U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 12, 2021

Parker Coody

Oakmont Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. I mean, probably one of the premier matches of this round of 64. Parker is a pretty good player. Just talk about the match and how you were able to get it done.

PARKER COODY: Yeah, no, it was good. I mean, the front nine, hit great drives and then like end up in a divot, and then on 9 I thought I smoked it down the left side and ball hit high, like my feet (indiscernible).

I felt like I was playing a lot better than my score was. I was like 1- or 2-over on the front. I felt like I was dog a lot better than that.

I mean, I think the rain actually delay benefited me in a way because got to reset. And then from that point, I mean, I felt like I putted great. Speed was great. Just was all around the hole. Lipped out like two or three times on the back nine alone.

I just kept the ball in front of me. Jack made a few mistakes, and as match play goes, you have to capitalize on those. I was fortunate enough to do that.

Q. How many holes did you get through last night?

PARKER COODY: We got through 9, so we tee'd off 10th tee this morning. Perfect on the turn.

Q. So many coming in 2-down, what was the mindset going into today? You were able to ultimately flip the match, so how were you able to manifest that?

PARKER COODY: The wind came, which I was hoping for. I mean, and I hope it comes even harder this afternoon. I think it plays to -- not to sound a bad way -- but just eliminates some factors that could play. I hope the course firms up.

You could see it kind of doing it o this morning, and just keeping the ball in front of you and keep the pressure on him, make him feel like -- I never let him get the momentum. Like he was always feeling like he was coming -- fighting back, especially once I scored in the match.

Then he gifted me a three-putt, he had like whatever, 50, 60 feet on 17. He gave it to me in a three-putt. Past that, just keep the pressure on him.

Q. Did you score it back after the par-3?

PARKER COODY: I did, yeah. I did.

Q. You had only like a 10-footer there for birdie, right?

PARKER COODY: Oh, not even -- it was like three or four feet. Then he -- I honestly thought he was going to give it to me but he was in for 4 and he didn't say anything, so then I just tapped it up there.

Q. Easiest two-putt you've had it win a hole?

PARKER COODY: Very much, yes.

Q. When you finally went 1-up in the match how confident were you you were going to be able to see it to the end?

PARKER COODY: Good. I hit a good drive on 17. I really thought I was going to be able -- I thought it -- at least make birdie on 17.

Pitch came up a little dead, and then hit the putt, hit a good putt. Ridge held the putt.

But, I mean, then he made a mistake on 18. Laid up in that bunker. Then from there, I mean, all I -- I just couldn't make more than 5. Like, I mean, he had to get up and down 4, 5, so I was pretty confident.

He put me in that position to be, so, as well, so.

Q. You said that you were kind of happy about the rain delay. What's it been like this week in terms of starting and stopping and the unpredictability about starting and stopping today?

PARKER COODY: It's been -- the biggest thing was -- I mean, everyone here has dealt with rain delays. Like that's part of golf, part of the weather. It is what it is. The USGA doesn't want the rain delays.

But the biggest thing was learning the course this match compared to when I played Monday. Completely different course. Fairways are holding. Greens are night and day. Even this morning out of the rough I stopped a wedge from -- on 10 within time 12 feet of where it landed.

First off 7:30 on 10 my wedge skipped 30 feet. Like it's not even comparable as far as the way the course played, but it is what it is, so hopefully I can take that into the next match.

Q. This summer was there a particular point in time where you felt things started to click again?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, probably the Western. I mean, I hadn't played in about a month and a half and I was dealing with some back injuries. I actually played well my U.S. Amateur qualifier which gave me some confidence going to the Western.

I missed match play by -- a playoff in match play by a shot at the Western. I really didn't feel like I played like that great or anything. And then, I mean, I played really well here this -- so, yeah, I would say honestly, yeah, the U.S. Amateur qualifier just kind of got things going just a little bit.

Q. Pierceson caddied for you.

PARKER COODY: He did, yeah. I mean, him caddying for me is as good as it's going to get. We know each other's games so well.

Q. What's this going to be like playing your teammate in the next round, and in practice do you guys go head-to-head on match play?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, we have a thing called the Massinghill Cup and we do that. And then I actually played Travis at the Mardidoe Amateur in match play, so I'm hoping for the same result.

Q. Is that the one last December?

PARKER COODY: Yes. Yeah, it was.

Q. How did that one turn out?

PARKER COODY: I won 2&1, and I don't let him forget it. (Laughter.) Yesterday he was like, You better win your match because I'm going to go beat you. I'm like, once we get there, we'll see how it goes, Travis.

Q. You mentioned having Pierceson on the bag for you was clutch. Have you guys talked about anything from this week? Has he help you learn anything that he might have seen that you didn't see out here so far?

PARKER COODY: Yeah, like 5 is a great example. Now that the greens are so soft you can hit 3-wood and takes everything out of play on the left side, and the greens are so soft, doesn't matter where the pin in is this rough.

The rough is not as penal as I think it normally is for U.S. Open. I know for a U.S. Open it's not even close, but with how soft everything is you can hit it -- because was doing that all week, even before this.

You know, fairways were firm, and now that you're landing spot is 30 yards on 5, Monday morning it was 20 yards, 15 yards. Like it's just little things like that that we talked about and discussed last night, and we'll find out where the pins are this afternoon and go from there.