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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 20, 2015Bryson DeChambeauOlympia Fields, Illinois Q. We've got Bryson DeChambeau, a 3 & 2 winner over Maverick McNealy in a battle of Northern California in the third round of the U.S. Amateur. You advance to the quarterfinals. Another feather in your cap on an already successful 2015. Give me a little feeling about being in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, well, I've tried nine times in USGA amateur events, and I've qualified for match play in every single one of them and gotten to the quarterfinals only in the Pub Links last year at Sand Creek Station. So to make it to the quarterfinals in the Am is pretty special, something that I've wanted to do for quite a long time now, being my fifth U.S. Am. It's been quite a struggle, but I'm here finally, and I'm excited to see what there is tomorrow. Q. Good hurdle to clear in beating Maverick. BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: You know, Maverick is a classy guy, awesome kid -- well, kid, young adult. But we're going to have a lot of fun over in England. Q. He was talking about your unique approach to the game. Can you talk a little bit about that? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Which part? I mean, to start it off, my irons are, again, all the same length. I'm sure you know that. They're all the same lie angle, they just have degrees of loft on it. They have just a 6-iron shaft in each iron, and same bounce. What else? Pretty much the same thing except there's 4 degrees of loft difference on each club. Q. In terms of statistics? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, statistically -- yeah, so I use a system that Scott Fawcett came up with. I don't know if you guys know who Scott Fawcett is, but he's been caddying for Will Zalatoris, and he's helped me understand the percentages of going for flags, when to go for flags and when not to. It's more of a shotgun approach rather than a sniper approach where you can't hit it five feet right of the flag every single time. It's more of a shotgun distribution, and so we try and move that distribution to where you're maximizing your potential of hitting the green every single time. Obviously it doesn't work out every time because it's different factors, but on average it helps me save I'd say a shot a round at least. It's pretty influential and helpful out on the golf course for me. And then on the putting side of it, I use contour maps, and I also have a green reading system called Vector Putting. It was the original system of green reading, and fortunately there's been some talk about that, but I can't say anything further on that note in regards of AimPoint and whatnot, but Vector Putting is what I use, and it's been very helpful for me in understanding green reading, and I aim at a certain point above the zero break line or upper straight putt, and gravity just does the rest. Q. How long have you been doing that? How long have you been using the faucet -- BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: So Scott Fawcett, I actually started using this past year. He came and did a little seminar for us at SMU. This was probably last fall I believe it was was the first time that we met up, and he talked with all of the SMU golfers, and I utilized it throughout the whole year, and eventually it helped me win nationals, which is pretty amazing, and also helped me get to the U.S. Open and now here. Q. How long does it take you to map out greens? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Not very long because I have somebody else do it for me. It's a system that Mark Long does. He has contour maps, and he's able to get me those. He's nice enough to let me in on his little secrets that he has. Q. Does your knack for math and your physics background, that lends itself to you saying, hey, this is pretty good stuff, I'm going to jump on this and use it to my advantage? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Absolutely. Anything that's statistical analysis or that's going to help me in that aspect or area of the game is only going to be beneficial. I don't see how it could hurt you, only if you're a feel and a guy that doesn't like too much club. I'm a guy that likes to be systematic, have a routine and get things taken care of in that way. That's just what I like. And so I utilize that to my maximum potential, and if I can blend the art of the game with the science of the game, I think I can maximize my potential. Q. What did winning the NCAAs do for your summer in terms of -- BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, I got a couple Tour starts, which is helpful in gaining some experience as to what is out there. I had never played in a Tour event before this last summer and was lacking in that department because there was a lot of other kids that had already had some experience in Tour, and I knew I needed that for me to get out there soon, which I'm hoping to do here pretty soon and play my best with the big boys. Q. You talked yesterday, you were 13 when you first started wearing that cap? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah. Q. What was the original spark, though? What was the connection? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I wanted to be different. As you can see, I am different. I have same length clubs. I obviously wear the hat. I'm a math guy, analytical guy. I'm one of the only guys out there that's extremely technical. But I can also be very artistic, as you saw maybe on No. 10 today. I was trying to finesse a shot around trees and mess around, and that's who I am. I like taking both aspects and applying them to my game to maximize my potential. Q. But you didn't see that shot at first? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: No, I didn't, until the wind started blowing harder. It blew the tree, and I was like, wow, I can actually fit it through there, cut it around. Q. There are some people that say that you take a lot of time over shots. How do you think that's going to work when you go to the next level? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: So that is an issue, and it's an issue that we're working on. It's not that big of an issue because I can play fast. There's no doubt about it. I walk extremely fast to the golf ball. Homer Kelly said it best: He said, the time to hurry is in between shots. Now, if I get in the clock, I'm going to fire the gun within 40 seconds or whatnot to try and pick up the pace and then sprint to the next shot or whatever. But I don't think it'll be too big of an issue. We'll figure out, especially with having a caddie out there, a caddie that's able to stay up with me and be right there with me every single time. That'll help cut time down to where he's already ready and prepared to go and he's on the same page as me. Again, I'm having Mike here because he is a big influence in my life, and it's helped me go through a lot and been very influential for me, so I need that out here. He's a big support system for me, and it can only be beneficial to me. Q. You'll see Paul Dunne tomorrow morning. How much do you look forward to playing him? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, he's a great player, obviously, and he sticks to his routine, as well, as I've seen on The Golf Channel, through the Open. He sticks to his routine, as well, and he's a very good player. Very nice guy from when I've talked to him and whatnot. Almost had a chance at nationals, as well. So it'll be a good battle again. This is a tough bracket, but I'm willing to pursue through it. Q. Which tournaments did you play, Memphis -- BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Memphis and the John Deere, and then I played the U.S. Open. Q. And having done that, when you saw him go and play the last group on Sunday at St. Andrews in the Open Championship, do you feel that gave a lift to amateur golf and shows there's not that big a division between this level and the biggest level? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, it shows that amateur golfers are good enough to be out there, a lot of the top amateur golfers. They're mostly collegiate players right now. It's a new wave that's coming about. I don't know what else to say other than we're good, and we're ready to compete out there. Q. Did you feel a lift out of that? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Absolutely. I said, he can do that? I can do that, too. Q. Spieth and these other guys that you knew to some extent, how much does that change your perspective on turning pro and what you guys can do when you get out there? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, he's only a couple months older than me, so I'm behind the 8-ball. But seeing what he's done so far and almost completing the Grand Slam, to be four shots away from the Grand Slam is incredible, and it makes me realize that if you work hard enough, you can do it. He did it. So I need to work hard enough to do it. Q. Your caddie is Mike -- BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Schy. Q. And you know him now? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: He's been my lifelong coach, and he's been like a second dad to me, as well. Q. You talk about the technical player and the artist. Do you have to work hard to pull the artist out? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Just happens. I believe, and this is my own personal opinion, but most people don't try and tap into that technical side because they aren't used to it. I did it at a very young age, and that allowed me to tap into that technical side when I needed to. It was just like on the last hole today, 16, with Maverick. I had a little six-footer. I hit the first putt too far by, and I had a six-footer, and I said to myself, just go through your routine and do it, be the technical guy that's out there on the practice range hitting that six-footer, and that's exactly what I did, hit my putt right on the line, and it went in the hole. It helps me gain confidence, so I can gain confidence from both, knowing that I can just pull off a tremendous shot like I did on 8 today. I was on a downhill slope in the bunker and got short sided and got that up-and-down, right, but then I was also technical in the sense that I was able to just go through my routine and make the shot happen. Q. Do you feel like you made some enforced errors on the front nine? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, the three-putt on 3 was not the best, and then -- what else? Q. Even 1 where you were in the middle of the fairway in two and -- BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, that was a dumb error. Again, I didn't move my shotgun distribution far enough right. I didn't allow for enough error to where I'm making sure that I'm hitting the green. Yeah, I may be 40 feet away on the right-hand side, but I'm not short-sided in a bunker. And that gave him the opportunity to just make a putt, and he did. So that got me off to sort of a bad start, but I was still strong enough to pursue through. Q. I think also 8; again, also -- BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: I hit a bad shot. I hit a bad shot. I left the face open, hit it a little on the heel, came out right, and the wind took it. Q. Where would you say was the turning point in your match? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: 11, absolutely 11. I made a 20-footer from off the back right of the green, and he missed it. That got me to 1-up, and it changed the momentum a little bit. He missed a putt on 12. And then on 13 he missed a little three-footer, which got me to 2-up. And then I capitalized on 13; he didn't hit a very good wedge shot. And then I had a chance on 15 to win the match, and I just left it short a little bit. Q. How did you make the birdie on 14? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: 14, I hit it greenside with my driver and they moved the tees up, greenside, and chipped it up to four feet and made it. Q. You have amassed an incredible record of match play in so many USGA championships, but you talked about getting to a certain point. What pushed you through this time? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Belief. As I said at the NCAAs, it was total belief that I could do it, and one other factor, as well, is getting off to a hot start. I didn't today, but I pushed through and grinded my tail off and was able to pursue through again. But the first couple matches, I started off hot and kept it going. I pushed the pedal to the medal, and that's my theory now for match play is to keep pushing them down, and whenever they feel like they have a chance, don't let them have a chance. Hit it close, make a putt, do whatever you need to do to be ahead of them always. Even walking ahead of them, something that I try and do to make them feel like I'm ahead. Q. Where do you draw the line with the gamesmanship and sportsmanship in terms of match play? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Well, when I'm hitting the shot. Between shots, it's completely fine to talk a little bit, but once we go to our shots again, it's game time. Maverick today was awesome. He is such a class act, and we had a great time out there. We talked about the Walker Cup and a couple other things. But when it came time to hit a shot, we were both focused and we wanted to beat each other. Q. What did Maverick say to you when you outdrove him on 9 by about 30 yards? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: 9? He said -- shoot, what did he say? He said something -- oh, you didn't hit that good, did you, or something like that. Q. Do you feel like (inaudible) tomorrow? BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: No, because it's not the Walker Cup. Tomorrow it's going to be U.S. Amateur win. I'm going to focus on that and make sure that I can get the job done tomorrow. Yeah, it could feel like it's a win for the Walker Cup, but we've still got to go play. It's another 18 holes. Totally different situation, totally different golf course, and something that I'll be looking forward to. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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