Q. So 67, couple ups and downs throughout the day, but how do you feel the round went?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I mean when I did miss the fairway I hit it in a couple fairway bunkers and just had to pitch it out. So it's pretty simple out here, you hit the fairways you're going to have a good chance to work the ball into the green and give yourself a good birdie look. If you're not, you're scrambling to make par.
Q. Would you say the course firmed up as the day went on?
HARRIS ENGLISH: It did for sure. Those last few holes did. Then starting out, I mean seeing Rickie and Xander take it deep out there, it's like, well, this isn't your typical U.S. Open mindset of like I'm just playing for par. I mean you got to make some birdie to keep in line with those guys.
Q. So it definitely kind of played into your mindset as you kind of went into the round?
HARRIS ENGLISH: When you see a couple scores like that you're like, well, it's doable out here, you just got to play good golf. I could definitely see it out there if you were in control of your ball and putting well you can definitely go low.
Q. Any particular holes that kind of caught your eye or fit your shot shape?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I like this track. I played it a couple times before this week and it's fun. A couple blind shots out there I'm not a huge fan of blind shots, but it is what it is. It's kind of an old school golf.
It's that way for everybody. You got to visualize it in your head and get up and pick a good line and hit it. But and it's just a fun course. It's a cool place, right downtown Beverly hills, we don't get a chance to play in huge cities like this. So it's a cool track.
Q. Have you kind of traditionally done well in U.S. Opens, what is it about this tournament that really you kind of like?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I don't know what it is. The setups, I guess. I just like hard tests. This usually is. I don't know what it is. I played well in a few U.S. Amateur, Walker Cup. I don't know what it is about the USGA, but, yeah, it's just a good event, good, hard event.
You kind of have to have the right mindset coming in and got to stay patient and I feel like I did that pretty well today.
Q. Late/early, what is the next 12, 13 hours look like for you?
HARRIS ENGLISH: I'm going to get worked on a little bit by my trainer and probably pick up some to-go sushi. They got some good sushi out here on the West Coast that we don't really get back in St. Simons.
So yeah, it's going to be an early bed and probably wake up somewhere in the 4s tomorrow and see if I can get after it on a should and softer golf course in the morning.
Q. How much firmer did it get?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I mean, 17, I mean, I noticed that Joaquin hit a 5-iron right behind me, landed a few short of the hole and it went past the green and it kind of changed my, all right, like this green's really firm. I got to play short of it.
Saw it there on 18 a little bit as well. I thought I really hit a good bunker shot and spun it a lot and still went six feet by the hole. You're going to see that tomorrow. I think tomorrow afternoon it might be a touch firmer than today and this breeze, even though it's not blowing a ton, it's still tricky and tends to dry out these greens.
If we get some good sunshine on these tomorrow, they will get 'em where they want 'em.
Q. Do you expect it to be a lot more difficult the next three days?
HARRIS ENGLISH: Yeah, I mean, they definitely moved some tees up today. I was a little surprised with that. To me this is probably the easiest that it could have played today. I'm sure when we see those scores, a couple 8-unders, they're not going to like it too much.
But, yeah, it was probably the shortest it could play today. No crazy, crazy pins. So I think it can only get harder from here.
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