U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 17, 2023

Jose Islas

Cherry Hills Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. You're moving on. Just talk through that marathon of a day, two rounds, two wins. How does it feel?

JOSE ISLAS: It feels great. I played good. I started well these matches. The first one I started really well. I just took advantage, and just keep it on the fairway, keep doing great things. Felt good things around the green, so it was a good day.

Q. You were never behind in that match. Are you familiar with being ahead in a match, and how do you stay ahead in a match?

JOSE ISLAS: Yeah, today I kind of repeated to myself that I was even. Even through 11, so I was 3-up, but I kind of repeating to myself that I was even there, and I just tried to move forward from there. Keep hitting good shots. I hit it into the water on 12. As soon as I dropped my ball I forgot that shoot, so I think that was key for the rest of the round, and just keep hitting good shots throughout the day.

Q. Speaking of the most challenging part of Cherry Hills here, the altitude with the length, what have you tried to get a handle on as quickly as possible to bring you this far?

JOSE ISLAS: I've played in San Louis Potosí in Mexico, which is about the same elevation, so I'm very familiar to see the ball flying that much with the spin and the wind, how much it's going to fly downwind into the wind. I'm very used to that.

But I will say the tee shots, you've got to be on the fairway 100 percent. From the rough there's not much you can do other than try to make a par. But I would say the tee shot is the most challenging thing at Cherry Hills for sure.