THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 18, 2024

Ben Van Wyk

Quick Quotes

Q. That 67 on the tougher course, you must be delighted with that?

BEN VAN WYK: Yeah, got off to a bogey start on 1. Settled me down, I guess, and just tried to play patient golf. Hit a nice hole out eagle on, I don't know, the sixth hole maybe. Hit driver down there and made a great shot from the bush on the left there. Ever since then, I basically just plotted my way around nicely and I guess the mentality was good today. Super positive and optimistic more than pessimistic.

Q. How did you get the eagle?

BEN VAN WYK: I hit a drive. I was debating hitting an iron down there. I thought, might as well hit a driver because it's going to be a tough second shot either way. I was 40 yards in the bush on the left and made a career shot over the bunker and just rolled in. So that was nice.

Q. That finish on 18, that was a cracker. What did you lit in for your approach?

BEN VAN WYK: Yeah, that tee shot on 18 is one of the tougher ones. I just hit a low tee-down driver down the middle and I had 160 metres, just hit a 7-iron with the crosswind. I wasn't aiming three feet right of the hole but that's where it ended. I'll take it.

Q. Good momentum going into the match play now, you must be feeling -- after last year, it's all about getting through, isn't it?

BEN VAN WYK: Yeah, last year I won the qualifier and then I felt kind of almost like defending it. I'm excited and I can't wait.

Q. Match play, obviously, right up your street, head-to-head.

BEN VAN WYK: I love match play, especially on a place like this where you can make scrappy pars over your opponents. It's a course where you basically have to up-and-down from the right spots. I like my chances there.

Q. Two South African winners the last couple of times. What are they doing right? Obviously doing something.

BEN VAN WYK: The South Africans are doing something right. They have some wind down there. I guess just the competitive nature we have.

Q. Are you all driving each other along?

BEN VAN WYK: For sure. They make sure we know that we need to keep the momentum going.