U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

June 19, 2021

Akshay Bhatia

Torrey Pines Golf Course

Quick Quotes

Q. What's it like to play in your first U.S. Open on the weekend?

AKSHAY BHATIA: It's not great -- I mean, obviously, it's a great experience, but just very, very disappointed in my play today. I thought I could go out and post a number and hopefully climb up the leaderboard, and I just didn't really have it today.

Q. What are some of the things that didn't go well today?

AKSHAY BHATIA: I think it's more I just have a hard time enjoying myself and understanding the opportunity I created for myself and just the atmosphere. I should enjoy it a lot more than I do. I just didn't have fun today, which really sucks because a lot of golf is score oriented, and when you're not playing well, it feels like it sucks, but I can't do anything about it.

Q. What can you take from this experience today then and enjoy it more tomorrow?

AKSHAY BHATIA: It's probably just more focus. I drove it pretty well, and I thought I could give myself some opportunities. I just didn't do it. Haven't really putted great this week, but there's still 18 more holes to play, and you never know what can happen. If I go low and guys come back, I can still finish in that top 25 or whatever.

Q. You had some interesting folks that played with you in Jason Gore today, and also Mike Davis out there. What was that like, and was there any discussion out there between you guys?

AKSHAY BHATIA: Yeah, it was a cool experience. I grew up in Valencia, where Jason grew up, and I always used to see him at this crappy golf course that I practiced at and just admiring because everyone knew him as a guy on the PGA TOUR, and it's like, wow, that's really cool. Then I don't even know, 10, 20, 15 years later, I'm playing with him in my first U.S. Open.

Obviously, any time you get to hang out with Mr. Davis, it's always a pleasure. What he's done for the USGA and for golf has been amazing. So it was awesome to experience that with them.

Q. I heard Mike Davis say when he came up here, he said, I had to rake a few bunkers today. Did he do a good job?

AKSHAY BHATIA: I'm assuming. I wasn't paying too much attention, but he did clean my golf ball once, and I did make birdie on that hole. So maybe that had something to do with it. He was awesome. He stayed out of our way and was very kind and very outgoing to talk to.

Q. Obviously, you just finished playing. What do you think the leaders will see when they see the setup today?

AKSHAY BHATIA: It's gettable. It really depends on how the weather turns out. Some greens are really firm, and some weren't, but there's definitely some gettable pins. I think, in my opinion, I don't think the course is playing as hard as everyone thought. 5-under is leading, and in 2008, 1-over was top three. So it's definitely very scorable, and I think 4-under will be a good, solid score today.