U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 21, 2014

So Yeon Ryu

Q. Even par, 3-over right now, the leader is at 3-under, and we don't know if that will hold up. You're in the hunt. Feeling pretty good?
SO YEON RYU: I feel I'm still in contention. This is a U.S. Open, and they set up the golf course really hard, so anything can happen. So maybe 6 shots behind still have a chance. So I feel pretty good about it. I still think in a very positive way. And today I starting with a 2-over through first and second hole. Then out there is not many birdie hole out there. And 5th hole is one of the birdie hole, but I made a bogey at there. So it pretty hard to control my mind after I made a bogey at the birdie hole. But the really good thing is I had some really great luck at the back nine. I holed a quite long putt at 14. For sure if I can't make it, it was going to roll down the other side of the green. So, I had some really good luck today. At the same time I made a pretty much a lot of birdie chance. I hit nine greens back nine and I made a really great birdie chance. Also, I made a couple of birdie putt. But still is everything going to positive. So feels pretty good.

Q. You've done this before, that's got to be an advantage, as well, right?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, yeah, I already had experience. It's quite really great experience. I remembered when I won the U.S. Women's Open I shot 3-over at the first round and the leader was 5-under. But I caught up to them pretty nicely. I'm pretty sure I still have a chance.

Q. Are you going to be drawing on that experience when you're out there tomorrow?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah, I should bring the confidence to my game tomorrow.

Q. How close do you think you need to be to have a real good chance?
SO YEON RYU: Definitely key point is hit the green a lot, because chipping -- around the green, chipping and putting is not really easy. So we have to make a lot of greens. Then, you know, as my resort, as I said, I hit nine greens my back nine and I shot 2-under, no bogey. So it means, if you make the green, it's still -- I have a lot more chance than off the green.

Q. What did you hit into No. 10?
SO YEON RYU: I hit a driver then I hit a 222 utility, and missed left and put it in the bunker. And hit the bunker shot and my bunker shot finished at the 2 foot and made a birdie.

Q. 222 hybrid?
SO YEON RYU: Yes.

Q. You're short today?
SO YEON RYU: Yeah. Other thing is I'm, for sure, today the fairway is really dry. So it's going to like run a lot and bouncing a lot. So that's why maybe a lot of players made a birdie at 10th hole, especially like Michelle Wie and Lexi hit it really far. For them it's like a par-4.

Q. What is the reason -- we're getting a fair number of good scores in the round today. From your perspective and based on your round why is that?
SO YEON RYU: Why is --

Q. Are we getting a number of good rounds like we're getting?
SO YEON RYU: Oh, maybe players get used to it and a little less nervous because, you know, we watch the men's play last week and we watched a lot of like bad results after someone hits a great shot, so make us really nervous. Now we already had two round experience, then we sort of like find out what we can hit and what we can do. So I think that's why the more people shot under par today.

Q. Were you one of those people who was nervous after watching the men play?
SO YEON RYU: I think my nervous is pretty much more come from like past winner pairing. I feel more honored to be here and more honored to become a Major champion. It give me a lot of motivation. At the same time it give me a lot of pressure, because I really want to win again. So that kind of thing really make me nervous the first and second round. And today I think I feel more free, because I already shot 3-over through 5th hole, I wasn't in contention. And then I kind of sort of like give up. Then it make me real nervous.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports