AFRICA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

February 23, 2024

Christiaan Maas

Quick Quotes

Q. A course record equaling 63 today. Give us your reaction to that performance.

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: It was good. Pretty much the same as yesterday, just without the mistakes and stuff. I got off to a great start this morning. Hit it close on 1, holed out from the bunker on 2 and birdied 3, as well. So I was 4-under pretty quickly. I was actually not very happy with the way I finished the front nine. I had a bunch more opportunities especially after that start. Missed a couple putts again.

The back nine was better. Made birdie on 11. Golf course is playing very short, so we're hitting shortish clubs into -- par-5s are playing short. Managed to screw up 13 again and make par after being on the green.

All in all, I'm very glad I finished it off. Made a couple birdies in the end, especially actually birdieing 18 this time and not making double. Yeah, excited for tomorrow.

Q. What were the highlights of the round for you?

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: My bunker shot on 2 went in. Made eagle there.

Other than that, I don't really know. That was probably the best shot of the day. Other than that, it was not great golf shots. It was very mediocre golf shots, but I was in great spots and gave myself very good opportunities.

Q. Looking forward to tomorrow, you're in kind of prime position to kind of contend now for the title. How much confidence does that give you? How much momentum have you now got going into that final round?

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: It gives me a lot of momentum. I suppose just building from the first day and just keep playing better or just making less mistakes. Hopefully tomorrow I can continue, go bogey-free again. Luckily this time I'm in the final group, so I can see what happens around me.

Today I didn't really have an idea of how Ivan or Altin was playing. Yeah, tomorrow will be a good battle. I'm not even sure where Ivan ended or Altin ended. But yeah, very excited for tomorrow.

Q. How did you get into golf?

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: I got into golf by my dad. I played a lot of sports growing up, and he was also a little bit of a golfer, so he cut down a couple sticks so I played golf, rugby and stuff, but I suppose golf was always the most fun one. I loved practising golf. Never liked practising cricket or rugby, stuff like that. That's kind of how it started.

Q. Who was your golf inspiration?

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: Inspiration, the first one I watched was Louis Oosthuizen when he won the British Open at St Andrews. Actually we've got a farm in Limpopo, just outside of Bela-Bela, and he bought a tractor with his prize money after winning the Open and stuff. That kind of was my first golf inspiration.

After that, I've kind of learned about Tiger and watching Tiger's videos, so I think after that it's really Tiger. I admire him really with everything he did on the golf course, and some of the shots he pulled off under some circumstances was unbelievable.

Q. What's your favorite hole here and why?

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: Favorite hole here, I hate this hole but I also hole it. It's hole 7, the par-3. I feel like it's the most satisfying thing hitting a good tee shot on that hole because it's the one hole that sits in your head the whole day. One tiny mis-hit to the right in the water and you pull it a little and it's long left. I think that's one of my favorite holes around here.

Then the other one is 13, a very signature par-5. It's also getting to that green or on that green, having an eagle putt, watching over Kruger and stuff. Today there was elephants down there. Yeah, probably those two holes.

Q. How would you feel to hoist the trophy tomorrow?

CHRISTIAAN MAAS: It would be unbelievable. I've been looking forward to this tournament a lot, especially from Texas and flying all the way down here. That was the goal coming here. Hopefully keep my head down tomorrow and we'll see how it ends up.