U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2021

Austin Greaser

Oakmont Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. (Regarding flipping the switch.)

AUSTIN GREASER: For? What do you mean?

Q. For you to be taking the next step, solving your time management issues and all that.

AUSTIN GREASER: I think COVID helped. It helped we'll take school anywhere and slow you down a little bit. I think a lot of things shut down, a lot of tournaments, and you had time to focus on school.

I can't really put a time when it flipped, I guess, but I feel like I had a better handle in the spring. It was just the fall was a little bit tougher for me. But I think most people might tell you that.

I think some people are going pretty good, but it's a lot on you real quick, so you got a lot of responsibilities, got to make your own dinners, stuff like that. Mom is not around to fix dinner anymore and have it ready when you get home from the course.

So I miss that, and just little stuff like that. It all adds up. It all adds up to a lot of time.

Q. How have you been taking these last few days? It's been a lot of stop and start action. How have you stayed mentally in it?

AUSTIN GREASER: If you want to make a run here this week you're going to be at this golf course all the time this week. Stop, starts, you know, just got to be mentally prepared for it. I think it's Midwest weather. I'm from the Midwest. I guess we might be a little outside the Midwest. It's close enough. A lot of pop-up thunderstorms, real humid this time of year.

Pretty used to it in the afternoon. Just kind of got to be mentally prepared for it and just kind of take it in stride. Everybody has got to deal with it.

Q. How much has that affected course conditions at all?

AUSTIN GREASER: I mean, I think it's affected a lot. You can see the ball. It's very soft, especially on the greens. I don't think Oakmont's traditional style of play is anywhere this soft.

But everybody has to play it and it's what the maintenance crew and everybody got this week. They're making the most of it. I'm trying to make the most of it. It just kind of it is what it is.

Q. Coming off great qualifying to get into the U.S. Open, what about your game has been flowing for you?

AUSTIN GREASER: I think I really like where my mental game is at a lot. I just really have a lot of confidence in myself. I'm believing in myself a lot, my ability, and just kind of doing what I do.

I mean, doing what I practice for. Just letting the chips fall where they fall. Like I said earlier, they're falling my way right now, so keep the same mindset and game plan and just play my best.

Q. Is that hard to do? You won 5&4 then you stand on 4 tee and you're 3-up already. How do you keep that...

AUSTIN GREASER: Yeah, I mean, I'm executing the same game plan. I didn't do anything different. I just happened to roll a couple putts in early, maybe a mistake or two from Ross, and you go 3-up through three. Still a lot of golf to play. You're playing at Oakmont and it's no easy task, so just trying to keep your head down, just stick to the same game plan.

I don't really let him phase me too much either way. I obviously see his shot, but at the same time, I got to execute my own. I mean, just because he misses the green or puts it five feet doesn't mean my shot is any easier. I still got to execute, and just trying to do that the best I can.

Q. Going out this week, what would you say coming in was your kind of golf highlight of your career?

AUSTIN GREASER: The Western two weeks ago. I told a few people this. I felt like I had played that week maybe the best week of my life. A little bit behind the 2019 -- or ahead of the 2019 U.S. Junior, I think the year I made a run at Inverness.

Both those weeks I wish I could go back and relive. This one I'm probably going to say the same here in a little bit. Just trying to enjoy, soak it up, and not let time fly too fast right now.

Q. And then conversely, what do you think has been the biggest hurdle of adversity you've had to overcome, maybe not just in golf but life in general?

AUSTIN GREASER: That's a good question. I think golf is a really humbling sport at times, and there has been a couple times in even my career that I been really down and the game is not where I want it.

You just got to push through. There is no way out of it. Nobody is going to come save you. I think I heard somebody say there is no relief pitcher. It's you. It's an individual sport. You just got to push through it, keep working harder, and that's what I would encourage anybody to do if it's a valley in their game right now.

Q. You said going to college you missed your mom's cooking. What's her best dish?

AUSTIN GREASER: Probably like the fried breaded chicken and fried potatoes and corn pudding. I love that stuff. I could eat this stuff for every meal.

Q. What was your go-to meal early on in college?

AUSTIN GREASER: Chicken tenders in the oven. Yeah, eight minutes on 450, put it in there right now, make some nice crispy, barbecue sauce on there, good stuff.

Q. Go back to the first two U.S. Amateurs, how you barely missed match play, and what does it mean now you're here in the semifinals?

AUSTIN GREASER: I would definitely say I didn't barely miss match play. Pretty sure I wasn't even close. But it means a lot. Like I said, my game, my head is in a different spot and I'm trusting a lot of what I'm doing. I have a lot of confidence right now.

Just trying to keep doing what I'm doing, and it's working. Just keep my head down and don't get too distracted.

Q. And then going back to this match, as you point out you had the big lead and then he comes back at you. A little bit of a tug of war on the back nine.

AUSTIN GREASER: Yeah, it was a really good match. Hats off to him. He had to make a birdie to win a hole. I don't even know if either one of us bogeyed a hole on the back nine. You just had to make a birdie. Or maybe I guess I think he bogeyed 16 for me to win.

But just kind of a fight. Right punch, left punch from him. That's just how it is. These guys are good. You got bring your stuff or you're probably going to be going home.

It was a really, really good match, and hats off to him. He played great.

Q. What were your best two birdies in this match?

AUSTIN GREASER: I think 1 was a really good birdie, although I needed a two-putt to win. Made like a 25-footer from front middle of the green.

Trying to think where the other ones were.

Probably 12, too. Made a really good up and down from left of the green.

And then 17, just close it out after he had made three, that was probably another good one.

Q. How long was that?

AUSTIN GREASER: About six feet.