THE MODERATOR: Matt Fitzpatrick, even-par 70. Matt, maybe just talk about the finish.
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, obviously two in the last three always nice, especially at a U.S. Open.
Yeah, just didn't really feel like I made too much up until those two holes really. Struggled a little bit off the tee on the back nine, but overall scrambled incredibly well to be where I am.
THE MODERATOR: We've seen this place in a couple of conditions already this week. What's your game plan, mindset knowing it can change so much?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it will be interesting to see what they do. I know they're a little bit wary of the forecast tomorrow.
I can't see it drying out too much. I think with how humid it is as well, it's going to only keep it soft. I think greens will be similar reception-wise, but obviously pin placements, weather conditions will be interesting.
Q. Just a quick one, are you staying with Alex this week?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah.
Q. Are you chatting about everything in the evening? Do you talk over what's happened?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Not really. I saw him for about two minutes last night after the round. I went straight to bed, and I've not seen him. Probably just about to tee off, yeah.
Q. Just how much does that finish sort of change your mood going into tonight?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, it's great. Even if I had finished with a par, I'd have been happy, in a really nice position going into the weekend. Yeah, you can't really ask for too much more really.
You know, a couple of things I want to hopefully clean up for the weekend to feel a little bit more confident, but on the whole, it's been, yeah, a really good two days.
Q. Matt, you talked about scrambling being key today. Can you talk through this shot on 6 from the waste area, sort of the challenge of the shot and then the decision around it?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I mean, I didn't really know what I was hoping for going over there. I felt like I kind of wanted it on the rough -- in the rough. I could kind of splash something out from the rough and hopefully, you know, back into the wind a little bit and up the hill a little bit.
So I felt like that's what I was hoping for, and I got there, and it was, yeah, just sand. It was basically a bunker.
Yeah, played it as that. Played one very, very similar to that earlier this year that sort of went left of the pin and spun back. So felt very much the same kind of shot. I know I could have hit it as well as I wanted to get it where it finished, 56.
Q. What time would you have set the alarm for this morning, and what's the routine look like at that ungodly hour?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I mean, I cut a lot off the routine, to be honest. You know, shortened a few things and stuff as much as I could, but it was 4:00 for me this morning, which you know, I can't complain. I play golf for a living.
Yeah, it wasn't very enjoyable, I know that.
Q. Also, looking at the leaderboard, it appears that Wyndham might have a decent advantage going into the weekend. Is there comfort when you're in that chasing pack that it's a course that can beat people up pretty quickly?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, there's obviously that, where at the same time, you'd always like a -- I don't know what he's got, a three, four-shot lead. That sounds much nicer than being four behind, I will say that.
Yeah, like you say, I feel like it's a golf course that can beat you up pretty quickly. You have to stay patient, but you know, if you are chasing, you can't really afford too many mistakes if you're that many behind, so...
Q. Is there anything that's more difficult to do on softer greens than firmer greens?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I listened to Rory's comment the other day about bumping it into the bank. A lot of these holes with the way the greens are, you can do that, but when it is soft, you don't really have the opportunity. It's not going to bounce forward. It's kind of going to die straight away.
The weird thing, as well, is the steep uphill putts are extremely slow, but the steep downhill putts are extremely fast. I know it sounds like it's stating the obvious, but with how much slower the greens are than a normal U.S. Open, I would say, it's obviously quite a contradiction to your feels when you are out there, particularly coupled with the strength of the wind on some of the greens.
Q. Following up on the Wyndham question, you're going out four strokes behind him tomorrow. What is your strategy on a Saturday in terms of balancing keeping an eye on leader versus keeping focused on your own game?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, I mean, you've always got one eye on where you are on the leaderboard. I do, anyway. So for me, I want to figure out where I'm at and whether things need to change.
For the most part at a U.S. Open, it's not like you can go flag hunting. I will say some of these greens with where they have to put the pins, you have a little bit more of a chance because most of them have to be pretty central just because of how slopy the greens are.
There's obviously some of that that I'll take into account, but for the most part trying to play my same game, and you know, hopefully make a few putts from distance and see where it ends up.
Q. Matt, given where the wind forecasts were entering yesterday, can you shed light on the adjustment process to facing the course conditions as they're presented versus maybe the ones that you might have been expecting?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Kind of it was less than I expected, if I'm honest. I really thought it was going to be way stronger, almost unplayable. It was still incredibly strong.
My opening tee shot, I hit it what I thought was good. It kind of got to the top of its flight and just went 90 degrees left, so kind of underestimated that.
Once I figured that out, I felt like I was pretty comfortable with the wind. I played obviously in the wind a ton growing up and in Europe and whatnot. It's not like I'm not used to it.
But, yeah, the forecast that you all read, oh, this is unplayable, this is crazy. I was here before the Memorial. It literally was gusting 45 miles an hour, and the 11th green would not hold the ball. It didn't matter where I put it, it would not hold the ball.
Part of me was kind of expecting that. In the morning the delay, I thought when I saw that, was due to wind, not fog until I looked.
Q. The success you've had this season, do you feel more confident now, and if so, can you explain how?
MATT FITZPATRICK: Yeah, definitely feel more confident. I think I feel like I've always had belief in myself with what I can achieve. I think doing that this year already, some of the stuff that I've ticked off and played so well, has obviously only added to that.
I just feel that the stuff that I've been working on with my game and where it's at, the shots that I can hit or I feel I can hit, sort of matching up to my expectations better, and from that is that's where I'm getting my confidence from, I would say.
Q. How does that help you?
MATT FITZPATRICK: I think being comfortable in the moment is the big thing. I know I'm 4 behind, but might be one of the last few groups tomorrow. I feel like, A, I've obviously been in that situation before, and B, having the game to match.
You know, I feel like maybe 2017 if I had managed to find myself in a position like that, I probably wasn't ready. I didn't hit it far enough or didn't hit my irons well enough, whatever it may be.
2022 with the way I was playing, I felt very comfortable to be in that position, and obviously the same today.
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