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U.S. SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 29, 2018Sean KnappEugene, Oregon Q. It's been quite the stretch to get to the final, now a chance to win this thing. SEAN KNAPP: No doubt. It's just been miracle after miracle. You know, I saw Dave here when I was coming in. I probably shouldn't have even made the -- I was having a little emotional meltdown out there. I shouldn't even make it into match play, I make it into match play, I'm getting everybody's best and they're all talented. I think I've played the runner-up in the Senior Am, I've played Jeff -- if I'm not wrong, he's either the three-time or four-time California State Senior champion. Q. He's pretty decorated. SEAN KNAPP: Jack was a former U.S. Junior champion, albeit years ago. Doug is a U.S. senior -- Q. Mike has been -- SEAN KNAPP: Mike was on the Walker Cup. And I said at my speech at the players dinner, I said, I can guarantee you three things. I said, number one, this thing is not easy, and I said, number two, unless you've won a USGA event, it'll be the greatest year of your life. Golf life, not life. I now am forgetting what number three was. Oh, bottom line, it'll go by quicker than you think. Mine went by quicker than I thought, and boy, I'd relish the chance to relive it again. Q. You've already made some history as the first guy to be in back-to-back finals since Bemowski. It's been a while. You got a chance to be the first back-to-back champion since William Campbell back in '79 and '80. That just tells you how hard this thing is to -- not just once but twice in a row. SEAN KNAPP: Yeah, well, I have a good teacher. His name is Nathan Smith. He's won a few USGA events. I don't know, I just try to follow a pattern that he does when he plays. I can't always do it to the level that he does, but I've done it so far, and I'd like to do it one more day, win or lose. If I can follow that formula, that would be great. Q. Obviously this morning you had a relatively easy match. This afternoon was really nip and tuck. Was there any shot or hole that you thought was really a difference? The last one, birdie putt? SEAN KNAPP: Now, that could have been. You could have been. You never know what's going to happen there. Mike shot -- are you kidding me? Hits it to nine feet for eagle. I'd have to say the 8th and the 9th. I missed a short one. I haven't missed many putts this week. I missed a short one. I misread it on 7, and that would have got me to 3-up. Now Mike makes his putt, now I've got to sustain it. I don't know if that would have got me to 2-up or 3-up. And then 9, to win 9, we're both in the same spot. I hit a foul ball off the tee, and to walk away with par there kind of -- that kind of got me going into the back side. Now I'm like, let's just try to put away some holes, and I was driving it well enough and playing well enough, I could kind of do my thing. Q. How far was that birdie on 17? SEAN KNAPP: It was five paces, 15 feet. Q. You're likely going to be playing Jeff Wilson tomorrow, who's 2-up. He's been chasing this thing, like you, forever. He's played in 30 something USGA championships. SEAN KNAPP: Well, he's a tough out. Look, let's go back to my three things. You have five things for the USGA that you write about. Let's go back to my three things. It's a lot harder than you think. I don't know that you could develop a bigger gauntlet than I had to go through. Jeff is a great player. Like I said, let me just get out there and play and hopefully give him a good match. Q. You were in his shoes last year, trying to win something -- I think it was your 44th USGA championship. SEAN KNAPP: Yeah, 43rd, now I'm 46 or 47, something like that. Q. Can you put yourself in what he's trying to go through? You know what he's trying to go through. SEAN KNAPP: Yeah, but I also know that in some ways, he's been more decorated. I may have gotten to semis here and quarters there over my life, but my man is -- I've followed him, and he's just a great player. There's no other way to say it. If it were on Tour, you'd be saying the greatest player never to win a major, times two. I know he'll feel that a little bit. But he's such a good player, and so accomplished. He's going to go out and do his thing. And like so often in match play, those first few holes, he might be the favorite tomorrow, but at the same time, if I can get out and do some things, who knows. Q. You've got a chance to win the second one -- SEAN KNAPP: Yeah. Yeah, I don't really think of it that way. I kind of think of it that I know that's there, and I also know that if you think that way, then, okay, just throw up all over yourself. But at the same time, I seriously have never won things like that. I just go out and go play well, play my game. If it happens, it happens. It would be great. Now I guess I should say I'm playing in a spot for the Celebration of Champions at Pebble. Q. You weren't in the Senior Open, were you? SEAN KNAPP: Yes -- no, no, we were talking about that before you came up. I looked at today with Mike, if I thought about Mike and all he's accomplished, that might have gotten me a little bit ruffled, but I just said, hey, it's me and him for one spot in the Senior Open next year, and now I'm -- Q. Because you're already in the Amateur -- SEAN KNAPP: I'm already in the Am, so I get -- and I may have one more year exemption. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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