhill bunker, a shot running away from you, and those kind of things. But, yeah, it's a treat to play the golf course and it's quite tough, yeah.
Q. I know Valhalla was just one tournament and you obviously haven't played much but was it a bit of a reality check after your first major experience?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah, it could have been, I guess. I mean, I had a great experience at the Masters and I got to experience the other side of the spectrum at the PGA. But, yeah, I mean, obviously it can't be downhill and downwind all the time, there's going to be ups and downs in golf, and I'm okay with that. I think everyone knows that who has played the game and can't be perfect all the time, but the best we can do is learn from it and try to not repeat it as much as we can.
Q. In your short time you've, you have been perfect almost, so --
LUDVIG ÅBERG: Yeah I wouldn't say I've been perfect absolutely not. I don't think anyone's perfect. But, yeah, look, it's been a great year, I can't really do anything about that right now, but just to try to keep improving. That's what I love about being here and being around great players and playing these golf courses, it's been really fun.
Q. What do you know about Pinehurst?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: We played there on Sunday actually, and I got to play the U.S. Amateur there a couple years ago, so I've had some experience on the golf course. It's tough, it's long, you got the turtleback greens where are everything is running away from you and I would expect it to be quite firm and fast. So, it's going to be a challenge, like most golf courses we play, it feels like, but, yeah, I'm really excited about playing my first U.S. Open and to see how that feels like.
Q. What's your strongest U.S. Open memory from television?
LUDVIG ÅBERG: My strongest U.S. Open memory?
Q. What stands out.
LUDVIG ÅBERG: I think it must have been when Spieth won in 2015. I remember I watched that one. I remember he made a few of those sliding putts from left-to-right and I would say that was, yeah.
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