U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 18, 2022

Nicholas Gross

The Ridgewood Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How does it feel to make history?

NICHOLAS GROSS: I mean, I know CT, I know the history of Bobby, and obviously he was one of the greats of the game, one of the few -- top 5 of all time. But to hear something like that at this point in my career, I don't put my name next to those two, and to have something that puts my name next to those two is really special and something I'll remember forever.

Q. When you're out there, you're playing against guys that are where you want to be, I assume, at some point soon. Is it nervous, or at some point do you just go out there and go, I'm as good as them? How do you handle that?

NICHOLAS GROSS: So it's some of both. I mean, every tournament I play I have a little bit of nerves or anxiety because I want to play well. Not to the point where I'm like shaking or anything. But I want to play well.

At least here I feel like I'm playing with house money because I'm a 15-year-old kid who, if I lose I'm a 15-year-old kid and I'm just playing these 20-, 25-, 30-year-olds who are hell of players. I feel like I'm playing with house money, and that's kind of freed me up, and I've gone out in all my matches and played within myself because I know even though I'm 15, I have the game to compete with anybody.

Q. Where did this one turn?

NICHOLAS GROSS: This match today? I mean, we were kind of just battling it out for about seven, eight holes. The ninth hole, I made a putt on 9. But kind of on the back nine, I was hitting good shots all day, I was just a little off with my lines, missing some short-sided, and I just started hitting greens, putting the pressure on, and I thought I really put enough pressure to where he felt like he had to do something special, and it worked out, obviously. I won four holes on the back nine, four out of six. It was great.

Q. Tell us about a couple of those. The 12th and 13th you were credited with winning the holes with birdies.

NICHOLAS GROSS: Yeah, 12 is such a great hole because you can go for it and you can just lay up. In the practice rounds we were undecided what we were going to do. I've laid up three of the four times and I've made birdie all three times, so it wasn't really a question today when I stepped up. Laid up, hit a pretty decent shot, and then the wedge was right over the flag, spun it back to about eight feet and then made the putt.

13, I got a little bit of a break off the tee hitting the path, got back to the fairway. Then from there hit it in the bunker, which was a good spot, and got up-and-down, made a good probably 10-footer. So two good mid-range putts where we got good lines and hit really good putts and took the holes with birdie.

Q. First U.S. Amateur; I know you were at the Junior and you got to match play there. I was there. What were your expectations coming into this one?

NICHOLAS GROSS: To be completely honest, I didn't expect to make match play. I wanted to have just -- it's my first time, and this is by far the biggest tournament I've ever played. I wanted to come in and just enjoy it. In the practice rounds, it was like, okay, you're playing well, let's just have fun. Each day I've progressively gotten better and better. So to be honest, no expectations, just playing golf.

Q. I know you got to the Drive, Chip & Putt finals and you've won a state title, but where is this going to rank in your young golf life?

NICHOLAS GROSS: It's hard to say right now. Hopefully I can keep going and make it unreal. But as of right now, it's one of the top if not the top.

Q. What's grabbing your attention on this course that you're playing so well? Does the course fit your eye? Is there something you're doing?

NICHOLAS GROSS: You know, I think I credit to northeast golf. I grew up in southeastern Pennsylvania, and it's just like this, northeast style. So I feel really comfortable here. The sight lines, how you have to play, how you have to get around the golf course. Even my caddie, he's from right where I live. He's my high school coach. So we're both on the same page at all times. I think it's just a comfort level that's helped me around here.

Q. Do you have a group of boys at home that are blowing up your phone and giving you crap every day?

NICHOLAS GROSS: Group of boys at home, group of boys around the country. I play enough junior golf that there's a lot -- you make a lot of friends on that circuit. So a lot of boys blowing up my phone and a lot of friends that I've made along the way.

Q. Are they giving you a hard time or encouragement?

NICHOLAS GROSS: I tried not to look today after the first round because today is 36, I wanted to stay focused, but even yesterday it was encouragement. It was like, keep it going, dude, you're playing awesome. A lot of encouraging things, and it's great to hear.

Q. How many times do you have to shave this week?

NICHOLAS GROSS: I shaved before the match play started. So far it's working.

Q. You've grown up in a professor's home. I'm curious what home life is like. When you think of a professor it's very intellectual. Does he encourage sports? How does that work?

NICHOLAS GROSS: So my mom and my dad are both professors, and I've got a brother and sister, and all of us do our own activities. My sister dances, my brother plays soccer. He's on our golf team this year in high school.

I've always been drawn to sports, just the competitive nature of it. My dad played golf growing up, so even though he's a professor he's got that competitive knack. So I kind of -- we always watch sports on TV, and we're always interested in it, so yeah, he's a professor, but we all five love sports at heart.