U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 16, 2023

Blades Brown

Cherry Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You had to gut that one out. You had a 3-up lead and he came back at you.

BLADES BROWN: He was putting on the pressure. I started missing fairways and he would just hit it to like six feet and all of a sudden I was like, okay, I need to hit it six feet, and that kind of threw me off. I just needed to stick to my game.

But I think I was kind of using this as like a warmup because if I have to play Nick Dunlap or Gordon Sargent, I'm going to have to play really good.

Q. Tell me about 17. Your second shot was short.

BLADES BROWN: It was, yeah. I got so lucky on that second shot. It was 237 to the pin, and an easy hybrid is like 245 carry, and it was kind of gusting into me, and I was like, okay, I know this can get there. I had the perfect club. I hit it but I hit it on the heel, and it just ballooned right, and I was like oh, my gosh, I just lost in the round of 64.

But it stayed up in the rough. I had practiced that shot pretty much for like 30 minutes before I played, and then it was just muscle memory at that point, hit it up, and then made the putt.

Q. How far did you have and which wedge did you use?

BLADES BROWN: I used a 58-degree and it was kind of sitting down more than I would have liked just because I was thinking it was going to be teed up pretty much, but it wasn't. I hit a 58-degree, kind of a flop shot. I hit it to -- I would have taken that any day of the week, and I'm happy I made the putt.

Q. But he was inside of you?

BLADES BROWN: Yeah, he was.

Q. What are you thinking when you're standing over that putt?

BLADES BROWN: At that point, I was like, okay -- I'm not going to lie, if I would have missed that, he would have made his. That's just how that works.

But I made mine. I don't really fist pump. I kind of fist pumped because I was like, okay, that was huge. I just made par on 18, because 18 is probably one of the harder holes.

Q. I saw where you were in the fairway; were you trying to play to the middle of the green?

BLADES BROWN: I was, yeah, because he missed the green, which was huge, because I was like, okay, very, very slim chance he chips in.

I think it was going to be -- if no adrenaline, no nothing, it was going to be a full 7, but my adrenaline was up, wind was behind, and I was like, okay -- I hit a good shot and then I didn't hear a clap, and I was like, did I fly the green? It was luckily just below the pin, easy two-putt.

Q. When you started out today, what were your emotions like?

BLADES BROWN: I mean, I was hitting the ball really, really good. I was just trying to get in the mindset of okay, it's just me and the golf course.

I'm kind of playing him, but at the same time I'm playing the golf course, so I just kept my mentality. I was doing really good. I may have gotten tired. I probably need to go take a nap. But I think if I just recover really good and then hopefully I'll get back at it tomorrow because tomorrow is going to be 36, I think.

Q. You started out pretty well, won 3, 4 and 5 to get the lead. What were you doing right at that point?

BLADES BROWN: I was hitting fairways. I didn't miss a fairway besides one hole. Over the past two days since I've played this course, I only missed one fairway, and I think that is so big on this course.

Q. Then you won 8 and 9. You won 8 with a birdie; how did you do that?

BLADES BROWN: I was playing my game. He missed the green, which was a lot better, but I was just trying to go for short right of the pin, and I hit it just short right of the pin.

Q. How long do you think that was?

BLADES BROWN: It was probably nine feet, eight feet, and it was uphill right to left, and I was like, it's going in.

Q. Then again, you have a 3-up lead, you said you got a little bit tired --

BLADES BROWN: I think I got tired. He gave me an energy drink, which I think kind of boosted me up a little bit.

I was talking to Jack like, this is just practice because we're going to have to be doing a lot of this, hopefully.

Q. How do you feel about playing on this course and in match play now that you have gone through a match?

BLADES BROWN: I think my last match play event was Kiawah Four-Ball -- it was the U.S. Four-Ball, but I'm with a teammate, so that's a little different environment rather than just you and your caddie. I haven't had a match play event like this since last year's U.S. Junior, which that's a pretty long time.

This whole environment is so different. I like it.

Q. How do you think the course sets up for you in match play?

BLADES BROWN: I really like it. Jack is really certain about going center green because if we go center green and not go at pins, we are going to have a lot better chance at making birdie. Course management is huge on this course.