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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 9, 2017

Stewart Hagestad

Augusta, Georgia

Q. So, first Mid‑Am champion to make the cut, low amateur, trip to Butler Cabin, what do you think about when you hear all those things?
STEWART HAGESTAD: A lot of firsts. A lot of firsts. Firsts are usually good. Yeah, it's a dream come true and it's something I've long thought about and to have it all come to fruition is an absolute dream come true. Pretty special.

Q. Where do you rank your cheering section among the all‑time great Masters cheering sections?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Well, they firmly, firmly believe that if they didn't have fun, I wasn't going to play well. So hopefully they stuck to their part of the bargain, because I feel like I stuck to mine.
Yeah, they're pretty strong. The color coordination was about as good as it gets.

Q. Did you know where you stood in terms of where Curtis was at around 11, after that bogey?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Nope. Nope. I didn't. To be totally honest, I told J.D. in the 10th fairway, I just kind of said, hey, we're playing Augusta National on Sunday afternoon, the day before my birthday, and it's a perfect day. It doesn't get much better than this. So, obviously, low amateur was important to me and it was a huge goal, but I think one part of getting older is that there's so much more to it than that and I wasn't going to take, I mean I was obviously going to walk in and go through everything I could do to play as well as I could, but I also felt like it was really, really important to go out and enjoy the day and enjoy the walk.

Q. When you did know that you were low am?
STEWART HAGESTAD: After I hit the shot into 18. After I hit the second shot into 18. They said that I had a three‑shot lead and I'm a little upset with myself that I left it short, but.

Q. Once you did know that, what kind of came over you?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Well, I had chills from about 75 yards out and to have everyone just here to support me, what an honor. I mean, this is absolutely what, it's why you play the game and why you practice and it's a really, really special week for me and I'm sure the emotions will hit me here at some point.

Q. How did you, did somebody tell you what Curtis's number was?
STEWART HAGESTAD: J.D., my caddie, he, I asked‑‑ I forget what was said, but it was something along the lines of like, how are we looking? And he kind of said, "He finished even, he's 9‑over, you got a three‑shot lead," and then he kind of said‑‑

Q. How did he know that?
STEWART HAGESTAD: One of my buddies told him. No, after I hit the shot, he kind of pulled me aside and he told me, "Hey, slow down, make sure to enjoy this walk."

Q. How, obviously they're part and parcel with the fact that you made the cut, the first Mid‑Am, and then obviously coming low am, which of those two, when you step away, is more significant to you, if any?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Low am. For sure. A hundred percent. I mean, I have said it a few times and obviously the Mid‑Am qualifications are over the age of 25, but I feel like I'm, even though I look rail thin, I feel like I pull my own weight in the gym and work out a good bit and I get it out there with most of the guys. Berger and I, I mean he's probably a bit past me, but I feel like I can move it. So you know, not taking anything away at all from the title of Mid‑Am, but the goal this week‑‑ and I'm sure if you would ask any Mid‑Am they would say the exact same thing‑‑ the goal is to come in and to play your best and to try to win low am, because we don't‑‑ no one thinks of their self‑‑ okay, like, Mike McCoy's a very, very close friend, I outdrive Mike by 20 or 30 yards. Mike's a Walker Cupper for a reason. He's one of the best in the game. There's no way, if you were to ask him, you know, how does it feel to be a Mid‑Am, he doesn't think of himself as a Mid‑Am, he thinks of himself as one of the best amateurs in the country. The same with Scott Harvey.

Q. What about the crystal for your birthday present.
STEWART HAGESTAD: Pretty cool. What's going to be my birthday present? Steak dinner with the boys and my family, absolutely.

Q. What will you do with the crystal that you're going to get for this?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something. I have no idea. I'm sure I'll think of something.

Q. Speaking of the Walker Cup, obviously that's been the backdrop here, being on this. What do you think you've done in these four days to show the USGA?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Well, every event I play is an opportunity to prove myself against the best amateurs and the best professionals in the country and if I can continue to resume build and to build my case, hopefully I'll be, I'll earn the opportunity to represent the UnitedStates. But it's not my decision and all I can do is to try and like I said, build my resume, build the case that I would be a good representative.

Q. When do they choose?
STEWART HAGESTAD: After the U.S. Amateur.

Q. Like immediately?
STEWART HAGESTAD: It's like literally like that night or the afternoon or the next day. I'm not sure of the timing. It's none of my business. If they want me on the team, and I would love to be there, I would love the opportunity to represent the UnitedStates.

Q. What are some of the events you're playing this summer? Obviously, probably the Northeast?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Well, maybe, I may or may not play Northeast. If I don't get into the U.S. Open through sectionals, I'm going to go over and play the British Amateur. If I early exit the British Amateur, I'm going to hot rod it back to go play the Northeast. So I'll do that.
I'll play the USGA four‑ball at Pinehurst.
I'm actually going over in the beginning part of May to go play in a team event with the Metropolitan Golf Association called the Kerry Cup and then we also get into the Irish Amateur at Royal County Down. Pretty cool.
So we'll do those and I'll play the Western. I plan to start graduate school on the 24th of July.

Q. USC?
STEWART HAGESTAD: Most likely. Unless anything crazy happens between now and then.
But, yeah, so I'll play the Western Am, play the U.S. Amateur, and hopefully we'll see.

Q. So when is your next event on the schedule though?
STEWART HAGESTAD: The Coleman at the end of the month. Am I allowed to say that? Okay. Okay.

Q. And then who are you playing the four‑ball with?
STEWART HAGESTAD: My partner is Sam Smith, who carried me through sectionals, so hopefully I can‑‑

Q. He went to USC.
STEWART HAGESTAD: He did. We were roommates. His birthday was a few days ago and, yeah, he was my freshman year roommate. I mean, if you think I move it a good ways, you should see this kid, because he's built like an ox and he's like six‑three. He utterly carried me through the qualifier. So hopefully I can add a little value this time.

Q. And you turn 26 tomorrow right?
STEWART HAGESTAD: I am, yes, sir.

Q. Can you describe the birdies at number 10 and number 14?
STEWART HAGESTAD: 10, I made a really smart play off the tee where ‑‑ I don't hit a whole ton of draws, so I hit a nice 3‑iron down there, luckily it caught the slope. If I hit a hard 7‑iron it was basically a perfect number and I rolled in a really nice putt.
And the other one was 14? 14, I missed it a touch right, hit a great 8‑iron in there, I kind of got lucky, I hit it a touch heavy. Luckily, the ball flew and just carried the slope. It took the undulations of the course and I rolled in a really nice putt.
I tell you, that shot on 16, I'm still wondering how that thing didn't come down, because, I mean, that could have, that may have scared the hole if it was there, but hey, I got a lot of good breaks this week, so it all evens out in the end.

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