U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 2021

June 18, 2021

Xander Schauffele

Torrey Pines Golf Course

Flash Interview

THE MODERATOR: Xander Schauffele, even-par 71. Talk through your round a bit.

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It was kind of a fun start. Missed a few short ones and hit it great. I think I could have capitalized a little bit throughout the round with a few putts, but it's late in the day, afternoon tee time on poa annua, you can never expect too much. So in good position.

Q. Knowing the course so well, is it playing how you thought it would for a U.S. Open?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: It's weird, my caddie and I were talking and he was asking me if I ever played this time of year, and I said, no, we're usually traveling everywhere else. So it's different than we normally play.

Q. How is it similar or different playing with these guys you play with all the time in Southern California versus playing out here with all these people?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: We're trying -- it's similar because we're all playing in the same group, and it's different because we're all trying to win a major, not just having a little money game. Definitely a comfortable pairing for me and I think for them as well.

Q. Xander, Phil scrambled on the back nine. I don't know how much you were paying attention, but what would you make of the performance?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: He made the putts he needed to to stay in. He could have easily let it slide away with a few. Anything inside ten feet, he was pretty automatic on the back and a lot of really good chips. He did what he was supposed to do at a U.S. Open, which is grind it out on a hard day.

Q. Did you ever follow him when you were younger, either at the Farmers Insurance or in '08?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: Of course. He was a local hero here, right alongside Tiger growing up, so I did get to see a lot of him when I was younger.

Q. Anything specifically with regard to your game swing you want to tailor heading into the weekend, or is it pretty much status quo and you're happy?

XANDER SCHAUFFELE: I'm happy. I pretty much did a lot of prep for this event. Prep's paid off, and playing pretty solid golf, and just got to kind of hang in there. It's the U.S. Open. You never know what can happen. Just trying to give myself a chance on the back nine come Sunday.