U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 29, 2021

Hayes Brown

Sankaty Head Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Well you really picked it up on the notch on the back.

HAYES BROWN: Yeah, that wind was howling today and that was a completely different direction than we been used, and I think that might be the toughest direction we've seen yet. Every hole was either into or off the left, which is not -- as a right-hander that's not your ideal move.

So, yeah.

Q. The tempo was a little different winning with a bogey, right?

HAYES BROWN: Yeah, proved how difficult is it in match play. We were both grinding so hard that every shot, regardless where it was, just mattered. Yeah, just trying to big deep and think the next shot is the most important one, and that's all you can deal with.

Q. Then birdied the 11th.

HAYES BROWN: Yeah, I had a number about 135. My dad called me off and told me it was at most 120, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Tried to hit it 120 and it was a perfect kind of front edge; trickled up to about six feet and then hit a great putt.

So, yeah. It was a good hole.

Q. What club was that one?

HAYES BROWN: That was a 54-degree, so just kind of fly the bunker. It was downwind and you knew it was going to hit and kick forward. That's all you can do.

Q. Closed it out on 16, how you did that one.

HAYES BROWN: Yeah, thought I hit a really good drive. Dead into the wind on 16. Leaked a little bit right into a bunker.

Hit a phenomenal pitching wedge from like 120 out of the bunker up there about 10 feet. Knew I already had him dormie, so I was really striving for par. Put it in the middle of the green, hope for the best, and got lucky. He pulled his a little bit left. So we were in a good position.

Q. You're in rarified air now. The 64 seed's never gotten this far, so I don't know what that means to you or you just want to keep the momentum going.

HAYES BROWN: Yeah, no, I try my best not to look at any of it. Of literally told my parents to take my phone from me. I try not to look at any of it and just feel like -- I mean, I agree that I know I'm playing with house money right now.

We are just trying to get up and rip it. To me, it's another day that I get to spend with my dad that most people don't ever get to dream about that situation, so it's a huge blast to be just a part of it.

Q. Are people coming out of woodwork trying to contact you?

HAYES BROWN: You know, two of my best friends who I had no idea, didn't tell me anything, I made a birdie on 4, that long par-4. I made about a 20-footer, and when it went in I heard their -- I heard their yells and I knew it straightaway. I turned around, and of course they were standing right there. It took me like a hole to readjust knowing that -- I had so much adrenaline going -- wow, my buddies literally just traveled -- they took a 5:00 a.m. ferry from Hyannis, and who knows what kind of flight they took last night to be here.

I feel extremely blessed and I got a lot on my side.