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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2017

Theo Humphrey

Pacific Palisades, California

THE MODERATOR: We'd like to welcome our next quarterfinalist, Theo Humphrey, 4 and 3 winner over Noah Norton in the third round.

Quite a good day. Fourth U.S. Amateur. You won two matches to get to the quarterfinals. Tell us how you feel and how you're feeling about the way you played today.

THEO HUMPHREY: Yeah, I mean, I'm feeling really good. Obviously I played well in the stroke play; got myself into match play. Played pretty solid so far throughout match play. I've done certain things well in some matches and not so great in others.

I feel like all parts of my game are in solid form to where I can keep it going the next couple matches hopefully.

THE MODERATOR: Do you overlook the fact that you're playing somebody and you just play the golf course? How do you approach match play?

THEO HUMPHREY: Yeah, well, going into the round I definitely have a game plan in terms of how I think the course is best played and what clubs to hit where and where the best places to miss it are.

Certainly dependant upon where my opponent is you have to alter and change some things. I feel like I've done a pretty good job of playing more aggressively in some instances and more conservatively in others.

THE MODERATOR: You're an east coast guy. How are you adjusting to the grasses that are here?

THEO HUMPHREY: Yeah, the greens here actually feel pretty similar. I know these greens are all poana and what I'm used to is kind of half bent and half poana. The greens haven't been that much of an adjustment and the fairways have been fine. Kind of similar to what I see in Nashville.

But the rough is what's completely different. I've never seen anything like it before. It's weird. It looks like it's always sitting up and it's going to be easy; somehow it finds a way to be pretty challenging.

So that's definitely been an adjustment, but as the week has gone on I've feel like I have gotten better at it.

Q. Was there a particular moment in the spring where things really started to turn around for you? You've had a great post season, great summer. Was there a moment where your game just clicked or something mentally kind of clicked and you were able to start playing even better golf?
THEO HUMPHREY: Yeah, I don't know if there is an exact moment. I feel like, y college career for two and a half semesters was pretty average. It wasn't up to the standards that I would've liked. I had plenty of good tournaments, but not as consistent as I need to be.

Starting this spring I finished second in our first event and kind of kept it rolling since then. Been in contention a lot, had a lot of chances to win golf tournaments. Finished up there a lot.

I haven't gotten it done yet. That's a little frustrating in some regards. I know if I keep putting myself there week in, week out, eventually it will happen.

Q. Was it frustrating at all as a freshman looking at guy like Hunter Stewart or next you're looking at Mathias and seeing that they finish Top 5, Top 6 every event. Do you ever wonder like, Wow, what does it take to get to that level of consistency?
THEO HUMPHREY: No, it definitely didn't frustrate me. I feel like I learned so much from Hunter Stewart. I feel like being surrounded by guys like that, even Patrick Martin, Will Gordon, John Augenstein, guys that are younger than me and having success, like being around them and playing with them all the time, seeing what they do well, how they approach the game, stuff like has helped me become a much better player.

I'm thankful for being around guys like that. I think that's why I am where I am now. I felt like going into college I had a decent amount of talent. I felt like the potential was there, but the results really weren't because a lot of inconsistencies, kind of some poor decision making, stuff like that.

Being around better players made me better, and I think that's been a key to my success.

Q. What specifically is the biggest difference between Theo Humphrey the rising senior and Theo Humphrey the incoming freshman?
THEO HUMPHREY: I think the biggest thing is confidence in my game, in what I'm doing. I feel like the last few months I've stepped up on the golf course and expected to do well. I think in the past I had hoped to.

Obviously have to have good results to show up and expect to do well, but I feel like I've learned a lot from my coaches. I've learned a lot from teammates. Just kind of managing any game better. Also Todd Anderson, my swing coach, has helped me a lot. My swing is not perfect, but I own my swing and I know what I need to do to play well.

I feel like a combination of things has helped me get better and allowed me to have more confidence, which is why I'm I've been successful.

Q. How long have you been working with Todd?
THEO HUMPHREY: Started when I was 15, so six years ago.

Q. You travel? He come up here?
THEO HUMPHREY: No. I always go to Sea Island now, Jacksonville.

Q. This is a long day with a significant amount of pressure on pretty much every hole. What are the secrets to staying fresh when you play 36 holes?
THEO HUMPHREY: Yeah, I think playing 36 holes it doesn't real matter. It can be pretty tiring. When I'm out here, same like the NCAA's playing 36 holes of match play, you're not thinking about being tired or losing focus, because it matters. It's really important.

So that was never really an issue out there for me at all.

Q. You mentioned the confidence that you gained since you matured as a golfer. You had 3-up lead that got down to 1-up after 11. Did that confidence help you get over that hump of losing a little bit of your steam?
THEO HUMPHREY: Yeah, definitely I lost some momentum for sure. Definitely up on 12 tee I still was 1-up and I knew that I had been playing well all week.

I felt like if I did my job I would be able to come out on top. Noah made some mistakes coming down the stretch and that made things easier than I expected.

Take a win any way you can get it.

Q. At the beginning of the summer you might not have been on a lot of people's Walker Cup radar, but now you definitely are. What would it mean to you to be able to represent that team? Is that something that's been on your mind a lot lately?
THEO HUMPHREY: It's something that has been on my mind a little bit. People have kind of been telling me, Oh, you're on the fringe, on the outside looking in. There are so many good players. It's really hard to make that team.

I kind of came into this week not trying to focus on that because it is a bit of a long shot. Obviously if you play great this week that changes everything. My focus was on the U.S. Am and not trying to make the Walker Cup.

That being said, it would be an absolute honor and privilege to represent the U.S. in that.

Q. Have you represented your country at all? Did you play in that like Toyota Junior World event as a junior?
THEO HUMPHREY: First time. Don't want to think too far ahead.

THE MODERATOR: On to the quarterfinals. Congratulations.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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