THE MODERATOR: Rob Labritz, 2-under 69. You said your goal was to come back here today, and you are. Must be pleased with how you played.
ROB LABRITZ: I am. Very solid. Great to play with Rocco. We're both kind of out there just having a blast.
Yeah, I hit one bad tee ball. Finally got the face closed on one; hit it in the water. Made some birdies coming in. Felt really comfortable.
I've got to be honest, the adrenaline rush on the 1st tee and the last putt were nothing like I ever felt before in my life. I had to back off the putt. I had Baby Shark stuck in my head. There was a lot going on. I just had to get the putt in the hole.
Q. Talk about the atmosphere on the 1st tee. We saw you sort of soaking it in.
ROB LABRITZ: Yeah, I'm in a spot where I can -- all these people are watching. It's so cool. I want to make sure I take mental notes, and now that we have iPhones, I can take actually videos.
It was really cool. The fans saw me take the phone out and they got behind it, which was kind of cool. I wasn't expecting that, but it was pretty cool.
Q. I imagine when you left yesterday, you had a lot of messages and texts.
ROB LABRITZ: I'm still not through them all. It's ridiculous. It's going to be when I'm done with the tournament, because I think everyone will understand. I don't want to get ahead of myself. I've got one more day. If we do the same thing we did today, I'll be fine.
Q. I saw you sign an autograph from one hole to the next.
ROB LABRITZ: Oh, yeah.
Q. Just your whole emotional state, is it like fun or is it stress?
ROB LABRITZ: It's not stressful. I understand adrenaline. I have adrenaline running through my veins when I'm out there on the golf course. For me to be able to break away from the shots in between shots and just clear my brain and have fun and get the crowd behind it, that's what it's all about.
I'll sign autographs. I'll do whatever because I'm not hitting my shot yet.
So, yeah, when I get into the shot, it's fine. I'm ready to go. In between shots, I just want to have fun. I'm out here having a blast. This is so cool.
Q. In playing nicely, everything's great, but when will reality kick in? There is a five- or six-shot deficit you've got to try to make up tomorrow.
ROB LABRITZ: I'm not worried about it. I'm going to go out there and play my game, shoot under par, and wherever the chips fall, they fall.
I'm going to play my best. There's guys out here that have been doing this for 30 years. If they play better than me, so be it. I'm learning. I'm getting better. I'm improving.
I feel almost like -- not Will Zalatoris, but it's like he's so close. I feel like I'm so close. I feel comfortable.
If I can just do the same thing I'm doing, wherever the chips fall, if I shoot under par, I'm a happy man.
Q. You're the second to last group on Sunday in the U.S. Senior Open, your second USGA event, first since 1988. What does that mean to you?
ROB LABRITZ: Man, it just means that all the work that I've been doing for the past however many years is paying off. I feel comfortable out there. I know I'm supposed to be here.
Even when I was at my greatest club job on the planet, Glen Arbor, I still felt like there's something missing, and I don't feel that way anymore. So I'm a blessed man.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports