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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 15, 2018

Matt Parziale

Southampton, New York

THE MODERATOR: On the podium, Matt Parziale, plus 3 for the day, plus 7 for the Championship.

MATT PARZIALE: Big crowd.

Q. Describe the swing from 17 to 18 and what happened and then what that felt like?
MATT PARZIALE: Yeah, 17 was a poor shot. I had a good number. I just made a really bad swing there. Didn't have the greatest of lies in the bunker, but I just had to try to give myself a putt at par. That one didn't go in. I was fortunate enough on 18 to make a downhill putt there.

Q. Do you have any sense of how close you might be to making the cut or missing the cut?
MATT PARZIALE: Yeah, I saw the projection on the boards, started at 9, went to 8. So if it's going that direction, I don't want to be as close -- you don't want to come in at 8 and then all of a sudden have it move to 7. So making the putt for 7 there was pretty big for me.

Q. How do you process the fact that you're playing the weekend, and as of now, 14 Major champions are not?
MATT PARZIALE: Golf's hard. I mean, this game is crazy. I'm happy with the way I played and looking forward to competing this weekend.

Q. What were your expectations for this entire Championship?
MATT PARZIALE: I'm not big on expectations. I just try to go out there, and I get so into the process, and that's what I enjoy doing. And then if I'm fortunate enough to -- don't get me wrong. I look at the leaderboard. I know where I stand, but I'm still always in the process. The putt on 18, to have that go in, I stuck to -- the putts weren't falling on the back nine. I stuck to my process, and I was fortunate to have that one fall on the last hole there.

Q. Is there anything that you draw from your work experience that you bring out here that maybe helps you along?
MATT PARZIALE: I don't think so. They're two pretty different. Being a firefighter is complete chaos. And this is more controlled. You're by yourself. Firefighting, you're part of a team. So I don't really think -- and I would never want the two to cross. They're both separate, and I like keeping them that way.

Q. Can you describe where the putt dropped?
MATT PARZIALE: Yeah, when I hit it, I knew I had good pace on it. Maybe a little soft, and it just fell over the edge. I knew it was a good line. It rolled right over where I was looking. So the greens are rolling true. The whole back nine, missed. Missed a lot. Just fell off. I think my speed was a little off. And that one was good there.

Q. Obviously, your caddie, your dad, it's Father's Day.
MATT PARZIALE: Makes it a little better too. I don't usually think about that stuff. Just try to do my best. But that's something we'll look back on in the future.

Q. The wind was a major challenge yesterday. What was the major challenge today?
MATT PARZIALE: Yeah, the wind died down on the back nine. It actually flipped a little bit. I was standing on the 12th tee and realized it was pretty much gone. I had a lot of good looks. I had a lot of good numbers and some good shots. Just couldn't make any birdies until the last hole there. I hit a lot of good shots into the wind and downwind yesterday. So it was two different days. I'm just happy I was able to adjust and hit some shots when I needed to.

Q. 14 seemed to throw people off the last two days. The highest scoring hole on the course. You birdied it, and then you parred it. Did you see that as a difficult hole? What worked for you?
MATT PARZIALE: Yeah, I actually made a really good par. I drove it in the right fescue. Had to chip out to about -- I think I had 159. Hit a 9 iron to four feet and was able to make that putt. That was big at that time because I just missed a birdie on 13 that was a good look, and also on 12. So to stay even on that hole was good going to the last four.

Q. Did you find that one intimidating initially?
MATT PARZIALE: Pretty much all the holes out here are pretty intimidating.

Q. Some guys are saying that it's a par 5 masquerading as a par 4.
MATT PARZIALE: Yeah, there's a few of those. It's easily a par 74. There's just a lot of hard holes. The 3rd hole, I've played poorly. I was able to escape with a par yesterday. There's just some tough tee shots, and you've got to stay out of the long stuff. For the most part I have, but the times I've been in there, it's gotten me.

Q. For birdie yesterday, what worked there? On 14.
MATT PARZIALE: I hit a really good drive, and I shot a good number. Hit a full 6 iron, chased it all the way up, and it was just a two-foot putt. That was a good one to get.

Q. Does this give hope for all the dreamers out there? You won on the course, the Mid Am that your idol won on, Tiger Woods. You actually played a practice round with him at the Masters. Now you're going to make the cut at the U.S. Open. Does that give hope to all the dreamers out there?
MATT PARZIALE: I don't know why you wouldn't dream and try to do the best you can. Anything is possible. The work you put in, and I'm proud of the work I put in. It's been up and down, but I've always enjoyed trying to get better.

Q. Thank you.
MATT PARZIALE: Thanks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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