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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 15, 2014Nathan SmithJOHNS CREEK, GEORGIA PETE KOWALSKI: Like to welcome Nathan Smith, this is your deepest advancement in a very storied career in the U.S. Amateur here. Disappointed, but give us some perspective on it. NATHAN SMITH: Well, yeah, I mean, when you look back at it, it was a great week, and ran into a buzzsaw today. He played great. No open holes. He did a lot of things that maybe I didn't in the first couple matches. He scored; he made the putts and made things happen and hit a lot of big-time shots come down the stretch there, getting home in two on 12 and then he stuffed one on 13. So he's going to be a tough out down the stretch for anybody. But it was a great run. It meant a lot to me and I'll remember this week forever. Q. He was talking about walks fast and trying to wear you down and always being ahead of you. Being 36, I know you're not over the hill yet but were you getting tired? NATHAN SMITH: Not really, no. I felt pretty good. No. I noticed him doing that, so I just kind of slowed it down a little (laughter). You know, maybe I just kind of -- maybe I've got to go to the bathroom; I'll be up there in five minutes or something. No, I didn't know if that was his pace -- it didn't really bother me at all. I was fine. We played at a great pace. I felt pretty good today. I played -- you know, I slept great last night. I really played solid. Like I said, he did a lot of things. He scored great and there were a couple of key holes; I thought I was going to get one and didn't. Q. Did you see this week coming? NATHAN SMITH: No, I don't know you ever think -- all the USGA championships, you get into match play, you never know what's going to happen. You can be playing really good and maybe not get anything out of the week, or sometimes you're playing okay and next thing you know, you open your eyes and you make a run. I really felt good about my game coming in here. I've been swinging the way I want to. I've been swinging better and my short game is solid. I don't know what it means at this level but it was nice to get through this far. Wish we could have kept going. Q. Does a week like this make you want to play more often in events like this and get out there a little bit more? Right now you're ranked over 700th in the World Amateur Rankings, but that's really not an accurate depiction of how good you are. Does it make you want to play more? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, sure, if I could have this result, absolutely; I'd play every week. I play as much as I can and the World Rankings, it's a great system. I play as much as I can, but I'm more of a summer and different things like that. I know these guys are playing year round. I'll play as much as I can with work and family that allow me. Love to play every week. You know, it just is what it is. Q. Did I see your dad out here this week? NATHAN SMITH: He was, yeah. Q. What does it mean to have him here? I don't know if you know Fred's back story about him and his dad. NATHAN SMITH: I don't, actually -- Q. Paralyzed -- NATHAN SMITH: Oh, my God, wow. Q. The connection that you have with your dad and the tie with golf, can you talk a little about that? NATHAN SMITH: Well, I can, and it was kind of -- it's funny you bring that up. It was kind of an emotional week for me. One of my best friends, Sean Knapp, lost his father. He was playing in this tournament and Sean was my best man in my wedding. I finished my morning stroke-play round on Monday, and I was going to go watch him tee off or something, and they said that he had to withdraw and go back to Pittsburgh because his dad was not going to make it through the night. I was in touch with him all week and his dad passed away two nights ago. And you know, that was tough. Then you told me that about Fred there. But absolutely, having my father here -- he usually caddies for me. He got a knee replacement two months ago, and just the heat and everything, it would be just a little too much. We'll kind of pick and choose our spots, when he can do that again. I can't tell you how much it means. I'm very fortunate. Love my parents and I'm glad they can be out there. They have always supported me, and it's fun to have them be a part of it. Q. Were you playing a little bit for Sean in some ways? NATHAN SMITH: Well, I think -- you know, I'm sure I was trying. It was emotional. I know he was rooting me on. It's one of those where you starting to in uncharted territory and you start talking to him with different things, and I feel bad for him everything. He got back and able to spend one last night with his dad there and talking to him. I was getting nervous because I know he was going up 95 about a hundred miles an hour with the family trying to see him. Yeah, I was trying for me, I was trying for everybody, friends and family back home rooting me on. It was a fun week to get all the texts and e-mails and Tweets and everything. It meant a lot. Q. Take us through a day in your life. We went through the fact that you have a real job. How do you get through a day and stay sharp when you come out into these type of tournaments? NATHAN SMITH: Well, every day is different. For me it's like when -- a lot of our work in the summer, maybe I'm doing some client golf. Usually when the kids are in school, it seems like that's busy, after Labor Day. In the summer, everybody is on vacation and kids are playing baseball. So I'll do a lot of appointments maybe outside the office in the summer so I can float a little bit. Usually after Labor Day, I'm in there quite a bit, but like I was saying in here. I don't play a lot. It depends on the day. If I've got a busy day with appointments, maybe get out in the evening, maybe get out early in the morning. Just try to practice a couple hours a day, whether that's in the morning, early in the morning or late in the evening or whatever. So it's worked for me. To be honest, I don't know if -- everybody's different. I know guys got to play all the time. For me, it's like as you get older, and I've only got so many swings in me, it's fine to do that. Q. Do your kids get out there with you? NATHAN SMITH: Well, I don't have any kids. Yeah, it's okay. I've got a golden retriever dog, and, yeah, so not yet. Other people's kids do. They are out there stalking me at the club, you know. PETE KOWALSKI: Speaking of preparation, you have the U.S. Mid-Amateur not too far down the road. So this has to be good preparation and confidence building as you go into that, I'm sure. NATHAN SMITH: Well, it is. Like I said, you never know what's going to happen. There's so many good Mid-Ams out there, and Saucon Valley is going to be a great host for that and I'm sure everybody is excited to get there. I'm playing good like a lot of other guys, and it will be fun to go out there and compete. PETE KOWALSKI: Thank you, sir. Great run. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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