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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 13, 2019

Aaron Wise

Pebble Beach, California

Q. Talk about the afternoon.
AARON WISE: It was solid, it was nice to get my putter going. That's kind of what's been missing this whole year for me in a way. And today I was able to putt well. These are greens I'm kind of accustomed to being from Southern California. And felt like the ball-striking part's always been there. It was nice to see some putts drop and it added up to a great score.

Q. Is there anything technical that you worked on to get your putter a little better?
AARON WISE: Just really matching line and speed. I don't think like it's stroke-related at all. It's just reading the putt correctly and hitting it with the appropriate speed and just been doing a lot of drills to emphasize that and it seems to be working.

Q. How did you find the condition of the golf course? Is 5-under what you feel like is a good round for you?
AARON WISE: Yeah, it's a great round. But it is a little bit scorable. The greens are kind of soft and I don't think the rough is quite where they want it. Overall the course is just a little bit softer than what I would imagine a normal USGA event being. But this place can dry out really, really fast. This grass can dry out really, really fast and I'm sure they'll get it right where they want it, if not tomorrow, Saturday for sure.

Q. You've got to feel a little more comfortable in these big events, these majors, now as you are kind of getting your career going, feel like you know what you're getting into?
AARON WISE: Yeah, there are a little less nerves on the first tee, one of those things, and getting myself more comfortable. I don't know if I'm fully comfortable or just like an everyday thing for me. And I don't know if they'll ever get there for me because they are so special and so important. But feel like I kind of know what I'm doing and then at least can go out and put a good round together.

Q. Having that win last year, did that help that you've accomplished that goal of winning?
AARON WISE: Absolutely. Winning is kind of a habit. Everything in life is kind of a habit. And you want to make winning one of those habits, especially being as competitive as I am. The only way you know you can do it is if you actually do it and put yourself in those situations over and over again. And winning last year and I had a couple of good, high finishes last year, just makes you hungrier and makes you want to get there more.

I haven't had exactly the best year yet that I wanted to. But we still have two majors left and a WGC event and a playoff. So it's kind of been a learning curve for me with this shortened schedule realizing that there are still some big events ahead of me and I don't need to kind of rush and think that this year is over almost already.

Q. You played a practice round Tuesday with Brooks?
AARON WISE: Uh-huh.

Q. What can you learn from playing a practice round with a guy that's won four of the last eight majors?
AARON WISE: Maybe just some strategy stuff I can take from him. More me and Brooks have just become good friends in a way and enjoy each others' company. And on top of maybe just a strategy, something I can take away from him is just his calmness, not only just playing in those practice rounds but I've seen him multiple times through the events like today when I was on 17 tee he was on 4 tee. And just saying, hey. And he's literally the calmest person in the world. It's just a calming influence and I can kind of just take away his mentality towards these, and the fact that he really slows things down and calms things down even more and that works well for him.

Q. What about the second round? You've seen what you can do today, obviously a different tee time tomorrow, what changes for you or is there a need to change?
AARON WISE: We'll see what we get in the morning. I have no clue that I'm going to come out to, it could be firmer or it could be softer, just have to play that by ear. Knowing an early tee time the rough will be a little wetter. The course will be maybe a little wetter. And it's just going to be a premium on hitting these fairways. And that's like most U.S. Opens, you have to hit the ball in the fairway and from there you can kind of somewhat attack the golf course, even though some holes you just have to make a par, you can't make birdies out here.

Q. When you get to U.S. Open what exactly is your mentality? Do you see top of the leaderboard, do you see on the leaderboard, just exactly what did you want to do when you got here?
AARON WISE: Neither. Honestly, I just wanted to play well. I didn't know what that was going to be for me. Obviously the U.S. Open changes venues every year, and you just don't know what that course -- if it's going to fit you well, if it's not.

And I played the Pro Am, AT&T Pro Am, and played well there. So I felt like I had a chance around this one. And had obviously a great day today, but that has nothing to do with tomorrow. Tomorrow is going to be a fresh day when I get out here in the morning.

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