U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2022

June 17, 2022

Scottie Scheffler

The Country Club

Flash Interview

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THE MODERATOR: Scottie Scheffler, 3-under 67. Tied for the best round of the day. How were you able to take advantage out there.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I just stayed really patient. I was hitting it good pretty much most of the day. Two silly bogeys early in the round, but outside of that I hit it really good. I was in position most of the day. If a few more putts would have fallen in versus around the edge, it would have been a really special day. But 3-under was a good score for me, especially being 2-over through 6.

Q. Can you talk us through the eagle on 14?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I hit a great drive down the middle and then had kind of a funny lie where it was sitting on a downslope and it made that shot into the green much harder, and I caught it a hair thin and hit the tree. Fortunately it didn't hit the tree and come backwards, it kind of just fell down in front of it. Had a good lie and hit a good chip and it went in.

Q. What happened on that chunk on 5?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't know, I just caught it a little fat, I guess.

Q. Anything technical or anything like that?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, I mean, those areas are really thin, and I tried to hit that one really low and the ground felt really firm and then when I went into it, it was very soft.

Q. You mentioned the PGA, trying not to get too high, not get too low during this whole year. How does that help you in or around when you can have back-to-back bogeys or that shot on 5 and then have the back nine you did?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, staying patient. I knew I was swinging at it well. Really I was 2-over through 6 and hadn't really made a bad swing yet. But that's just U.S. Open; it's just hard. I kind of lost focus there on 5 and 6 and then got right back into it and just played really good after that. I hit pretty much mostly all good shots from there on in.

Q. Your roommate was just here, Sam. He was talking. What's going on at the house this week that's letting you guys both play so well?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't know. If we knew, we'd probably do it every week. Yeah, not too much. Just dinner, hanging out. His coach is staying there and then Teddy is staying with us, as well. It's been a fun week.

Q. There was a period this season where every time you hit a ball, you were picking up a trophy. Then not so good at Tulsa.

You came in here perhaps flying under the radar a little bit because of all the talk about LIV. Do you feel that somehow helps you without having that spotlight on you?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I feel like I'm kind of an under-the-radar person. I don't really feel like there's much chatter going around with me. Rory won last week, Tiger was at the PGA.

I've been No. 1 in the world for a while now, and it doesn't really feel like it, so I kind of like just under the radar. I can show up and do my thing and then go home and rest.

Q. There was a period in that round today where you were on the cut line. What were you able to or what were you able to draw on to be able to turn it around?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I knew I was swinging at it well. I hit it really good yesterday, I hit it really good today. Like I said earlier, outside of a few putts going into the hole versus barely around it, today would have been a really special round, but it was still a really good one.

Q. Do you think there's too much importance put on majors, not enough importance, or the right amount? Since you've won a major, has your thought process on that changed at all?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, I like winning tournaments. I like winning majors. I think that's more up for y'all to decide what kind of emphasis is placed on them. Being able to play against the best golfers in the world, however it is and whatever tournament it is, it's always fun for us.

The majors do hold a little bit more of a special place just because we know everybody is going to be there, but winning golf tournaments is just a lot of fun.

Q. I imagine winning the Masters was a pretty life-changing moment for you this year. Is there anyone you've leaned on for advice on how to handle success and handle yourself out here now that you are a major champion?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, lots of guys. Pretty much anyone that's gone before me when I get the chance, I'm going to ask them some piece of advice whether it be how to handle fans or media stuff or whatever it is.

I need help kind of operating through this kind of stuff. Whoever will give me some advice, I'm probably going to take it from them.

Q. Is there any one piece of advice that has stuck with you?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Nothing right off the top of my head, but probably just staying patient with all different kinds of stuff, whether it's media, fans, bad golf, whatever it is. You're going to have ups and downs, so just try to keep a level head.

Q. When you say that you would lose focus during the round, what are techniques that you use to bring yourself back to your game?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I don't want to say try harder because that typically doesn't work, but sometimes I just need to kind of get woken up a little bit. I think using frustration for good versus getting angry is really helpful.

When I can use that frustration instead of getting angry and banging my club, and now more so I'm trying to use that anger to react towards that next shot and bring that focus up a little bit. So using those bad things for good is typically what works best

Q. When you say Rory gets maybe more of the attention or other people like Justin Thomas can act almost like a spokesman for the PGA TOUR sometimes, you're World No. 1; are you glad that they take some of that pressure off, or do you feel like you would like to take more of that --

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Well, those guys have been on the PGA TOUR for a long time. Justin Thomas has won, like, 13 times and two majors, Rory has won four majors and, like, 21 times on the PGA TOUR. Those guys are definitely going to be more the spokespersons and take the limelight because they deserve it. They've won so many golf tournaments.

I kind of like flying under the radar. So for me, it makes things a lot simpler. Those guys carrying our brand, and I'm really happy that they do what they do for us.

Q. Do you feel like that's something that's potentially in your future if you stay where you are? Are you happy to never do state of the union type stuff?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: I mean, if it's what's required of me, then that's what I'll do. I'm up for anything. It's really just kind of up to you guys, if you guys want to ask me certain questions or not, so it's not really up to me, I just kind of answer what gets thrown at me.

Q. Seems like in some ways this is kind of an ideal U.S. Open leaderboard. Some major winners, some guys who found out on Friday they were going to be here. Are there guys who are in contention that you had never even heard of or weren't familiar with them before?

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: No, I'm pretty familiar with most of the guys. I've said this before a lot, the PGA TOUR is very deep and extremely talented. You guys may be surprised to see certain people up on the leaderboard, but I think most of the guys out here aren't that surprised because there's so many talented guys, especially when you're playing a golf course as difficult as this.

If you're playing your best, you're going to be there at the top. No matter how good your career has been in the past or if you're just getting started, whatever it is, if you're playing good golf, you're going to get rewarded for it on a test like this.