U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2020

Philip Barbaree

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. Talk about toward the end of the match there, you were down on the back side and you came back.

PHILIP BARBAREE: Yeah, I was down early in the match, then came back and birdied a couple. Then he squared it on 9. He won 10, and I won 11 and 12, and that really kind of flipped the momentum right there.

You know, really I hit it really well, but also I made a lot of crucial putts today. That kind of kept the momentum going and going on my side really. I think if I don't make those putts, it's probably a different outcome. But I really holed a lot of putts, and that kind of contributed to the success today.

Q. Talk about the birdie at 12 and how you did it.

PHILIP BARBAREE: Yeah, they moved the tee up at 12 today. I think it was like around 140, and it was back left pin. Wind was down off the right, and I hit a 52-degree that landed a little short and rolled up to about three feet. He hit it a little left of the green and that kind of sealed the win on that hole.

And then coming to the next hole, he was in great position. He had an eagle putt and I had about a 15-foot birdie putt. He ended up making birdie and I holed mine to keep that momentum going, and that was really probably the key putt of the round.

Q. Had you two played together or met in competition over the years here?

PHILIP BARBAREE: Yeah, we have before. I think last time was in some junior tournaments. But yeah, we've known each other for a little while, him going to Alabama, now transferring, but us being in the SEC the past couple years, we've seen each other a good bit.

Q. You've gone through this whole circuit at the junior level when you won the Junior Am, so you know what to expect. How do you keep yourself mentally focused on each match?

PHILIP BARBAREE: Really it's cliché, but you've got to just one shot at a time and really just stay focused. It's hard -- it's easier said than done, and out here you can easily get a bad bounce that you don't necessarily deserve, and so you've just really got to keep your head down, keep going and just try to hit one good shot after the other. It's simple, but if you execute it right, then that's what works.