THE MODERATOR: Scottie Scheffler, 1-over 71 today. Scottie, can you talk us through your round a little bit?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, sure. Got off to a really good start. I had that eagle on 8. Put myself in a good position, and then I had a bad shot on 11 over that green. I mean, bogey would have been really good back where I was. I ended up with double.
After that I didn't really play that bad. I just made three bogeys in a row. I guess I hit a bad shot. I think the second one on 14 was bad. Other than that, I didn't do anything that bad. It's just U.S. Open. Things happen like that, and they happen quickly.
Fortunately, I was able to kind of right the ship and hang in there and make a birdie on 17 and a good par on 18 to finish off the round.
Q. Of course, every shot counts the same, but how big was that par on 18 going into tomorrow?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, it was good because I hit my second shot, and I hit it exactly where I wanted to. It got gusted, and it came up short. Where we thought the ball was going to end up was right on top of the bunker where I had no stance. The grass is really long right on top, and the ball stays there. You have no hope. That's where I thought the ball was. Fortunately, it was down there in the bunker. Okay bunker shot. So a hole in which I really thought after a good shot on the second round I was going to walk away with 5, to get out of there with 4 was definitely a big boost.
Q. Scottie, how mentally tough is it to feel like I'm playing well, but three bogeys in a row, it doesn't normally happen in a typical event when are you playing well. I mean, mentally is that just taxing?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think the U.S. Open is very taxing, mentally and physically. I think that's all part of what this makes this tournament so fun. You're going to get tested all different kinds of ways, whether it be physically, mentally, whatever it is. This golf tournament is going to test you.
That's why I show up here. I think that's kind of the fun of it. If every golf tournament was like this, it would be in for a long season for all of us. A few times a year I think it's a ton of fun.
Q. I know it was a strong wind, but is it a particularly unpredictable wind much more than other winds that you have encountered?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: There's a lot of trees on this golf course, and it's gusty, as well. So it's definitely unpredictable.
I think that's what happens when you get these kind of foresty golf courses, and then with the gusts, I mean, that little golf ball is just getting thrown around all over the place.
Q. How do you steady yourself midway through the back nine?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I just kept -- I reminded myself on 11, 12, 13, 14, I just kept reminding myself I'm still in the golf tournament. I made the double on 11, and I kind of just -- when I walked off that one, I was, like, dude, just pretend you bogeyed 10 and birdied 8. It's not a big deal.
After the bogey on 12, it's not a big deal. I'm still maybe 1-under for the round. Then after 13 I just kept trying to pretend that what was happening wasn't happening. Eventually I was able to steady the ship.
For me that stuff is going to happen at U.S. Opens. The golf course is just hard. The conditions are hard. The scores are high. All I was going to do is just try and hang in there. That was my only goal. Just kind of hang and keep myself in position. That's why I was so excited with the par on 18 because that was a big momentum putt for me.
Q. Why were you so mad coming out of the bunker?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Where the second shot, where it looked like it was going to go was right on the lip and I was going to have no shot, and it went down in the bunker, and I actually had a decent lie.
I just hit not a good shot. It's a shot I've been practicing and it's a shot I've been working on. I just didn't execute. I knew how hard the putt was, and that's why I was so frustrated because I had a chance to get it somewhat close, and I didn't hit a great shot.
That's what's frustrating. I really didn't want to give one away, especially after hitting a good shot into the green, and so where I knew the putt was, that's why I was so frustrated because it's not an easy putt to hole, and that's why I was so excited when I was able to hole.
Q. A win tomorrow would turn what's already been a great season into a really all-time season. I think I know the answer to this question, but have you allowed yourself at all to think about what that -- a win tomorrow would mean?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Anytime you can win a golf tournament, especially a major, is really special. For me I'm not thinking about what I did a month ago. I'm not thinking about what I did two months ago. Right now I'm here at the U.S. Open, and I'm going to try to win the golf tournament tomorrow. If I do, it's going to be really fun. If I don't, life will go on.
Hopefully this won't be my last U.S. Open, but, you know, you never know. Can't take anything for granted in this life, and so I'm going to approach tomorrow the way I always do and just go out there and try and do my best and see what happens after that.
Q. Scottie, you guys all want to play the historic courses, especially on the big occasions like this. When the wind gets up and it's as tough as it was, how much fun are you actually having?
SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: When I'm playing good, it's a ton of fun. When I'm playing bad, it's not a lot of fun.
My wife asked me last night when I got home, what were three emotions you felt today? This was last night. I was, like, well, I played golf today, so I was happy and sad. And so basically every time I play golf from here on out, I'm going to be happy and sad. It's just the nature of the game.
U.S. Open is no different. You're going to have some good moments. When I was playing great on the front nine, it was awesome, and then it's tough when things start going the wrong direction, and then it was happy again when I birdied 17 and made a good par on 18.
You kind of have to ride the wave out here.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports