U.S JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 23, 2021

Nicholas Dunlap

The Country Club of North Carolina

Quick Quotes

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: I had a lot of good numbers, fortunate with a couple good breaks. I was able to capitalize. It was awesome.

Q. What were you thinking when you were 2-down going to the back?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: You know, I knew early on it was going to be a good match. He made five birdies I think out of the first seven holes out of the gate, and I knew if I could get it back to even with a couple to play, it's a lot of pressure, and you have to have a couple good breaks go your way. It's kind of the way it is. It's a long week, and I was grateful enough to have it happen.

Q. When you birdied 10, did you feel like, hey, I'm back in this?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: You know, he had the advantage off the tee. Hit driver up there, had about 75 yards, and it was kind of that match play moment where I thought if I could hit a good one I might be able to flip it, and I did. I birdied there. He made a bogey on 11, and just like that it was back to even.

Q. Tell me about taking the lead at 14.

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: You know, 14 we had a number probably three or four yards closer there earlier. It was just a perfect hooking gap wedge, and I just hit it exactly how I was looking. Took the lead, and like I said, fortunate break on 15, but from there on in, I wasn't -- not going to lie; I wasn't trying to make birdies. I had one roll up, we were just trying to win, on the front of 15, had one roll up to four feet, made that and then had a good save here on 16.

Q. What did you hit out of the rough on 15?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: I hit a gap wedge from -- we had 145 front downwind with a jumper, and that's all we were trying to fly it, just get it to the front and let it trundle back there.

Q. This putt was about six feet here for par?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: Probably. It looked a lot longer over it, but that's about right.

Q. What's it feel like now to be in this championship match?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: It's unreal. I've played the last six or seven weeks on the road, and I want to win everything I play in, obviously, but I've been trying to get my game ready for this week and for the next week for the U.S. Am. To be able to do it, it feels great.

Q. Obviously you've been playing well this summer. You were the medalist in Amateur qualifying. What have you been doing well leading into this championship?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: You know, I've been -- I feel like my putting has gotten a lot better over the last couple weeks. My short game, as well. As you keep playing well, your confidence keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger, you make great putts, and it keeps growing.

Q. What do you know about your opponent tomorrow, Cohen Trolio?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: He's a stud. We're good buddies. Going to LSU. It's going to be a lot of fun.

Q. You mentioned match play moments. What is sort of your match play mentality out there, especially when you're down?

NICHOLAS DUNLAP: You know, match play, it's just a different animal than stroke play. It's purely momentum. He had the momentum going into the back nine and kept the momentum, and it's just either a 25-footer here or hitting a shot where he has the advantage. It's just -- it forces his hand a little bit. It worked out for me.