THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 23, 2023

Christo Lamprecht

Quick Quotes

Q. What a battle you've just had out there but you are one of our finalists here at The Amateur Championship. Tell us how you're feeling right now?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: I was on the back foot all day so I'm in awe about getting it done. I didn't think I would but I just kept on fighting and getting myself in position to get back in the game, and kind of the putt on 17 really helped doing that.

Q. Of course you won your final three holes to win the match on the 18th. That was an incredible kind of run of golf right there for you.

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Yeah, I mean, I kind of felt a really good swing on 17 on the tee shot. I kind of fed off that and just kept on going. I just knew the swing has been really good this week. Today was a little bit off. I just knew I needed to get one good swing going and then just feed off that. Yeah, very pleased.

Q. Tell us about the putt on 17.

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: He chipped it and I saw the break to an extent. I knew kind of what I had to do. I knew I had to make it. I left a lot of putts short today, so I just knew if I gave this one a go and gave it a run, it's got a chance, so I'm very pleased.

Q. There was a lot of emotion when you saw that putt go in, a huge fist pump. Is that how you felt, a release of some pent-up energy?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: I think it was a release of a lot of pent-up energy of just not getting going the whole day and not making thinking anything and not really getting momentum. I felt like I needed to get momentum and that really gave me it.

Q. Standing on 18, what was going through your mind after winning such a big hole?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: You know what, it's a big thing recently, whenever I get hyped up and I get in the moment I regroup again and focus on what I can control and the shot ahead of me. So I kind of just stepped back and took a few couple breaths and tried to hit a good tee shot.

Q. There was a lot of people following you. Was that good fun to be playing in front of such big crowds?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: It's always fun. It's fun to feed off the crowd. They are amazing and I love golf and it's really a blessing to be out here playing for them.

Q. TK lost his match quite early on this afternoon, but he joined your match to watch you guys. Is that nice, fellow competitors, game respects game, that sort of thing?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Yeah, it's a nice gesture of him. We played the first 36 holes qualifier together, so yeah, it was really nice of him. I saw him out there. It's really nice of him.

Q. You, of course, play for Georgia Tech. Thoughts on Bobby Jones? He won this championship. Is any of that going through your mind at all?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Yeah, I mean, I guess Georgia Tech has a very illustrious history. In our programme, there's not many things we haven't won yet. It's nice to follow in the footsteps of Bobby Jones, for instance. I've got a lot of golf to play to get into his feet but it's nice to be even named among those players. I'm still young, so a lot of things can happen but it's a real nice feeling to get named.

Q. Have you spent any time playing East Lake?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Yeah, it's one of our home golf courses. We play it a bunch. It's a really good golf course and it's a special thing to our programme that we can get out and play there. Hopefully one day it will pay off.

Q. Looking ahead to tomorrow, do you think there might be nerves or is it excitement? How are you feel for the final?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Yeah, obviously you would not be human if there's no nerves. I think it's a good thing, though. So I'm just going to go out there and just control what I can control simply. I have it written on my glove, not go ahead of myself. I'm just going to be worried about that first tee shot if I'm there, and just do whatever we can.

Q. You have some great team spirit and they are all cheering you on and following you. Would it mean a lot to you to trying to make it a back-to-back for South Africa?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Yeah, I think South Africans are very proud with their golf and proud of success in any form we do. So yeah, it will mean a lot. I haven't been with the national squad in a long time. I've kind of been absent being in America, so it will be really fun to kind of win one for the boys.

Q. What are mom and dad doing tomorrow?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: Funny enough, Dad called me this morning after my first match and he said he just left work. He's sitting on the couch watching the television, watching the golf. I'm guessing he's going to be doing the exact same thing. He's going to be watching television the whole day. Yeah, they are supporting back home, and I think they called me already.

Q. Obviously there's a lot of opportunities for the winner of this championship competing in major, The Open just coming up next month down the road at Royal Liverpool. Is it hard to not think about what could be?

CHRISTO LAMPRECHT: It's human to do that, kind of start thinking ahead. But like I said, I'm going to dream about it tonight for sure as anyone should.

But once again, I step out here tomorrow morning and that first tee shot is the only thing I worry about. I cannot control whether I win at the end. I can control how I play and how I react, so that's all I'm going to do.