	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 18, 2018

Shuai Ming (Ben) Wong

Springfield, New Jersey

Q. Can you just talk about your comeback on the last few holes?
BEN WONG: Yeah, it was pretty cool. I mean, he was 3-up going into 8 and I made birdie to get it to 2-up.

On 9 I missed a short putt to go 1-up, but I was still two down going into the back nine.

10 I hit a bad shot. I wasn't hitting very good shots on the front nine and didn't make any putts at all. Jake was taking advantage of that. He obviously got up really quick. I won I think four holes in a row.

On the back, I birdied...

Q. 13.
BEN WONG: I birdied 13, so I hit a really good shot on 13. Jake chipped it up close and I had to make it. I just told myself, Hey, man, you got to do this. If you want to do this, it's right now. Made that putt even though I've been struggling with the putter all week. I told myself, Just trust in yourself.

Next hole, 14, actually hilt a bad drive, but then I somehow managed to get it to about ten feet. Had the same kind of put I had on 13 and I said the same thing to myself, Just do it again. Drained it.

15, par-3, we both made par.

16 Jake was actually in trouble in the bunker left. Hit it in the greenside bunker right. I was down the fairway, hit it to about 15, to 18 feet, and then Jake hit it about 20 feet and drained the putt.

So I was like, Dang, really got to make this. I barely missed. I was really in shock because I thought that I drained it.

17 I think I was in in the worst position -- not a good position on 17. I had about 158 out and Jake was really up close to the green. I knew that the pin was tough. With Jake having a shorter wedge he could easily spin it off and not be that close.

So I took advantage of being a little further away. I thought I had an advantage. I hit it to about 18 feet, 16 feet, and it was a great shot. Jake almost hit it up close and spun back, as I thought. Jake had like a tap-in par and I had to drain a putt. Downhill, left-to-right slider dead center in the heart, and I was pretty pumped up after that.

On 18 obviously you saw I drove it down the middle of the fairway and I was pumped up. Jake hit a bad tee shot, but his second shot was awesome. He got it on the green over a tree. I was like, All right, you got to step up here.

Had about 20 feet going left to right and I saw it go in. I saw it go in in my mind. I played it back and forth, back and forth. I hit the putt and I really thought it went in even to the last foot, and just decided not to go in. I was like, All right, extra holes.

I think Jake had about a four-footer and he missed low. So I was fortunate enough to -- you know, I would never like to win in that way, in that fashion. I would like to both of us play well and the winner edge it out.

So I didn't really want to see him miss that putt, but I just had to do whatever to win so I'm really grateful.

Q. And obviously you've played in a lot of match play before here at the Junior. Did you lean on that experience a lot coming in today?
BEN WONG: Yeah, you know, I actually -- I don't feel like I have a great history in match play other than the four ball, especially in the U.S. Junior. I feel like I always get down early, and I did that again today. I was like, Here we go again.

But I fought back and I took my experience from four ball being down a couple matches. I knew that anything can happen on hole 18. Coming down the stretch, as long as I have holes to play, I can still get it around.

So I just kept my head down and tried to make putts.

Q. I know you said you were really pumped up after a great one like that. What does that do for your confidence moving forward?
BEN WONG: Great. Putter on the last seven holes was great. It's a big confidence boost right there. I think I'm just going to take the feel that I have the last seven holes and bring it into tomorrow and hopefully further in the week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297