Q. Stacy, 3-under, 68. Can you sum up today's round?
STACY LEWIS: I was just really solid. Just I hit the ball a lot better today and gave myself a lot of good birdie looks. Hit some good putts on my back nine and they just didn't go in.
Could have been a lot better. Just really happy with the way the first two days went.
Q. How did Jackrabbit play compared to Cypress yesterday?
STACY LEWIS: I would say easier, and that's more just because you're hitting 7-irons instead of 5-irons. Just shorter clubs. Yeah, the targets are a little bit smaller, but in a way sometimes that narrows your focus and you play better.
So after playing yesterday and playing this one, I see why scores are better over there.
Q. What's the plan the rest of the day?
STACY LEWIS: Get a little practice in before this storm, and then I get to go home to my own house. So pretty nice to just go relax and rest up for the weekend.
Q. How are you able -- when this is such an important event to you playing at home, how have you been able to stay patient the first two rounds knowing that you kind of needed to get something going?
STACY LEWIS: I just know how hard these golf courses play. I know that you can't make big numbers. That's really what I've avoided so far this week is the big numbers.
I don't know. Just stuff I'm working on my golf swing and routine. I'm just so focused in on what I'm doing. I'm exhausted at the end of the day, but it's kept me so into every hole and every shot and not thinking about what it means or what it's for.
And I just know how hard this place is. If you got a five-footer, you need to make it.
Q. When you go home at night, does that help you differently than maybe if you were to go to a hotel thinking more about this, whereas when you go to home home you can get away?
STACY LEWIS: Oh, for sure. I go home and I'm thinking about Christmas presents I need to buy for which people and what deliveries came today. Just worried about other stuff.
And Chesnee and my family, they help with that more. It's just has a different feel for me this year. Doesn't necessarily feel like a U.S. Open. It's more because of me staying at home and no fans than anything.
It's just a lot more relaxed than I've been in years past.
Q. Will any family come in for the weekend, even though they can't come out here?
STACY LEWIS: No, I just had my husband and my parents and swing coach are my four people this week. It's been nice that I have a lot of friends that are volunteering and they're letting the volunteers stay once their shift is over.
Had three or four of them for the front nine watching. Just a lot of familiar faces here. Just makes things more fun, more comfortable, and more relaxed.
Q. There are quite a few amateurs toward the top of the leaderboard. Why do you think they're playing so well this week?
STACY LEWIS: You know, I think the biggest difference for amateur golf to professional golf is scoring. Amateurs are used to grinding for pars and maybe even par wins a tournament.
I think amateurs struggle more, or at least I did when I went and played a professional tournament when 25-under was winning and that's not your mindset. I feel like their mindset is around -- they're used to shooting par as a good score or 1- or 2-under. That's what you're getting here.
Q. Do you think with no fans that -- and we've only had one amateur ever win this thing. With the atmosphere being so different, an amateur has a better chance?
STACY LEWIS: 100%. I think it's just -- I've been in contention this year and it's so much different. It's so much easier. Normally these U.S. Opens you've got the 18the hole, massive grandstands, down the first tee is lined with people.
It's definitely so different that it helps people that haven't been there, whether it's amateurs or rookies or whatever it is. It helps them not feel as much pressure.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports