U.S JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 30, 2022

Caleb Surratt

Bandon Dunes Golf Resort

Quick Quotes

Q. It was quite an interesting finish. You were 8 down with eight to play, and all of a sudden you were 3-down. What happened there in that stretch?

CALEB SURRATT: You know, I felt like I tapped into my good golf. I felt like I was on the breach of playing it all day, and the putts just never fell and the shots just never ended up where I needed them to end up. The last eight holes it just kind of clicked. It felt no different than the other 34 holes that we played today, to be honest. It just worked out better.

Q. As each hole progressed did you feel like, hey, man, I can win this thing still?

CALEB SURRATT: I was just taking it one shot at a time. I wasn't really focused on that because I knew if I still wanted to win, I just had to execute every single shot to the best of my ability, and I didn't think I could do that if I was thinking about winning.

Q. This morning you were 2-up early on and then there was a stretch there, 11, 12, 13, where you had some difficulties. Can you talk about what happened there that won some holes for him?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, just 10, 11, 12, I just hit some bad shots. Wasn't really anything decision-wise. It wasn't anything -- putts not going in-wise. I just hit three bad shots. I felt like I had my 30 minutes of really bad golf and he had his 30 minutes of really bad golf, and that just equals out, and he came out on top, though.

Q. Specifically you kind of came out of that shot on 11, on the approach shot? What was happening there?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, just, I don't know, trying to flight it too much and just closed the face too much and kind of overdid it. But I don't really know. That was a game-time decision. I didn't really -- there's nothing I could do to change that really. I'm not thinking about shanking it standing over the ball. It just happened, and it happens.

Q. Once he got the lead, he just wasn't letting you in. He seemed to be playing almost perfect golf there for a long time. How did it look from your side of things?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, he played some really perfect golf to be honest. He hit every shot where he needed to for 25 holes. It was just hard to beat. I felt like I was 7- or 8-under on the day for 34 holes and just didn't come close. If you would have told me this morning if I'd be 8-under and lose, I wouldn't really believe it.

But that just happens. It's match play. It's one player, and he's a great player.

Q. What impressed you the most about him today?

CALEB SURRATT: Just his moments over pressure, the way he was just executing shots. I felt like I had hit the good shot the first time, like a lot, and I felt like he kind of stepped up right after me and executed just how he needed to.

Q. Does it get frustrating for you at all when he keeps halving a hole with a birdie or keeping you at bay?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, it definitely was a little frustrating, but that's just something you can't let get to you, because that can go either way. All it takes is the bounce of a piece of grass. That's all it takes.

Q. Talk about your whole week; I know you didn't accomplish your ultimate goal, but you did get to the final and played some good golf this week. What do you take away from this experience?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, I'm just learning a lot and I'm learning that my game can travel. I'm just trying to progress every single week, and I feel like I am doing that.

If I did that and I learned lessons that will make me a better player over time, then no matter how the result came out here, then that's still a win.

Q. What are you looking at schedule-wise over the next month or so?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, I'm going to play the Western Amateur starting next week and then I'm going to play the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood.

Q. And then school starts?

CALEB SURRATT: Yeah, then college starts officially, so I'll get going on that.