U.S. AMATEUR FOUR-BALL

May 26, 2021

Kiko Francisco Coelho

Leopoldo Herrera

Chambers Bay

Quick Quotes

Q. Sixth U.S. Amateur four-ball champions, how does that sound?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Hey, it sounds amazing. I mean, I believed it. I knew we could do it. I kept telling him, I know we can do it; we're going to be hard to beat. We were tough as nails out there. That team really put up a good fight. I mean, I'm just so happy that putt on 18 went in. So much adrenaline going on, and at the end of the day it worked out on our favour. Could have easily lost hope there, but I knew this was for us the whole way.

Q. Can you sum up in words what this championship means to you? First USGA appearance and you get to the championship match and you win it in a dramatic way.

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: Yeah, no words can describe. We came here, we knew we could win. We had a really good team, we just played solid all week. We just put in the work and we're here right now, so I guess we're just looking to the next one --

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: We paired up as a team so well. Whenever he had a bad hole, I came on and helped him out, and whenever I had tough holes, he came out and helped me out. It was just such a good duo. I know he's a player I could rely on whenever something went bad, and he also knew I can step up when I needed to, too.

Q. How about 18? MacDougall came within a hair of chipping it in for eagle. Another inch this way it probably goes in, and then Kiko misses the birdie putt, you have to make, otherwise it's over. Give me your mindset, your thought, going over a putt knowing that you make it, you go on, you miss it, it's over.

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, I saw his chip, and I was telling the caddie after that, I was like, there was no way that ball shouldn't have gone in. And the fact that it didn't told me right away, all right, this is my moment, like this is going to happen. We've made it this far. Like if they would have won, that chip would have gone in, but they gave us a chance -- they opened the door, and I was stepping up on that putt, and I just told -- I was putting terrible today. I didn't make a putt today. I just told myself, look, I'm just going to look at it, not think about it. I'm shaking over this putt, like I'm literally shaking over this putt. I just rolled it and trusted it. Trust was huge. Trust is huge. I just let it happen.

Q. You let out quite a yell, almost like Tiger-like?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, I had to. It means a lot. Not even to me, to him, too. He backed me up all day and I knew this was my moment to help him out.

Q. You guys win this championship and obviously you probably know there's perks that go with this. You both are into the U.S. Amateur. You're also into the U.S. Junior. Give me your thoughts about that, you've never played in that championship, you go to Oakmont, which is one of the historically great courses in America.

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: To be honest this is just the best that could happen. To my schedule, no qualifier really fit my schedule, so now I can just play the tournaments I was planning to and not have to worry about qualifying.

Q. As you guys know, I don't know how many times you've tried to qualify, but it's not easy.

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, I came first alternate last year for the U.S. Amateur, and this year my golf coach, one of his assistants is a head pro at Oakmont, and he left a month ago, and he told me, I'll see you there for the U.S. Amateur, and I told him, I'm going to see you there. I don't care how I get there. His name is James.

Q. He's an assistant at --

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: He's an assistant for Jim McClain at the Biltmore and he works over there, too. But I told him I was going to see him there, I don't know how I'm going to get there, but I didn't know I was going to get into the U.S. Amateur winning this, but it turns out you just put it out there and it happens.

Q. Have you ever seen Oakmont on television?

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: Yeah, it's just going to be a great test. We're going to be ready for it.

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, huge greens, so a lot of greens, just putting well. Putting well I've heard is a big key there.

Q. You were born in Portugal and moved here two years ago?

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: Yeah, about two years ago.

Q. Why did you move here, for golf, for a job?

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: Golf.

Q. Are your parents still in Portugal?

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: No, my parents moved here, too. I'm just blessed that my parents came here, too. Yeah, it's just been a lot of fun, and I've improved my game a lot.

Q. First golfer from Portugal ever to win a USGA championship. I know it doesn't have much of a pedigree. It's not like soccer. You were born in the States?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, I was born in the States. My parents were from Venezuela.

Q. When did they move here?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: They moved here two years I was born.

Q. And Doral, Florida, is basically Miami, right?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, Miami.

Q. You're going to be a sophomore at UCF?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, actually I dropped out of UCF. I'm going pro in September.

Q. Really?

LEOPOLDO HERRERA: Yeah, this is my first amateur I can play. U.S. Amateur will be the last amateur. I figured that was the best decision for me, and yeah, I'm looking forward to where the journey takes me.

Q. You've got Arizona State --

KIKO FRANCISCO COELHO: Yeah, it's going to be a lot of fun.