Q. 65, 69 first two days, are you happy with your first two days work?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It was okay. I didn't quite get much out of it today but I just got to start hitting my irons and approach shots closer to the hole. Drove the ball nicely today and not taking advantage. One of those days where I was between clubs a lot and had a couple things not quite go my way. I hit a pretty decent 3-wood into 7 there and it rolls off the edge of the bunker. Just little stuff like that where it could get turned around and make a birdie but to not get much out of my round the last two days and be where I am is a good spot.
Q. A little bit cooler and breezier this morning. How did that affect your play?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It wasn't much. It was still pretty tame and scorable for all things considered. I thought the pins were a little bit harder on some holes but yeah, just when the air gets this thick, it's a very, very strong breeze. The crosswinds, it will be blowing five, ten miles an hour but the ball really moves quite a bit.
Q. I know you're used to playing with these high-power players with Rory and Jon Rahm and yourself, what's that like? Does it bring a new dynamic or spice to the round?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yes and no. I mean, you could say so but I mean, at the end of the day, we're all just trying to play the best we can. With all due respect, we don't really care how the other guys are doing -- or at least me, I'm trying to take care of my work. You have a little bit more distractions and stuff going on here and there but everyone is respectful and so it's usually good fun.
Q. If someone had given you 8-under after the first two round yesterday, would you have been happy with that?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I guess, yeah, probably. How I got here -- I don't know, I've had some good and some bad and just it's kind of been an average couple days or just not really much fireworks, not much bad but just a couple things I need to tighten up on.
Q. What are those things?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I've got to start hitting it closer to the hole. Iron play and wedge game is a strength of mine, and I'm just not hitting it close enough to the holes.
Hit a lot of really good putts today. Had a lot of putts that broke early and stopped, and those are a lot harder to make and you have to really match up the speed and the line correctly. Just didn't quite do that on a couple of them but felt like I hit a lot of good putts that still could have gone in. For the most part, I feel like I've scored about as high as I could have.
Q. Interesting early start in the morning on the 10th, did you see what happened?
JUSTIN THOMAS: I did not, no.
Q. Jon Rahm, out in 29. Describe the ball-striking from Jon in that first nine holes this morning?
JUSTIN THOMAS: It was unbelievable. The putt on 18 was the longest one he made. He very realistically should have shot 9-under on the front nine. It was pretty impressive.
Q. You must be pleased to be in contention, three behind going into day three?
JUSTIN THOMAS: Yeah, absolutely. Like I said, for not having -- far from my best stuff but really managed my game well but I played solid. Haven't played bad by any means but haven't gotten any runs going. This is a course where you can do things like Jon and I can play a five- or six-hole stretch 4-, 5-, 6-under, and I haven't done that yet. But I feel like I'm close. Just need to sharpen things up and get the ball started better on line with my irons and I feel like it can happen.
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