U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2014

Jason Day

Q. Another top-10 in a Major, this time you had to fight to get there. So there's some positives in that?
JASON DAY: Definitely. The goal today was to -- in U.S. Opens, all it is, is about staying patient with yourself and not really trying to frustrate yourself to the point where you start going for things and really trying to be too aggressive. The goal today was try and go bogey-free. Obviously the last putt there didn't help that, but I'm not disappointed at all. Being out for so long, this is my second, real second tournament back after the injury on one of the biggest stages, as well as against the best players in the world. I'm pretty pleased.

Q. If you any reservations about how you would respond, are they gone now given how you played for four days?
JASON DAY: I think there's a few things that I still need to tighten up. I feel good mentally. There's nothing to worry about with regard to the injury or any other part of my body. So I just have to keep working hard, doing the little things right and hopefully keep pressing forward and hopefully a Major will come my way soon.

Q. For example, if you think -- you said your thumb's 100 percent, but now that you know it's 100 percent, that's got to be a confident feeling?
JASON DAY: Yeah, it is. But it's kind of out of my head now. So I'm not really thinking about it now. I'm just going out, trying to put the ball down the fairway and put the ball on the green and try and shoot a low score.

Q. Justin last year said he was very much inspired by Adam's win at the Masters and that. You're basically contemporaries in terms of age and that coming into the early 30s. You have flashes of brilliance when you're in 20s, but it really, really starts coming together for you when you get in your early 30s and you get that experience. Now you're 26 years old, do you feel it's inevitable that you are working your way into a Major champion?
JASON DAY: I hope. I hope so. I feel like I've done the right things to get a win. Obviously this is kind of like 2011, when Rory kind of ran away at the U.S. Open. Martin Kaymer is kind of doing the same thing. I think there's only three guys under par now. Obviously I have thoroughly enjoyed this week. I think the USGA's done a phenomenal job on the course with regards to setup, the playability. It's been great. I can't say enough praise about it. But I think I'm doing the right things. Obviously if I wasn't doing the right things, I would be missing cuts and I would be struggling. But to get into the top-10, especially after an injury, second week back fully is pretty special. I'm pretty pleased with how everything went.

Q. You had a front row seat for what Rory did at Congressional, yet Rory said he thinks this might be more impressive what Martin is doing. Would you agree?
JASON DAY: Well, I don't know, I think that winning by eight is pretty impressive, especially at such a young age, what Rory did. But winning a tournament is impressive, but winning it by a large number against the best players in the world, there's obviously no word for it. Martin's had a couple of down years just recently, and through -- I'm just guessing, like a lot of the European guys, they work very, very hard on their game. They take it very serious and he struggled over the past few years and this year has been his breakout year again. Obviously he handles pressure well, because he's won a PGA, he's won a PLAYERS championship, now he's on the road to winning a U.S. Open. So obviously the hard work's paid off for him.

Q. I asked him on Tuesday what kind of difference was his turnaround in terms of good form and he said it was simply that he's enjoying playing again?
JASON DAY: What was that last bit?

Q. He's enjoying playing again.
JASON DAY: Well, that's the biggest thing. If you're -- it's funny how when you're enjoying yourself out there, it just seems like everything -- it just -- even if you have a bogey, it just doesn't worry you. When you're having a kind of a crappy day, you make bogeys, then you start digging yourself a hole and it's kind of hard to get out of it. So the biggest thing out here is just to really not beat yourself up, because you're your own worst enemy. And we play against 156 guys to 130 guys a week, and you're playing against the field, but really at the end of the day you're playing against yourself. Because you're the one hitting the shots and you're the one putting yourself out of contention if you're frustrated. So attitude is everything out here, especially in U.S. Opens. And he looks like he's enjoying himself and that's why he's at the top of the leaderboard.

Q. Is it harder to enjoy a Major? I know the excitement and the thrill, but there's also the pressure.
JASON DAY: Yeah, there's a lot of pressure. There is a lot of pressure. Since I haven't been close to the lead for awhile and being out there, I definitely felt it coming in. I felt like I played some solid golf coming in, too, which was good. So it means that -- it's just good to get those competitive juices flowing again under pressure. But pressure's a funny thing. It just -- I can't explain it. It's just all how you look at things, really. Like I said, if he's out there and enjoying himself, sticking to his game plan, he's definitely going to win.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports