U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 11, 2020

Travis McInroe

Bandon Trails

Quick Quotes

Q. Travis, even par-71 over here, 7-under for the championship. You put yourself in a great spot for match play tomorrow.

TRAVIS McINROE: Yeah, today was good. Even par on the Trails course was good. It was playing kind of difficult with the wind, and judging the wind correctly with the tree line and everything. But I thought today was solid coming off a nice round yesterday and just putting myself in a good position for match play. I'm pleased with where I am.

Q. It seemed like today you were able to match your bogeys and birdies up. Was there a key moment around it that kept it solid?

TRAVIS McINROE: Well, I knew with 7-under yesterday, I just kind of needed to shoot just a decent, solid score today to get through to match play because that was goal number one. But today was just kind of sloppy. A few bogeys that just didn't need to happen and some strategic errors like on 15 and 18 knocked my tee shot into the bunker. Just kind of some silly things.

But I did have a nice up-and-down on 12, long par-3, back right pin, and kind of had a difficult chip, ran it by about 15 feet and made the putt, so that was nice to keep my momentum going for the day. I didn't need to shoot 65 to make it, but it was nice to make that par putt and keep my round going.

Q. And then to finish up with the birdie on 18, tell us about that.

TRAVIS McINROE: Yeah, finishing up with a birdie here. They moved the tee up, the committee did, so we were -- the bunkers on the left side of the fairway were more in play, so I put my drive in the bunker and just took all the slopes -- there's a lot of slopes out here, but put it in the fairway bunker and hit a nice wedge shot up to about 10 feet and got a nice read off one of my competitors, so just played it center cup, and it went in the left side. It was really nice to get birdie on the last hole and shoot even on the day and have some good momentum going into tomorrow.

Q. Last year was your first Amateur and your first USGA championship, and you made it to match play.

TRAVIS McINROE: That's correct.

Q. What did you learn last year that's helping you now?

TRAVIS McINROE: I think last year I was just -- I guess new kid on the block with these championships, and so I had a local caddie, and he kept me calm and got me through to match play. But I feel like I had a really good plan for stroke play on No. 2 and 4 at Pinehurst, and when I got to match play, I didn't really have a plan.

I also played my roommate and teammate Cooper Dossey in the first round, and that was kind of shocking and very interesting. But I think just learning from last year, just kind of having a plan for both parts of the tournament, because the two stroke play rounds are only two of 11 rounds total if you go all the way.

I think just having a good plan for stroke play, accomplished that, and now just having a good plan for match play and being mentally prepared for tomorrow will help me. I think that's the main thing that I learned is just have a plan after the 36-hole days, which is kind of obvious, but you live and you learn.

Q. You played a practice round there, you shot a 65 there at Bandon Dunes. How does that course fit your game?

TRAVIS McINROE: Well, yesterday I hit the ball really good, hit 14 fairways and 16 greens, so kept the ball in play all day. Wasn't really out of position. Only had one bogey and that was on 11, just a long hole into the wind.

I think that just driving it well and keeping it in position and not letting the wind mess with what you're doing, mess with your ball, mess with your brain, I think if you can just get around that golf course strategically, then you can give yourself some opportunities. It's kind of hit or miss on the conditions, whether it's going to be blowing 30 or 10. But I think if you can just keep your ball in position and not get short-sided and just keep on going and give yourself opportunities, I think that's the best way to play the course. Looking forward to playing it tomorrow.