THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2023

Ben Van Wyk

Quick Quotes

Q. Great playing over the past two days here at The Amateur Championship. How are you feeling?

BEN VAN WYK: Feeling great. Had my best friend on the bag so that was helpful and helped me simplify the game for sure.

Q. What's his name and how long have you known each other?

BEN VAN WYK: Norman Seton. He's from George where I'm from in South Africa. Growing up, since we were like ten, he's always played well. He's always beaten me when we were younger.

So it's nice to get him back for a moment, and yeah, he's on my bag and he's actually my mental coach and all these things. It's very impressive for a young age and he's helped me for sure a lot on the course.

Q. Definitely tough conditions this morning at Southport and Ainsdale, tipping down with rain. How does that change your golf, and how difficult is it to play in conditions like that?

BEN VAN WYK: It's real tough in the beginning. You have to accept pars and makes it pretty hard on the greens, just try and make long two putts. I just stayed patient, stuck in there, made a few good pars and heated up on the back nine, weather and golf-wise so that was helpful.

Q. You certainly did heat up on the back nine, a nice little flurry of birdies in a row. Can you talk us through the back nine and what was the highlight?

BEN VAN WYK: I can't really remember all the holes exactly. But made a few long -- 17 I made a great iron shot, made a nice birdie there. 16 was a par 5. I made bogeys on the par 5s on the front nine, so nice to get a birdie there again. Just clicked well in the end.

Q. The par 5, can you talk us through that from tee-to-green?

BEN VAN WYK: I hit a drive straight down that wooden frame there and hit a 5-iron to the front right portion of the green, and that helped, and I had a tap-in birdie.

Q. So the eagle putt went close?

BEN VAN WYK: Yeah.

Q. How long was the eagle chance?

BEN VAN WYK: Probably about 35 feet.

Q. Looking back at yesterday's round, that must have been fun?

BEN VAN WYK: Yeah, it was awesome. Kind of just blacked out in the moment and just kept on doing the same thing. Tried to react and not get stuck in my own way. It was fun.

Q. Your game looks to be in a really good spot at the moment. What particularly is your strength?

BEN VAN WYK: I hit it straight off the tee. I've been working a lot on my iron play and I've always putted well. So if the irons are good, I'm going to have birdie looks. They have just fallen this week, so the fun starts tomorrow they say, yeah.

Q. You're in a great position after the first two rounds. You could even be our top qualifier. Do you put much stock in that heading no the match play?

BEN VAN WYK: No, that means nothing really. Tomorrow is match play, and you have to get the job done one day at a time. It means nothing. The big game starts tomorrow.

Q. Do you like match play?

BEN VAN WYK: Love match play. Kind the competitive style, 1V1, I like that.

Q. What's your record like in match play?

BEN VAN WYK: I've done fairly well in match play. We don't do much match play back home. When I was a junior, I was good. Played one or two in college golf with the University of Georgia. Big shoutout to them, they got me here, so glad to represent them.

Q. Obviously last year's winner of this champion, Aldi (Aldrich Potgieter), a South African. Do you know him well?

BEN VAN WYK: No, I don't know him directly, indirectly. I know he's met my brother a few times. He practises where I practise from, but yeah, he's a great player and nice to see him do well in a major, that's cool for sure.