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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 16, 2017

Ricky Castillo

Pacific Palisades, California

THE MODERATOR: We're here with Ricky Castillo at 3 and 1, winner over Edwin Yi in the first round. You're the youngest guy left in the field and you beat a college player. Tell us how you did it; looked like you made some birdies early.

RICKY CASTILLO: Yeah, I made a couple of really good swings and made couple really good putts. My putting is really good this week. I mean I live out here so I'm used to poana and kikuyu, so I think I have a little bit of an advantage.

I mean, Edwin is a great player. He played really well today. I just made a couple more putts than him. That's all.

THE MODERATOR: How about your experience? You were successful at the U.S. Junior this year. You went to the round of 16.

RICKY CASTILLO: Uh-huh.

THE MODERATOR: Was that some confidence building for you coming into the Amateur?

RICKY CASTILLO: Yeah, because it's a match play tournament; I've played match play before. I like match play. I like the way it's set up. I think it's really good for a USGA event.

I felt really good coming into this event.

THE MODERATOR: Did you have some hometown support out there today?

RICKY CASTILLO: Yeah, I had my family. I had an uncle out here and I had my caddie's mom out here. On Monday I had probably three or four uncles and three or four cousins out here.

It was a lot of fun.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. (Regarding his brother.)
RICKY CASTILLO: Yeah, my brother was out here. He caddied for me U.S. Junior. He played in this event. Even they he didn't make match play, he was still generous enough to go out and support me. I thought that was really cool.

Q. What's the key of putting on poana?
RICKY CASTILLO: Key to putting on poana is I know sometimes it gets a little bumpy. It's the most bumpy grass, I believe.

Here at Riviera it's perfect, and you can't get upset when it bumps and stuff like that. You just got to trust it. My caddie actually has one of the contour books, so we use that a lot around the greens. I think it really helps.

Q. You don't get too many bumps around this time of day though. Gets worse in the afternoon.
RICKY CASTILLO: No. Yeah, usually worse in the afternoon, but this morning everything was -- the course is in perfect shape right now?

Q. Want are the two or three more important putts you made?
RICKY CASTILLO: I made a really good putt on 7 that gave me a 2-up lead. Made a good putt on 8 to save par.

I think one of the bigger putts was on 14. I had a three-footer for par and made it to go 2-up going into the last four holes.

I think that was really important going into the last four holes.

Q. Do you know Edwin?
RICKY CASTILLO: My brother has played with Edwin since was probably eight or nine. I didn't really know him personally but knew who he was.

Q. What's the advantage of playing fairly close to home?
RICKY CASTILLO: The grass. I think the grass is a big thing because the Kikuyu, not a lot of people have it, especially on the east coast. It's considered a weed.

I think especially chipping out of it it's a huge advantage for me.

Q. Where do you play at home?
RICKY CASTILLO: I play a little Alta Vista Country Club in Placentia.

Q. This is a little tougher than Alta Vista.
RICKY CASTILLO: Yeah, it is a little bit tougher.

Q. What's the rough like?
RICKY CASTILLO: At Alta Vista?

Q. No.
RICKY CASTILLO: Or here? The rough isn't terribly bad. I've definitely seen it worse. I mean, it's still bad enough where you definitely think it's going to come out hot and it's going to come out 30, 40 yards short.

It's not terrible, but it's bad enough where it can trick some people, especially around the greens.

Q. Right. Used to play a lot at Green River, too, right?
RICKY CASTILLO: Yeah, used to play a lot at Riviera, too.

Q. How well do you know Riviera now that you've gone through stroke play?
RICKY CASTILLO: I know it pretty well. My caddie has played here probably 15, 20 times. He was a member out here. He gave me a lot of advice, especially around the greens I think is the trickiest part.

These greens are really kind of slick and kind of slopey. I think that was a big part of it.

Q. So are you going to college next year?
RICKY CASTILLO: No. I'm going to college in two years. I'm going to be a junior in high school next year.

Q. At Valencia?
RICKY CASTILLO: Yes.

Q. Do you play on the Valencia team?
RICKY CASTILLO: Yes, I do. My dad is the high school golf coach actually.

Q. So what is your home course?
RICKY CASTILLO: Alta Vista Country Club is where we play at, so...

Q. You thought much about where you might go to college?
RICKY CASTILLO: I'm actually committed to University of Florida. Been committed for a little bit over a year and a half probably.

Q. What was impressive enough to make you commit that early?
RICKY CASTILLO: Well, the biggest thing is the coach. I've known the coach probably for five years. He recruited any brother. My brother went to UNLV for a year and then he transferred.

The assistant coach when he recruited my brother was J.C. Deacon. He's just my favorite coach out there. I think the coach is the biggest part of going to college. You got to like the coach.

Q. What were your expectations going into this tournament?
RICKY CASTILLO: I didn't really have any expectations. I mean, making it here...

Q. Or hopes.
RICKY CASTILLO: Hopes? I was hoping I could make it to match play, but, I mean, I was just hoping to play my best golf and get it as far as I can.

Whatever that is, that's what it's going to be. That's all I was thinking.

Q. A lot of guys say that they want to make it to match play. You've already done that. Now you've won your first-round match. What are you thinking about? What's next?
RICKY CASTILLO: Well, I think I just want to keep hitting fairways, keep hitting greens, and then whatever happens, happens. I can't control what the other guy does. I can only control my emotional and my mental game.

That all I can control.

Q. You made the match play; your brother didn't. How do you guys talk about that?
RICKY CASTILLO: He was talking to me. He was a little bit disappointed, but I told him, I mean, making it here is a big accomplishment. There are 7,000 people that try to qualify and only 312 make it to the actual tournament.

It's still a big accomplishment. I mean, I wanted him to make it to match play, but he was still happy for me, even though he didn't make it.

Q. How tall are you?
RICKY CASTILLO: I'm about 5'11 and a half, 6'.

Q. And you weigh?
RICKY CASTILLO: 125 pounds. Yeah, I don't weigh very much.

THE MODERATOR: Good? Congratulations. Well-played; appreciate you coming in.

RICKY CASTILLO: No worries. Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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