Q. Bryson DeChambeau, even par, 70. Talk us through the round today and just what it feels like to be in this position.
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, the round today was a huge battle. I was proud of the way I persevered out there today. It was difficult. Especially when you're not hitting it straight in the fairway. For me it felt like I kept myself in it, scrambled really well.
Got to do that tomorrow, but I also have to hit some more fairways. I know that. I'm going to work on that tonight and make sure I'm doing that tomorrow.
Q. Taking the bogey on 18, and crazy things have happened on that hole in the past, there's a good chance it comes down to it tomorrow. How do you think your way through that hole, and would you try anything different?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, if the situation is right and driver makes sense, blast it up there, hit it in the rough and then hit a wedge on the green where it feeds off the back part of the slope, it makes sense. I haven't done it this week, though, so I've just got to hit a better hybrid. I did not. Just started out to the right and didn't draw it back.
Q. Now in position to win this thing. How much validation does that give you for the work that you've put in, your physical transformation?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, absolutely. I think the past two majors I've played in I've been right in contention. It's definitely validating, albeit there's a lot more to go. I've got to figure out a lot more. I am excited to be in this position for sure. There's no better place to be.
Q. You talked early in the week about having hack-out rough if you got a certain lie. How many of those lies have you gotten this week? Because it doesn't seem like you've gotten many.
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, I had one on 1, second round. I had to chip out. That was pretty bad. But it was in a place where -- I think it was second round. It was in a place where I just couldn't even get anything on it. There was so much grass behind it everywhere.
But for the most part if you're able to hit it far enough up there, I feel like wedges you can get it out pretty easy and run some stuff up.
Q. And I think at the PGA you had kind of a grade for each lie that you had --
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, I still do for sure. We do percentages, like how much it's going to hurt the ball speed.
Q. So it's not a 1, 2, 3, 4, 5?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: No, it's like, okay, I hit it 180 yards -- it's 180 yards, how much is this lie based on the loft going to affect it, and we go percentages, so it's like, okay, you've got to play it like a 195 shot.
Q. Phil was ridiculed for hitting driver on 18 when he had the chance to win. How aggressive or conservative will you be tomorrow down the stretch?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I'm going to be aggressive no matter what. It's if it's the right play. If it's the right wind, the right situation. Worst-case scenario, hitting hybrid out there in the middle of the fairway, and that's what has worked so far, but today it cost me a little bit. I didn't hit it in the fairway. You've just got to hit fairways out here.
Q. Everybody will talk about 18 and the bogey, but I'd go back to the first four holes where you actually -- seemed like you struggled on the first four except for the drive on the first and then you bogeyed 1. Can you talk about how you come out and have such a poor start and get past that and finish out the rest of the round?
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, it's staying focused on every single shot that you have, even though the momentum was not going the right way, I knew I had holes coming up that I could birdie, give myself chances for birdie. I did that on 6, didn't make it; 7, made a great birdie; 8, made a great par; and 9, I gave myself a chance for birdie.
So I felt like after that stretch I was starting to get a little more comfortable into the round. Tomorrow I've just got to make sure my speed is a little bit better than it was starting out the round and hitting the driver in the fairway. Today was pathetic and it needs to be better than that to win a U.S. Open.
Q. In your head do you pretty much know what exactly --
BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I know 100 percent what it is. It's if I can do it. It's always the case for me. It's one of those things that we've worked so hard, I feel like I know the golf swing as good as anybody, but if I can do it, it's a whole different question. There's nerves, pressure, all that, so I've got to make sure everything is in check tomorrow.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports