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U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 26, 2018

Brett Boner

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. How exciting is this to put on that kind of putting exhibition in front of all your friends and family?
BRETT BONER: I'm pinching myself. It's crazy. Really is, that I made those kind of putts in that kind of match after all this time. I really only play three to four golf tournaments a year.

But I played in some match play in the last couple years, and it prepared me mentally for this. But those putts, I'm proud of myself for committing to my lines and whatever happens, I accepted it.

Q. Did the first shot out of the fairway bunker to 1 give you a lot of confidence today?
BRETT BONER: Yeah, it did. It did. I just came out of it on the first tee shot a little bit, but I'm a good fairway bunker player. It was a good yardage and it was just a hard wedge. You want to swing hard to the fairway bunker shot. You don't want to have to wing not easy. So, yeah it gave me some -- it calmed me down.

Q. Besides putting so well, there were a couple three-putts on the front side that kept the match all square.
BRETT BONER: Yeah, I really felt like I gave him two holes. I mean No. 3 I hit a fantastic 7-iron and it landed 12, 15 feet short of the flag, bounced about five feet in the air and went over the green. I have nothing.

But looking back, I should've just got it on the green and tried for a two-putt because he had a tough bunker shot. That was another mistake, so I feel like I gave him one there.

On 5 I just kind of fell asleep over my wedge and thinned it a little bit over the green; hit a great chip. And something I learned. You know, I expected him to give me that putt and he didn't, which probably shouldn't, and I wasn't focused.

Q. When you made the nine-and-a-half-footer on 11 and he put one on top of you, did you say, Man, this is going to a battle today?
BRETT BONER: Yeah. Well, I knew it was going to be a battle. You try not to get ahead of yourself and think about the gallery, the text messages and e-mails I'm going to get afterwards and if it's going to be good or bad.

Right? You try not to think about any of that stuff and you really try to just -- I didn't watch many of his shots. Yeah, I knew it was going to be a battle.

Q. When you got to the 14 tee, did you know you were going to pull driver or...
BRETT BONER: Well, I didn't know the tees were where they were until I looked up. I was heading to the back tee and probably would've hit 4-iron again.

Then I thought, Okay, this is perfect. Pin is on the right -- I mean the left, so anywhere up the right. Right bunker, short of the right. I missed my chip like a smidge, and if it would've carried three more feet it would've been close.

But incredible putt to make it.

Q. You saw it all the way or...
BRETT BONER: I did. I saw it all the way. It was good. It was just curling right to left.

But, yeah, I knew I was going to hit driver once I saw that tee box.

Q. The next putt on 15...
BRETT BONER: Hard putt, hard pin. We were up this morning, the up tee box, and they had us all the way back this afternoon and into the wind. That's a great pin for a drivable par-4. It is an incredibly tough pin for a par-4 that had us all the way back. I'm hitting 8-iron to a ten-foot swath of the green.

I said, Hey, be left of the pin. You want an uphill putt, and hung in there.

Q. Then 17, that little short one at the end there looked like it curled in the side.
BRETT BONER: It did. I mean, first the putt moved so much left to right. The second putt was just all about speed. I may have peeked a little bit, but it snuck in, so very glad it did.

Q. I'm sure you just covered this, but to see him put it in there tight on 18 and to make that putt, that had to be a thrilling moment.
BRETT BONER: It was the most thrilling moment of my golf life. I hope there is more tomorrow, and I'm planning on it. I'm pinching myself.

But he hit an incredible shot in there. I'm thinking, Okay, no reason to be short and, heck, I almost was. Because if you're short we're going to 1 for sure because I know he's not missing that putt.

Q. Every step along the way you kind of gain an exemption in this championship and you just gained another one as a finalist. Now you're going to the U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst next year.
BRETT BONER: Really? Really?

Q. Oh, yeah, as a finalist. How does what make you feel?
BRETT BONER: Pinehurst next year?

Q. Yeah.
BRETT BONER: Really? Again, I don't play a lot of golf tournaments. I never tried to qualify for the U.S. Amateur or anything anymore. That's incredible. Home state.

You know, I'm 44 years old. These things are tough. My feet and toes are hurting right now. That's a great accomplishment. It is.

And I don't want to say, Hey, I'm playing with house money now because I don't want rest. So that's great.

Q. When is the last time you played just a match that was scheduled for 36 holes? Ever?
BRETT BONER: No. Not a match that was scheduled for 36 holes, uh-uh.

Q. Obviously here you've played 36 holes in one day.
BRETT BONER: Yes, yes. Yeah, I don't think I played in a match that was scheduled for 36 holes. It will be interesting. You're right. It's a long time for match play, right? That's a different animal.

Talking about even more patience. Anything can happen from 18 to 18. Do we take a break?

Q. Oh, yeah. You take a break.
BRETT BONER: After the first 18 you take a break?

Q. They're going to tell you, but they're going to move up the tee times because the weather is supposed to come in tomorrow. I think we're going to start at 7:30 tomorrow, but I want you to hear that from an official.
BRETT BONER: Okay. All right. Cool.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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