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U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2019

Bo Jin

Toledo, Ohio

Q. Let's talk first of all just about the week as a whole. You came in here, you had been an alternate. Got in. How soon before the championship started? When did you get the call that you were in?
BO JIN: I was playing Junior Golf Classic. Just finished tournament when I get call, so I would say a month ago basically.

Q. Okay.
BO JIN: Like three weeks. Yeah, I was come prepared coming to this tournament, yeah.

Q. Obviously coming into this final match it had been a long week.
BO JIN: Uh-huh.

Q. Two-match days, et cetera.
BO JIN: Yes.

Q. Just to get to the final, as you were preparing for this 36-hole match, you were probably hearing from a lot of people starting the day. How were you feeling starting the day?
BO JIN: I mean, like first day stroke play my dad told me my goal just to make it match play. I mean, my goal is just make it to match play. I came in as first alternate and didn't have that much expectation for myself.

I make it to match play 64; I just like play my best, play your own game, do your own thing. Just kind of go through that.

Q. And obviously you kept winning. Ended up playing the player who you lost out to to get into the field initially, right, in Fresno?
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. So that was an interesting match.
BO JIN: Yeah, that was an interesting match. As I say, me and Deven are good friend. We played as a friendly match. I mean, I can't treat every match like friendly match because the way it goes I play most of my friends. I mean, I didn't know Jack Wall, but we definitely become friends after that round.

So, I mean, we definitely got to play fair -- it's definitely a match, but you got to hit good shot, you can't (indiscernible) when person hit it over the green.

Q. Yeah, yeah. Very good. And you also obviously against Deven you had a comeback just to get here.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. You were down on the back nine.
BO JIN: Yeah, it was a good comeback. Deven made a few mistake. Definitely in golf everyone make mistake. I mean, I had a really good comeback. Deven play well, too.

That day we were definitely not playing our best game, but we were playing like decently. I think I got more lucky putts than him. He have few bad break on putts.

I mean, he's a good golfer. Both playing not that bad.

Q. Then obviously beat Kelly yesterday. Made that great putt on the last hole to get into this match.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. So this morning you went right down right on the 1st hole to a birdie, but then you took the lead very shortly, and had the lead for the entire morning round?
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. How were you feeling starting the morning and as you got into the match?
BO JIN: I mean, first I got to my tee shot definitely nervous, so maybe I was watching. Preston hit good second shot. That pin was high. It was three foot off the left edge. He hit a good shot. He made good putt, too.

So after that hole I was thinking like you got 35 more holes to go. It's a 36-hole match. So I keep on playing my own game. Didn't get hurry, yeah.

Q. And of course you then took the lead on 3, and I think you tied it on 3 and took the lead on 4.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. And you were kind of controlling things. You have to take it hole by hole, but you also maybe feeling a little comfortable because you were leading most of the way in the morning?
BO JIN: Definitely. I feel comfortable, but, I mean, Preston made a really good birdie on 17. That's when he made that long putt, and he made a good birdie on 18, too.

Yeah, I had a bad lie on 18. 17 I had a bad lie in the fairway, too. Preston play really well on 17 and 18, and definitely played well the whole way today.

Q. So now we were looking at early in the afternoon round he got ahead and he kind of kept the lead, but you were very close all the way through.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. Pulling even, going back down one, pulling even.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. How hard is it? It's been a long week. You're both fighting really hard. It also must be tough to keep your concentration.
BO JIN: Definitely. I tried my best to keep my concentration definitely. Tell myself, Be confident. Play your own game. Just play your own game. I mean, the three-putt on 6 was definitely not my best. It broke so much. Broke way much more than I thought. I was just trying to go for my two-putt, but I hit a bad putt. Second putt was not that great, too.

Definitely Preston made a really long bogey putt, so that's really big for him. Then on 17 I saw him hit it close. Definitely got a little bit hurry. I should calm down a little bit, but he hit really good shot, so I think he really just deserve to win this tournament.

Q. You're in the fairway on 17 in the middle. He seemed to have a pretty tough shot. Somehow got it over through the tree. It was a crazy shot.
BO JIN: Yeah, definitely. I was thinking it would go under tree and punch out. I mean, definitely hit a great shot. I think from that shot he just deserve to win the tournament. Yeah, definitely deserve it.

Q. Because it wasn't looking like he had much of anything, and it ended up being in the end a birdie, right?
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. Did not expect that whatsoever.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. When you were on the front, the green there, tell me about your second shot. Come up shorter than you expected?
BO JIN: Yeah, I mean, I think it kind of got hard. The club I took is probably -- I'm thinking (indiscernible) not missing the green. Like I said, I was a little bit hurry. Try to come back, really kind of tell myself things again.

I mean, that's golf. Sudden pressure, not hit a great shot, too. So, yeah.

Q. If you had it over you might say, Wait, give me another second over the second shot, because I want to match him, right?
BO JIN: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Felt like you rushed it a little bit?
BO JIN: Yeah, I definitely rush it had a little bit. That's experience. You came in as alternate and you make it so far. Definitely really happy. I'm not fully happy of result, but got to be happy with what you got. Come in as first alternate and make it all the way to the final match.

Preston is good player. He play well today. Yeah, Preston play really well. He's a good player. I play with him Junior Invitational second day. The condition was really hot. I shot really bad, but he keep the ball low and keep his score low, too.

Q. And on the putt you had on 17, it almost went in.
BO JIN: Yeah.

Q. Did you kind of feel like you needed to make that one opposed to two-putting for par?
BO JIN: See, I told you my second shot was in hurry. That putt was a little bit hurry, too. Just trying my best to make it, yeah. I mean, I didn't want to leave it short. My speed have been off all day in the afternoon round, so I just kind of try to make it.

I think because his putting have been really good for last few holes so he's probably going to make it, so just try my best to make it, but I knock it a little bit too hard.

Second putt, really well, putted well, stroke it well. Just caught a little bit.

Q. Overall, amazing week for you. I think you have to be happy. Did you hear from a lot of people this week as you were going, people who were encouraging you?
BO JIN: Definitely, yeah. Everyone, Just keep going. My coach, everything.

Q. Who is your coach?
BO JIN: Coach Bratton, Oklahoma State. Assistant coach, Coach Donnie. I mean, we got a group chat. Teammates encourage me, friends here encourage me, friends from China. Everywhere, yeah.

Q. So you have to be very happy with the week. Was there any part of your game that you said, Wow, I didn't know... Did you surprise yourself at all this week?
BO JIN: Yeah, I mean, the last tournament I play was (indiscernible). I miss the cut by one. That week my game was good but there was a lot of mindset problems, calculation problems.

I kind of knew my game was -- my game was not in bad shape, but I kind of know my game wasn't that bad coming into this week. So I just did more focus, like calculation. Me and my dad talk about what kind of mistake junior tournament to costing me.

I mean, not coming in with the best shape, on the first round of stroke play I remember I was 5 -- or no, 2-over for five holes or six holes. I kind of get it back a little bit after rain delay.

Q. Yeah. So kind of got yourself back into it, and then obviously after that it was a real big improvement to do what you did.
BO JIN: Yeah, definitely.

Q. Congratulations.
BO JIN: Thank you so much.

Q. Wonderful week.
BO JIN: Thank you so much.

Q. Will you be at the Amateur?
BO JIN: Yeah, I will be there.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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