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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2019

William Holcomb

Village of Pinehurst, North Carolina

THE MODERATOR: We welcome in William Holcomb V who was defeated 3 & 2 by John Augenstein at the U.S. Amateur semifinals here at Pinehurst. William, a great run. You've entertained us with your golf and yourself, and I know it's not the way you wanted to finish, but what's your takeaway from the week here?

WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: I don't really know. I mean, I'm just -- all I can say is I'm blessed to even have gotten to asked to be in this tournament, and I'm thankful that I was given the ability to play as well as I did. I mean, I'm sure later on I'll probably reflect and just kind of pump me up in a way, like to understand that I can compete at the highest level against some of the best players in the world. I think that's one thing that I will take away from it.

I don't think I've taken that away from it as of right now, but right now I'm just -- I mean, I'm thankful for the opportunity. It hasn't really sunk in that it's over, but I don't think it's even sunk in that I got as far as I did.

Q. You hit a great tee shot on 9, stuck it in there, made the putt, got it to 1-down but couldn't get over the hump. What were your frustrations along the way as you were trying to get back?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: I didn't have any frustrations. You know, John was just a true competitor. I mean, he played phenomenal golf the whole day. I mean, you know, I didn't have any frustrations. I missed one putt that I should have made. Other than that, I don't feel like -- I did everything in my ability to play as good as I could. I would say probably from the start, I don't think I mentally was out of a shot or anything like that. Maybe the last putt. Like I mean, it's more like just hope from 40 feet downhill. He's 15 feet uphill.

Other than that, you know, I was -- I felt like I was 99 percent locked in on what I was trying to do. Maybe I didn't make the best swings or whatever, but as long as my mind was in the right spot, that's all I can do. I can't make me swing well. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't.

Q. Will, can you talk about your relationship with Keith and kind of what your first impressions were and then kind of how your relationship evolved over the week?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: Well, I met Keith at the North and South, and my first impressions were, this guy is a complete idiot. He just is so stupid. He's like kind of sarcastic. He's like, that wasn't a very good shot. I think he told me that on the last hole today. He told me, that wasn't very good when I hit my pitch. But I know he's joking now, but I just kind of -- once I learned kind of how he is, it's been good. I don't know if that answers your question. I mean, he's a hippie. I mean, let's just call it what it is. Look at him. His ringtone is "Pump It" by the Black Eyed Peas. That's Keith for you. But great guy. Glad he's here with me.

Q. When you go back to school and your friends and teammates ask you about the week, what's the one thing you're going to talk about the most going forward here?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: I think that we'll talk about we can do it as a team. I mean, I hope this inspires the team and every other player that ever goes to Sam Houston, that we might be a mid major, but we can win a national championship. We can compete with anybody. I think I showed that in the match play. I hope that my teammates are bigger grinders than me because if we ever do get to match play, we're going to be dangerous.

Q. I don't know's record in match play is pretty extraordinary; what do you think makes him such a tough competitor and such a tough out in this format?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: Well, once you get down to these guys, these are men. We've been playing boys the last few rounds. I mean, these guys are men. We're never going to say we're out of it. We're never going to really give anything. It's just kind of one of those things, like the cream rises, and I think the top four players here, I mean, I'm sure the top eight and even more are grinders, but like John is like me, he's like, I'm going to make up-and-down. His shot on 13, I knew he was going to make up-and-down on 13, and I'm like -- in a normal match, I might be like, well, if I make par, we're back to even. We're even, and I've got my favorite holes to go.

But a guy like him, it's like, I had to make birdies on the back nine, and I didn't drive it well enough to do that. But he's just one of those guys that has bone in him, and you could see that in all -- he made a ton of six-footers today. I did, too, but he might have made more than me. That's what you've got to have to win in match play.

Q. Can you kind of walk us through what you do over the ball? Sometimes you often close your eyes for a few seconds before you hit. What goes through your head?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: My grandmother thinks I'm praying when I do that. I did pray, but I'm not praying whenever I do that. Yeah, I'm just visualizing like myself, I'm just trying to paint a picture, paint a movie in my own head of me lining up, looking at where I want my target, and just stroking it on that line, hitting that target.

Q. What is going on in Crockett today? Was there a watch party?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: Yeah, they canceled -- I got told at lunch today, they canceled the club championship for the watch party, so I hope they move it to next weekend because I will be playing in it. (Laughter.) And I will be winning it. We should make it match play.

Q. What can you say about the gallery today and just playing? Seemed like you really had them behind you from the start.
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: You know, yeah, I'm just blessed that -- it was just a great group of people out there. A couple rowdy ones that somebody needed to tell to shut up, but no, it was -- they were awesome. The gallery was so kind and supportive. They just kind of fed off me and Keith. We hit it in a bunker, we're like, oh, this is perfect. Yeah, this is good. They just think it's like funny or whatever.

Yeah, it was awesome having everybody support me when I'm out there. I mean, it's just a blessing to have so many friends. I've definitely met over 300 here.

Q. How much was the possibility of a Masters invite, Walker Cup scenario or U.S. Open, and if you were to win on your mind last night during the round today?
WILLIAM HOLCOMB V: I've never dreamed of playing the Walker Cup. I don't really even know what that is. I know it's like a Ryder Cup. I joked with Robbie, though, once I found out the winner gets that. I still don't really know what that is. It was just like -- I mean, I'm just living a fairy-tale right now. It's not like I was like, this is for the Masters. I'm not thinking about that while I'm out there. I was just trying to win the match.

I mean, maybe last night I thought about it a little bit, but it's like, I don't feel like it affected my game today, but I mean, I wouldn't believe you if I had won and you said, you're going to the Masters. I'd be like, you're crazy, I'm not going to the Masters.

But anyways, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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