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U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 26, 2018

Brett Boner

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. You have to be totally excited to make the semifinals; not only to get this far in your hometown, but also now you have a two-year exemption into the Mid-Am.
BRETT BONER: Wow. Yeah, it's cool. Match play is such a beast. It's so hard, the ups and downs of talking to yourself and talking yourself into things.

2-down going to 12; I won that hole. I'm 1-down; hit the worst shot of the week on 13. Don't know what happened; don't care now.

Didn't hit a great chip. Thankfully I had his -- he putted first, similar line, and I saw what it did at the end. Best putt I made.

Q. How long was the putt?
BRETT BONER: Probably 35 feet.

And then made a 15-footer or 14 for birdie.

Had a good chance at 15. It was a 7-footer that broke a foot and just didn't commit to it. It was hard to commit to it because I didn't have ever want have to a come-backer. That's what match play does to you.

16 he didn't hit a good drive; I hit a great drive. Hit it under the hole. He still had a par putt and I made the 20-footer for birdie.

Hit a horrible shot on 17 again, but it's funny. The rules official told me I had a bad time on 17 tee and I was very perplexed by that.

So I looked at the chip, got up to it, and knocked it to an inch. Obviously that is huge.

Q. What club did you use on that chip?
BRETT BONER: My 58-degree, yeah.

And then 18 I hit a really good drive. Thought it was going to be in the fairway and it was just in the rough. He didn't hit another good drive and then he hit it in a bad spot.

I said to Chris, my caddies, I just want this in the bunker shot. I got into the wind, be a softer bunker shot, and I pushed it ten feet and it rolled up onto the green.

It was very fortunate.

Q. What do you have out of that rough and what club?
BRETT BONER: I was 187 to the hole; it was uphill into the wind. Just choked a 6-iron knowing it was going to roll.

Q. When you made the putt at 13, are you saying to yourself, Man, I can win this thing?
BRETT BONER: I'm saying, You're from the out of if. That's what I said. You know, this just proves that you've got plenty of holes left. 1-down to 2-down is a huge difference with five to play. It was big, really big.

Q. To make a birdie of that length on 16, that's got to pump you up.
BRETT BONER: It does. Honestly I've hit it really good that week. My putter hasn't been that hot. I didn't make many putts at all yesterday; I made a few today.

For me it's all about committing to the line and just accepting what happens after that instead of getting ahead of myself.

Q. Usually when you're in the Mid Amateur you might have a couple people following you. You've got a crowd out there. How much does that help you?
BRETT BONER: It's crazy. Very energetic or energizing, I should say. I'm tremendously blessed to be in my hometown playing in this kind of thing and having these people following me. It's fun, a lot of fun.

I keep telling myself it's fun. Have fun.

Q. Has your brother-in-law given you any words of encouragement here in the last couple days?
BRETT BONER: Last night he -- I wish he would've been here with me this morning. It would've been fun if he and I would've played this morning.

He sent me a text and said, Go get 'em. He's pulling for me. I wish he had been here.

Q. Were you taking a chance with driver on 16 or do you do that every day?
BRETT BONER: No, I know that shot. I know we were one tee up and I knew the wind was helping the cut.

I was surprised where it was. I really was. I thought it was in the middle of the fairway so I hit it hard, really hard.

Thankfully looking back, I might not have hit driver, but I'm glad I did. Gave me a flip wedge, which put the pressure on him.

Q. What do you know about Hagestad?
BRETT BONER: Is that who I'm playing? I know he's a damn good player. Great resume. Plays in a lot of golf tournaments.

I don't know. I think he's 27; I'm 44. But, hey, this is golf. It's all about hitting golf shots. We'll see. I know he's really good. I expect him to be really good this afternoon.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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