U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 29, 2021

Christian Sease

Sankaty Head Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Let's start at 18 because really the match came down to that last hole. Talk about the tee shot and what happened from that.

CHRISTIAN SEASE: Yeah, just kind of got a little early and kind of left it out right and the wind just took it into the bunker. I wasn't sure if it was over, short or what. Stewart had hit it a little left in the fairway, but we got there and it was in the bunker, so I knew it was going to be a tough one just because of where it was at the lip. I knew I had to get something low with the wind. Unfortunately it kind of hit the bunker, then was maybe about 120 yards out.

You know, it was a good week, good experience. I hate it ended the way it did, but that's just golf. Stewart is a heck of a player, and obviously winning this before, but just overall a great week before. Definitely can build on this and take some of this with me next year and the rest of this year.

Q. This went back and forth in the first part of the match; what was the feeling when you made the turn?

CHRISTIAN SEASE: You know, I was 1-down on him until I made a solid up and down out of the bunker on 7 to get it to all square. Then actually had about -- maybe about a 12-footer for Eagle on 8 to win the hole, and it just stayed outside and didn't break what we thought.

Then just had a -- really hit a bad chip shot on 9, which left me in a bad spot. Stewart ended up winning the hole. So he was 1-up going to the turn, and I just tried to fight and kind of tried to get one back on him, get it to all square at some point.

Unfortunately wasn't able to get that, and then he went 2-up after hitting a good shot on 13.

But I made some clutch pars on 11, 12 and 13 to kind of get me back to -- stay 1-down, and then when I went 2-down on 14, then I knew I kind of had to start making some birdies.

Unfortunately on -- actually at 16 I made a really good putt facing elimination from maybe about 14, 15 feet far par, so was able to make that. Then on 17, when Stewart hit it long and I was just short of the green, I knew where he was that 4 was probably going to get me on to the next hole, and I just was telling me dad, we'll just get it to 18 and see what happens.

Stewart hit it maybe about 15 feet short. I had about four feet. He missed and I made. Then that brought us to 18. Unfortunately just wasn't able to get it done on 18.

Q. When you have this kind of a week, do you reevaluate your schedule for the future? Of course you've got to work, too --

CHRISTIAN SEASE: Yeah.

Q. How might you look at your schedule down the road?

CHRISTIAN SEASE: You know, I burned a lot of vacation days this week so won't be being able to play a lot of golf for a little bit. You know, it's big -- getting the exemption into next year would be huge, just not having to worry about qualifying. I'm kind of new to the Mid-Am tour, so to speak, just because this is my first year kind of being on it. I know there's some incredible tournaments, and I'd love to play in some of those. I'm just trying to send out some resumes and seeing if I can get some invitations.

It'll be good. I've got a good schedule coming up, I think. Some of the ones I'll try to play in next year, and of course this one, so I'll definitely be -- learned from this week, and just try to take that and build on it at Erin Hills.

Q. You obviously played professionally at one time, and now you've played against these mid-amateurs, at least at the highest level. What's different about the mid-amateur as opposed to the guys out there grinding every day on the pro tour?

CHRISTIAN SEASE: Well, it's tough when you're working to try to keep that level, that's for sure. I say I'm a weekend warrior now. It's hard to keep getting better. You're more just keeping that level. But the guys out here -- a lot of guys in this field were past professionals, too. Especially at this stage, it's a very high pedigree of golf, a lot of really talented guys that could play, too. Just coming from the Tour a couple years ago, it's tough. There's a lot of really good players, and a lot of guys waiting to humble you, if you know what I mean.

It's been a great change. Just the overall atmosphere is definitely a little less stressful than the pro, just because you're having to rely on a paycheck for how you're playing. Of course here everyone is making money, so everyone is pretty happy, and you're not having to grind over two-footers like you do out there.

You know, it's very comparable. It really is. Just about the same. Of course obviously there are just a lot deeper fields on the pro tour, and then you have some studs who just -- PGA TOUR-ready already. It's cool to see the difference between the two.