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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 16, 2018

Jackson Van Paris

Pebble Beach, California

Q. First of all, talk about this match. How did it go today? Obviously wasn't the result you wanted, but how did you play?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: I played very well for the first 12. (Wind interference). One bogey, and Mason was bogey-free, 3-under three through the first 12. I was only 1-down, doing really well, and then I guess I just had a few really bad holes.

13, 14 are tough stretch for me; 13 is just really long into the wind. I hit really, really solid driver, but I can't carry that bunker that's on the left side, so I was in the left bunker and I had to -- he had I would say I had 210 in and he had 150, so I had to try to go for the green just to get it up there and put a little pressure on him.

(Indiscernible) out of the bunker and ended up making double from there; he made bogey.

And then 14 I hit a really good drive and an all right 2-iron, but with the wind flared a little bit right and went into the first cut. I got a really bad number. It was in between pitching wedge and 9-iron. Tried a 9-iron and just got quick with it and pulled it and hit it really hard. It jumped a little bit, too, and it went -- landed just over the green and kicked really hard about 20 yards long and left. I tried flopping it and it flew the green from there.

And then I made double and he conceded par.

Just left a putt on 15 that was about 40 feet short -- or not. I had 40 feet; left it about a foot short. It was in if I would've hit it.

Then 16 I just hooked my iron, so...

Q. What are the challenges of playing a kid who is six or seven years older than you are?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: It's challenging, but Mason played great. He's a really good player. I really felt like it was nothing I couldn't handle. I played like I felt I should for the first 12, and then just kind of fell apart from there.

But the only thing that kind of was a little -- he's really long, hits it a really long ways, and he was a good -- like on some holes, like for example No. 9, really big hill, about -- not sure how far down it is in the fairway, but if you catch that hill you're going into the clear 60 yards, and I can't get to that hit that hill.

He hit it down and that green is very hard, so I have to hit it -- I have to hit it in about a little ten-foot circle where it's the only place I can stop it on that green. To this pin it was about 30 feet left, so I hit it right there.

And then he had I would say another wedge or really short iron in where he could just throw a dart at the pin.

Q. What did you hit in there?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: I hit a 5-iron, and he hit it to ten feet and I hit it to thirty feet and ran the putt over the edge; he made his putt. I played the hole -- I hit every shot perfect.

I mean, I'm sure everyone has had those holes. I'm fairly long for my age. Still really short compared to these guys, but really long for my age.

Q. How far do you hit it?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: If I hit it solid, probably 270 off the tee.

Q. What did you learn about yourself this week that maybe you didn't know?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: I learned that I can just hang with all these guys. I beat the 30th ranking amateur in the world the first say, and I'm not exactly sure what Mason is -- I'm not sure exactly what Mason is ranked, but he's a really, really good player. I mean, if I remember right, he got second at NCAAs earlier this year, which is incredible.

I mean, now I know I can play with all these guys. I played with two of the best players in the field and hung with them for the majority -- or for 30 holes, including Dylan and my match today.

Q. How many text messages, phone calls, e-mails, tweets, Instagram posts did you get yesterday after making history?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: I got a lot of texts and SnapChats from my friends yesterday. A lot of social media. Then my school, I have a lot of e-mails from my teachers. My head of school made a joke saying that I would have unexcused absences for the rest of the week, because my school started on Tuesday. Probably won't be going to school anymore this week, but, yeah, it's really nice to have all the support.

Q. Most kids when they go back to school in the fall they have to do a report on what they did over the summer. Is this going to be your report?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: Yep. Definitely. This and probably Wyndham Cup will be the two things I'll be reporting about.

Not a bad summer, no.

Q. What will be the number one or two things that you might tell your classmates about what happened this week?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: I went to the coolest place in the U.S. and played the coolest golf course in the country; played the biggest amateur tournament in the world and got, I guess you'd call this 17th if I didn't make it to the round of 16.

Yeah, they probably won't know what all that means, but be kind of nice to just go home with a little extra. I actually got a sign made on Wednesday before my match. They made a sign for me. Got the whole school together and they all stood and the sign said, Let's go, Jackson. Go low. So that was really cool and really nice the teachers let them go.

Yeah, it was awesome.

Q. What's the name of your school?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: The O'Neal School.

Q. Middle school you said?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: High school. Well, it's pre-K through 12, so, yeah.

Q. How far are you from Pinehurst No. 2?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: 5 minutes, so...

Q. So that's a goal for next year?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: Yeah, that's a goal for next year. I was trying to win both my matches today because that would give me exemption into the Am next year. I can still qualify or do well on the U.S. Junior to get in.

Q. What are some of the your other notable accomplishments that you compare this experience to you, if you can?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: I've won I would say two AJGAs. I've won two AJGAs, one Junior All-Star and one Junior All-Star Invitational, which I can kind of try to compare to that.

AJGA is the biggest organization besides the USGA for kids in high school. Yeah, that would probably be the first thing I'd compare.

And then just a lot of invitationals, so Thunderbird Junior, (indiscernible) Invitational, Junior PGA, all those tournaments kind of rank up there with -- like Junior PGA I finished seventh, and that was probably my -- got on the crawl line of Golf Channel, which was pretty cool.

Q. You're welcome.
JACKSON VAN PARIS: Yeah. Thank you. Yeah, those would be the things I would compare to this. Compare is the wrong word. Stuff I've played in that is closest.

Q. I was going to say, this is No. 1 on your...
JACKSON VAN PARIS: Oh, no doubt. Yeah.

Q. (Regarding college choice.)
JACKSON VAN PARIS: Yes.

Q. What made you decide so quickly?
JACKSON VAN PARIS: Well, I started the process very early for colleges. I had about six schools I was (indiscernible) and coaches and people committed there. I knew a lot of the guys that were going there before me that I would be on the team with one, two, three years.

And then I would say -- or the academics is the big thing, too. Academics are always first in my family. Rather get a 99 on a test than a top 10 in a tournament. At least that's the way I look at it. That was one of the main things.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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