U.S JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 27, 2023

Edan Cui

Daniel Island Club (Ralston Creek Course)

Quick Quotes

Q. Tough match, 21 holes. Tell me how it went out there.

EDAN CUI: I mean, yeah, overall it's a really tough day. I played 17 in the morning, and then playing 21 in the afternoon, I hooked a few iron shots. My legs are super tired. But my putting really saved me today. My 21st hole I hit my wedge to 12 feet. I wasn't trying to do that, but the result was good, so I'll take it.

My opponent, he hit his shot and I was like, oh, wow, that's really good. Landed like three feet in front of the pin, hit the flagstick and went out to my distance. He had a downhill putt, I had an uphill putt. I made mine, he missed his, and that's how I won.

Q. How exciting is that to win like that?

EDAN CUI: Yeah, it was so exciting. I knew there was a little bit of luck in that, but I mean, to go this far and to be able to say I'm like top 8 right now in the U.S. Junior, that's incredible.

Q. You got to the round of 64 last year. How much did playing last year help you this time around?

EDAN CUI: I think it's -- I didn't change my expectations, but I had higher goals for myself. I was super close to winning the first round last year, and I thought I actually had a better game last year.

So I feel like this year I have a goal, like oh -- last year my opponent, he just caught fire on the last few holes. I knew I could have won that.

This year I was like, okay, I can keep going forward. It's really exciting to see.

Q. What were your expectations coming in?

EDAN CUI: I mean, I played the course, and I was like, wow, this is tough, like how much the greens were rolling. I was like, I just wanted to make the cut really.

As I went through, though, I was super surprised how good my ball-striking was, and through I guess each round, I'm starting to have higher expectations for myself. Just setting higher goals for myself, too.

Q. Your caddie caddied on the PGA TOUR for almost four decades. How much is he helping you?

EDAN CUI: He's helping me a lot. I'm from California. You never get Bermuda. It's always poa annua or bent. Bermuda greens, it's super hard for me. He's on the TOUR; they play on Bermuda every day pretty much. That's helped me a lot.

It gets a little windy out here, and that calculation is really helpful. I mean, the release of the greens, like normally in California it's super wet, damp, but here it's super different. Yeah, he's been essential.

He's worked with me since I was like seven or eight, and without him, my game wouldn't be here.