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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 19, 2015

Cameron Young

Olympia Fields, Illinois

Q. We've got Cameron Young, a 3 & 2 winner over defending champion Gunn Yang here in the first round of match play. Cameron, if you could just give us a quick overview of how you did it.
CAMERON YOUNG: I think it was just all-around I played pretty well. He missed a couple putts late in the match, he three-putted the last two holes, and I just managed to hang in there the entire day.

Q. Was it your play was okay and his play was not what you expected?
CAMERON YOUNG: I think I played solidly, made a couple pars when I needed to, and he gave me one or two here or there, but overall I think we both played pretty well. I just made one or two up-and-downs when I needed to and was able to make some pars on some of the hard holes out here.

Q. Watching on TV, it looked like the handshake was kind of brief or cold. Was there any particular reason for that?
CAMERON YOUNG: I couldn't tell you why. I think that was just a little frustration, obviously. It was nothing personal or anything. He's obviously been a great champion over the last year, and I think that was just a moment of shock after missing a little short putt.

Q. What did you think when you drew the defending champion?
CAMERON YOUNG: I was happy, honestly. We actually met in the quarterfinals last year and he won on 18, so I was glad to have another chance.

Q. Are you suggesting that this is vindication or what are you suggesting?
CAMERON YOUNG: No. I mean, it's just last year was kind of a frustrating day. It was a match I felt like I could have won, and not to walk away losing in the quarterfinals was not disappointing but it was a day that I felt like I could have been the winner of that match. It was good, I think, for me to have another chance to beat him, and he's obviously a great player, so it was a lot of fun for me to have that opportunity.

Q. What about the conditions today?
CAMERON YOUNG: It was tough. Yeah, I think the course played a lot longer than it did in stroke play, just drives aren't rolling out at all. They moved us up on one or two tees, which was friendly, but it's really tough out of the rough because with the wet, long grass it's really tough to judge the distance and get it to come out well.

Q. Good summer so far, right?
CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, Met Open is in a week at Winged Foot, and then off to school.

Q. Anything happen this summer that led you to some thoughts that this might be some good play for you here at the Amateur?
CAMERON YOUNG: Yeah, I think just overall I've been building up to it. I started off a little bit rough in the early spring and then I've just progressively gotten better throughout the entire year. I had a good finish at the Players Am, good finish at our state open, so I've had a few good finishes leading up to this, and I feel like my game is in a good place for the week.

Q. What do you think is the key to making it to Sunday?
CAMERON YOUNG: I think it's all mental. It's just every shot is just another step toward your next match, and you just have to take everything as it comes and not get too high or too low about anything because it just drains your energy. The guy that has a little bit more sharpness on the 18th hole of one of those matches is going to win, so I think that's important for me.

Q. How long did it take to get over the loss last year, and how much has that helped you coming into this year?
CAMERON YOUNG: I don't think -- I mean, I don't think it took too long. It was a day, you walk away and think, wow, I could have gone or should have won, and just knowing that I had that chance was, I think, really encouraging, but I know it's up against some of the best amateurs in the world, and to know that I had a chance and to feel like I belonged in that group was a huge confidence boost.

Q. How much did that help going into this year?
CAMERON YOUNG: A lot. Again, I think at The Country Club two years ago, and I felt like a little kid amongst college-aged players that had only been a name on a scoreboard to me, and to have that opportunity to play there and then to actually get through stroke play into match play and win a few matches last year and become familiar with the setting and familiar with playing against those people I think is really helpful.

Q. Physically how much bigger are you this year compared to last year?
CAMERON YOUNG: Not much. I think just a little bit stronger, a little bit more stable, which is, I think, allowed me to hit it a little bit farther, just being able to hold my own body weight better than I was last year. But no huge changes, actually.

Q. Who did you look up to when you were a kid in the professional ranks?
CAMERON YOUNG: I'd have to -- I mean, Tiger Woods when I was younger. That was one of the first things I really remember was him making a putt at Torrey Pines in 2008. That was the first day I remember watching golf. So I think just looking at all those films and watching the putts he made, the shots he hit, it was just inspiration to me.

Q. Do you feel like you're a lot better player than a year ago?
CAMERON YOUNG: I think so. I'm just a lot tighter. Last year -- I think I'm mentally stronger this year. I think I'm mentally more prepared and physically, as well, just knowing I've been here before and knowing how to handle myself, and then I think just to know that it's another year of practicing, another year of hitting balls on the range, another year of playing in tournaments and knowing how to manage my game, just knowing how to hold myself together when I have to, really.

Q. Did you watch the Open Championship, and what did you make of the amateur?
CAMERON YOUNG: I thought it was pretty amazing. Some of those guys are here, so it's really cool that they were able to really get amateurs out there and give them a little bit -- I feel like almost like a boost of status because they were able to finish really high in that tournament and contend in a major championship, which is obviously the highest level we have. I think it was just really, really cool to see guys that are playing here and that play in college tournaments out there doing what we all want to.

Q. The Jordan Spieths, the Patrick Rodgerses, the Justin Thomases, all these guys are basically your contemporaries to a large extent. Is it shocking to you or how do you look at their success and what they're doing?
CAMERON YOUNG: I think it's encouraging, really. It's guys that were here a couple years ago, so it's no reason that any of us shouldn't do it in a few years and maybe after college. But I think it's just huge encouragement to see that guys that have been in our place and in our position before have been able to be so successful at that level.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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