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U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 19, 2017Austin EckroatAndover, Kansas Q. You got off to the start that you wanted here; you got on top of him in the first six holes. AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, I mean, I didn't make any birdies until No. 6, but I played solid. He bogeyed 1, which it's not right winning a hole with a par, but that's all right. Another bogey-free round. Just played solid. Q. How did you birdie the 6th hole? AUSTIN ECKROAT: I drove it to about 20 feet and I hit it to about six inches and he gave me the putt. Q. You hit a driver off the tee? AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah. I mean, it's an awkward yardage from the front of the tee because it's too close for a driver but it's too far for a 3-wood for me, so I hit a driver but I hit like a 20-yard cut to take off a lot of yardage, and I hit it to about 20 feet directly behind the hole. Q. Then you guys halved a bunch of holes. You got to the back side on 12, you went 3-up with a par? AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, I hit it to -- I missed it just right of the green but on the fringe, and he hit it way down to the right, and hit a good chip to about four feet, but it was probably the first putt from that length I didn't give him today, and he missed one, or he left it out right or lipped out, and I chipped my chip to a couple inches. Q. And then you closed him out, birdied 14. How did you do that? AUSTIN ECKROAT: It was 210 or something like that straight downhill, downwind, so I hit a 7-iron to about 20 feet right of the hole. Made a really good putt, just barely got to the hole, almost stopped short, but it fell in. And then on 15, driver right down the middle, I had 134 in to about 10 feet past the hole, sucked it back to about two feet, and he gave me the putt. Q. What did you hit in there? AUSTIN ECKROAT: I hit a little three-quarter pitching wedge, just controlling it. Q. So no bogeys again today; what carried over from the first two days? Was it still ball-striking? AUSTIN ECKROAT: Yeah, today was more like the first day on the ball-striking. I didn't put myself in good positions on the scoring holes, though. On 11 I hit it in the rough so I couldn't go for it, but today I didn't make anything really, but I was hitting it well enough to where I didn't need to make all those putts. Q. You got to the round of 16 before; you knew what to expect coming in. How much did previous experience help you to get to this point? AUSTIN ECKROAT: It did help. I've never been the 1 seed, but we both played pretty solid, but yeah, knowing that you've just got to play solid. You really don't have to tear it up to win matches. You've just got to keep yourself from making stupid mistakes. Q. Playing early before it really gets hot today, do you think that's going to help you tomorrow when you have to play 36 holes? AUSTIN ECKROAT: Oh, yeah, it's huge. That's what me and my dad were talking about whenever we're like, we either want to win first or fourth, get that morning wave. Yeah, I knew I was going to tee off early in the morning, especially tomorrow, I'll get the first round in if I win that match, I'll still be ready. The first tee time you play fast with a two some, and it's great. Q. Being the medalist, did you feel any pressure going into the match today? AUSTIN ECKROAT: I mean, I did, just knowing that I'm expected to play well again, and it's a little different feeling, but it's the opposite, too. I know I'm playing really good. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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