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U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 17, 2019Thomas PonderToledo, Ohio Q. A good win. THOMAS PONDER: Yeah. Q. How much did last year, getting to the quarterfinals, help you now with the start of match play? THOMAS PONDER: Well, I mean, just kind of have to go out there and hit every green. Just put all the pressure on your opponent. Yeah, just keep it in the fairway, because the rough is not a great place to be out here. Once you just keep it in the fairway, you'll most likely hit it close enough to make a putt here and there. Just you can't have many mistakes out here, especially on a USGA type golf course. You just have to go out there and play the best you can and try to keep it in front of you every time. Q. What would you compare to the rough to of all the courses you've played? THOMAS PONDER: Foothills was a lot like this three years ago. That was some thick stuff. When I played at Flint Hills I did the same thing I did here. Just kept hitting it in the rough, and I knew that I couldn't do that anymore, so I just fixed some stuff on the range and it helped me the second day. Barely got in, as you know. Yeah, just happy to be here. Q. What's it like when you are in the rough? What do you have to do to get out of it? THOMAS PONDER: Just front of the green kind of deal. Once you're on the front of the green it's cut so short it's almost like you're putting on the green. The greens really around built up very much, so it's just an easy putt or a chip. It's placement golf when you hit it in the rough with your driver, so just got to place it around. Q. And going back to your match, you were 1-up going into 9 and birdied 9. THOMAS PONDER: Just hit a little choke down 9-iron to about 20 feet and made it. Q. Uh-huh. THOMAS PONDER: So that was nice going into the back nine. Q. And then, like you said, you guys halved a bunch of holes there. THOMAS PONDER: Right. Q. Were there any good saves in that run to halve the hole? THOMAS PONDER: He definitely had a lot of good saves. I wouldn't say -- I mean, there were a couple holes I got lucky on, but for the most part I kept it in front of me. Tried to play to the fat side of the green and not make any little mistakes. Try to put all the pressure back on him. Yeah, I think I did a good job of it today. Q. And then you closed out the match with a birdie on 16. How did you do that? THOMAS PONDER: Right. I hit driver. Had like 120 in. I clipped the tree on the right coming down. I hit it up there to about 20 feet. It's a big left-to-righter. Played about a foot, foot and a half out left and went right in the middle, so that was good. Didn't want to go down to the stretch, you know. Q. How do you think you're set up now as the week progresses? THOMAS PONDER: Pretty good. I've gotten used to the greens the more I've played them. Really rolling it well. I have a lot of confidence going into tomorrow. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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