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U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2018

Michael Thorbjornsen

Springfield, New Jersey

(Interview in progress.)

MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: That was quite the amazing 21 holes. Cameron and I really didn't let up at one point throughout our match.

(Wind) fairways, hitting many greens. None of us were really making any putts. It was just who could try and make some putts at the end and just grind it out the longest.

Q. (Regarding making it to the final match.)
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: Just can't wait until tomorrow. I'm playing with one of my best friends, Akshay, and should be a lot of fun.

Q. I have four questions for you. Complete the sentence. Reaching the U.S. Junior Amateur means to me...
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I mean, it's obviously great. I think I get a U.S. Am exemption. I mean, just being on TV for one more day, that's amazing.

Just playing this amazing golf course for 36 more holes, that's amazing.

Q. Anything in particular you're most looking forward to in playing one of your good friends?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I mean, he's just been tearing it up this past ten months. I just want to see where his game is at. I haven't played with him in a while.

Q. What have you learned most about yourself this week?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I've learned that, I mean, even when it gets tough out there, I learned that I can still grind through it. Just never give up, even if I am down a hole or down a couple holes or anything.

Q. What do you place as your biggest victory before coming into this week?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I won two U.S. Kids World Championships, but that's when I was like 10, 11. Yeah, it's been a while since I've won something big.

Q. Drive, chip, and putt.
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: That's right. I totally forgot about that.

Q. I heard you hadn't entered the U.S. Amateur. So now that you're in..
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: Yes, I wasn't planning on a qualifier or anything. I just was thinking about these three tournaments.

Q. And now you don't have to qualify.
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: That's great.

Q. How are you friends with your opponent, by the way?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: How am I friends?

Q. Yes.
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: Actually from the U.S. Kids World Championship. I think we met when we were ten years old, and we've been close friends ever since then.

Q. When you were 2-down on the back side, what was your mindset at that point?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I was thinking, I mean, if I just keep grinding out, eventually I'll make a putt or he'll make a mistake.

It ended up being that Cameron just missed a couple shots. That let me in by just making pars.

Q. What did you learn about yourself from a mental standpoint of golf, being down and then being able to come back and win?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: My dad always told me, and also my mom, to never give up. That just showed that I never really gave in, and I'm really proud of that.

Q. There were a couple times even in extra holes where you weren't in a great position off the tee. How were you able to work a way to get the ball on the green and keep yourself alive?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I tried to draw a shot out of -- from where I was, and I just ended up pulling off the shot that I wanted to.

Q. On this last hole, the 21st hole, you were a little bit into the right rough. What did you hit and what was your yardage into the green?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I was 177 feet a little bit below my stance, and I hit a soft 7-iron just in case an 8-iron would like catch a flier because I hit it too hard.

So I just hit like a nice solid 7-iron that would land on the front of the green and roll up.

Q. And then on the first extra hole when you hit it near the trees, what did you hit there and what was your yardage?
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I was 204 or 5 yards out, and I probably should have hit a slice 5-iron, but I actually hit a 4-iron just around that tree.

Q. And then you were just over the green. Then what kind of a wedge? You hit it to like two and a half feet.
MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: I had a pretty good lie. It was sitting in that intermediate cut. My caddie told me, and I could see for myself, that it was a very fast chip, so I just opened up a 56 and hopped it up on the green and it just trickled down.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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