U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 21, 2014

Na Yeon Choi

Q. Plus 1. But you're in striking distance, five off the lead right now going into tomorrow. Do you feel good about your position?
NA YEON CHOI: I'm happy, you know. I'm happy where I am right now. I think today was the toughest for everything, especially physically being tired. I know I have to go one more day tomorrow. But this week the weather is so hot, like every day. So I feel a little bit like tired. So I need to get some good rest and just come back with a good feeling tomorrow.

Q. So you were able to go out, play, feel tired. People say all the time you don't always have your "A" game, but to be out and maybe not have your best, but you didn't do yourself a lot of damage either.
NA YEON CHOI: Especially yesterday and today I hit a lot of fairways and greens. I think that was the key to play without a lot of bogeys or double bogeys. I didn't have any double bogeys out there. I think that was the good thing I had the past couple of rounds. Even sometimes bogey gave me a lot of good vibes. Just stay calm out there. Weather is pretty hot and very humid. So hopefully a little bit more cooler tomorrow and then just keep having fun out there with my caddie.

Q. You know what it's like to win one of these. You know that sort of the atmosphere that you can expect for tomorrow. How much do you think that will help you if you're coming down the stretch and have a chance to contend?
NA YEON CHOI: Especially like 2012 when I won the U.S. Open I had the great experience over there, especially on Sunday. I got triple bogey on hole 10. And bounce back on 11th hole. And just kept focused my game. I got a great experience from there. So I learn so many things. But like past, good thing that I have the experience, but tomorrow, like you said, it's five shot behind. I think if I do my best game out there tomorrow, I mean, U.S. Open, nobody knows. But I just want to play one shot at a time and just focus on my game and I'm not going to watch the leaderboard, just focus on my game.

Q. Like you said the other day, too, when you were at No. 2 and trying to get to No. 1 and you had really high expectations of yourself and how you sort of changed your mindset now. How much will that help you tomorrow?
NA YEON CHOI: I try to think back to when I was a rookie, you know. After I won many times, especially last year, I didn't have any win. It was hard to go back to like when I was a rookie, you know. Every time I was very honored to play every tournament, even when I make the cut I was very happy. But these days like I always focus for winning and results, or under par or birdies, eagles. So I just want to every time play my best. And if I finish 18 holes without regret, I think that's the most I can do out there. So I just keep focus just my game more, process, not the result.

Q. When your night ended yesterday and Michelle Wie looked as though she was going to run away with it, now there's a little bit more closeness among the top players, does it change the way you think now? And how much does it change the way you think going into Sunday? You have a legitimate chance.
NA YEON CHOI: My strategy doesn't change, especially how to play this course. Always just hit the fairway and greens first. And par is always a good score with the U.S. Open. I don't know how many strokes behind I am right now, but if I do my best and if I have a great game tomorrow, then always good result will follow. So I don't want to think about the results yet.

Q. So far this week what's been the hardest part for you out here this week?
NA YEON CHOI: I think every day is a little bit different, especially I remember yesterday was, the 10th hole was very difficult. But today, I don't know, today I feel like pretty difficult, I think tougher than last three rounds today. So it wasn't easy to have fun out there.

Q. Someone was saying earlier that when she was at the champions dinner and she saw multiple champions it made her really, really hungry to be in that group, like the front tables or something like that.
NA YEON CHOI: Yeah.

Q. How hungry are you to be a multiple champion? Is that a goal of yours or is that different for you?
NA YEON CHOI: I mean, I would be honored, you know, every time, really. But I really keep trying to say to myself, talking to myself, all the results is, I cannot control it. I just want to play without regret every time. That's hard. And every day is my small goals, playing without regret. And I met a lot of past champion at the dinner and they gave me a lot of pep talks. And some past champion followed my group yesterday, first round. So even when I saw them, they gave me a lot of good confidence and pep-talk and good feeling. Just was an honor to meet them.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports