Q. Every golfer wants to win in Scotland. What would it mean for you to win here at the Home of Golf?
JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I had to think. I guess my open was in England, so it wasn't in Scotland. I think links golf is arguably my favourite kind of golf and I don't know of any country that has more fantastic links courses than Scotland, obviously being the Home of Golf. Rich history. It is the history in golf.
It would be meaningful to win Scotland's National Championship, but the fact that it's now a co-sanctioned DP World Tour, PGA TOUR and Rolex Series Event, I think I just mentioned it earlier, having said that, it seems like it's one of the biggest international events of the year.
I'm just happy to be in position. Certainly a lot better position than I was when I finished yesterday's round.
Q. Perfect prep for next week?
JORDAN SPIETH: I think most importantly it's playing in this wind and off this turf. Getting acclimated to the speed of the greens and slopes of the greens and watching how much the wind affects the golf ball. I have a pretty good game on how far the ball is going to fly and having not come over here ahead of time, a lot of times you're trying to make that up in three short days. Nice to be over here for a while and just feel like I can get to go the course next week.
Q. St Andrews, seven years since we've been there. What gives St Andrews the magic?
JORDAN SPIETH: I think the history, but also, I think really the back nine playing back into town. I know that that's relatively common for links courses in common but it's not very common for what we normally see.
Hitting over a hotel on a hole, and trying to keep it off the cars on the next hole, it's got -- it's probably one of most relaxing first tee shots, and you think 18 would be the same, and you get to 18 and when there's something on the line, you're trying to position it perfectly. It's its own unique test. It can be the easiest major championship venue that we play but it can be one of the hardest just given the Scottish weather.
This year looks like it might get really firm and fast. The last time we played there, we were delayed because of wind and I don't think we'll have that. But it might have a different set of challenges than seven years ago.
Q. No hole like 17 at all on the PGA TOUR?
JORDAN SPIETH: You tell me. I've never seen one.
Q. Is today about hitting the shots you need to win the tournament as opposed to shots that you might need next week or do the two blend into each other?
JORDAN SPIETH: I think they are the same thing. Most importantly, where exactly is everything under pressure. I'd love to get off to a good start. I could be five or six back by the end of the day. Assuming it looks like I've got a good chance, then by the back nine, I'll start to really -- it's funny into the wind, right. Over here, you go from, we try to have dispersions in our distances and our irons be anywhere from ten to 15 yards. When you're hitting into the wind from an elevated tee, those go to 20, 25 yards on full shots.
So I think trying to figure out when you're trying to slow things down a bit, where everything is at, you can get as good a gauge as anywhere in the world over here given the amount of different shots that need to be played. That's the best -- I wanted to come in here, my goal was to have a chance on Sunday. It always is the week before a major. There's no better prep for a major than winning the week before. Having said that, being in contention gets as much prep done as possible, so I'm glad to be in the position I'm in.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports