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NCAA MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

May 30, 2018

Stillwater, Oklahoma

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by our national runner-up, the Alabama Crimson Tide, a fantastic season for the Crimson Tide, advancing to the national championship match. We are joined tonight by head coach Jay Seawell, student athletes Wilson Furr, Jonathan Hardee, Lee Hodges, Davis Riley and Davis Shore. Coach Seawell, if you would, opening remarks and we'll take questions from the media.

JAY SEAWELL: Sure. First to Oklahoma State, Karsten Creek and the community of Stillwater, thank you for an amazing week, for so many young people, not just my team but all of college golf. It's really been fun over my years to see how much college golf has changed and grown and become such a -- no longer an obscure sport but actually popular, and there's a demand for it, and I think this week was a credit to here. Oklahoma State has got a great tradition and probably are the reason that college golf has grown big, and so we salute them today, not just their team but how they handled this whole week.

And now their team, wow, they were just really good today. I have zero disappointment in my team. They just ran into a team that was really good, and I tell our guys all the time, there's no defensive coordinator in golf. We don't get to kick balls or yell or anything like that, and they were just really good.

We played pretty good golf. They just played great golf. So we tip our cap to them. I'm really proud of how our guys handled themselves all week, and to be ate to sit at this table yesterday and then today, even in a losing fashion, is a credit to them, their work ethic, their talent, their character, and what they mean to Alabama golf. To that I'll always be grateful to it. I wish we could have done something different maybe today to make them feel a little better, but that's part of athletics. It teaches you how to handle these moments, and they'll be better men because of this day, and they're already great men.

Q. Jonathan, if you would, talk about the match today. Obviously Oklahoma State played very well. Just take us through your match in particular.
JONATHAN HARDEE: I just ran into a really good Zach Bauchou today. 29 on the front is -- doesn't lose a lot of matches, if that's the question. But no, they were just -- they played really well. They played great all week, in the stroke play, and then going to match play and play as well as they did, they just have a lot of confidence around this track and a lot of positive energy from the fans out here. They fed on it really well and did a great job, and hats off to them for playing an incredible golf tournament.

There's not a lot I can say other than Zach Bauchou played some really incredible golf today, and it was going to be really hard to beat either way.

Q. Lee, if you could talk about your match today and just the overall experience, what this week has been for you.
LEE HODGES: Yeah, it's been great. Yeah, same as Jonathan; Viktor played really well, 6- or 7-under. He just played some really phenomenal golf. I don't think there's anything I could have really done differently. I think I played really well. I don't think I made a bogey. I played pretty good around here. Oklahoma State has a fantastic golf team, and it's just one of those weeks where it's special for us, and I wish it would have ended differently, but it was great.

Q. Jay, how does this Oklahoma State team compare to other teams you've seen?
JAY SEAWELL: Today? I don't know -- I think down the road is where you judge that a little bit. You get more time. They're really good. I'm not going to say they're not the greatest or they are the greatest. I wouldn't know the answer to that. But today -- you know, to their credit, I didn't make fun yesterday, I was just kind of kidding when I said it, but they were driven. And to their credit, there's a bull's eye on your back when you say things or you do things or you act, and they backed it up, and I think that is a credit to their team and their talent. I know that they're very good. You can rank them anywhere you want to; today they were very good, unfortunately way too good for us today.

Q. Davis Riley, talk about your match today and overall the week for you, as well.
DAVIS RILEY: Yeah, like all the other guys, I just ran into a really good Matt Wolf. He started out with an eagle, kind of set the tone early. I believe he was 6- or 7-under and I was a couple under and I was getting throttled. There was kind of not too much I could have done differently, maybe a silly mistake here or there. But it's pretty hard to beat somebody who's playing like that, out here especially, and they're so comfortable with this track, and they just fed off the crowd. It was like a football game out there it felt like with all the people. But yeah, they just were a really good team, and we ran into a really good Oklahoma State today, and yeah, it was disappointing to end like that, but not a whole lot we could do about it.

Q. Davis Shore and Wilson, talk about being freshmen, going through this experience, walking out there today and just kind of the overall experience?
WILSON FURR: Yeah, it was awesome. I mean, to be able to play our last event with our two seniors that we all love, and this experience, it just couldn't have been better. Thank you all. Thank you been awesome. They've helped us a lot. And for them to go out this way, I know it would have been better with a win, but pretty good setting. I think it's a testament to how good they were this year.

Q. Davis, same question for you.
DAVIS SHORE: Yeah, I learned so much this year, just from all the guys on the team. They were great mentors, and they taught me how to be a better golfer and definitely how to be a better person, too, how to handle myself. They're great guys, golf aside; they're just really good people to be around, and I think they're going to be great in golf, too. They're both great players, Lee and Jonathan. I wouldn't have had it any other way this season. I mean, it was better than I could have ever imagined, and obviously today is a disappointment, but I think they can still hold their heads high and move forward.

Q. Jay, talk about the crowd; I think it's interesting playing in an environment like this, having the challenge of the difficulty of the course and everything that goes with that.
JAY SEAWELL: Yeah, they were really good for them. I don't mean that they weren't good. I'm just saying they -- and I think that's what makes college golf now in a match play setting, I think they were exactly what it should be. I don't think they weren't. It was a great environment. But it hurts when you get it handed to you a little bit while they're doing it. I think it's a testament to Oklahoma State golf here and what they mean to this town, but also what college golf is. I mean, people want to come see these guys play. I'm thankful because I had a lot of people from Stillwater come up and say, we enjoyed watching your guy play, and it would have been any one of these five. In fact, it was all five. I had somebody say, they're really good, and I think they looked at the scoreboard, and I think they thought first off we weren't any good, and then they watched a few holes and thought, well, y'all aren't playing that bad. I think the crowd was great. I think it was great for college golf because this is what I do. These guys one day are going to play on the PGA TOUR, and I think they got a good taste of the Ryder Cup. The TOUR is not going to be like this, but the Ryder Cup will be like that, that's for sure.

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