U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 25, 2024

Drew Kittleson

Kinloch Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. When's the last time you played 4-under golf and couldn't even get close to your opponent?

DREW KITTLESON: I couldn't even tell you when the last time was, and the course is very difficult and half rain and stuff. He played amazing. There's no scenario where somebody would have beat him.

Q. What's he doing so well?

DREW KITTLESON: Well, when you play like that, you do everything well. I mean, he -- let's see, birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, bogey, eagle, birdie. You do everything good when you do that.

Q. But you still tried to put some pressure on him?

DREW KITTLESON: No, I gave him everything I had. It was just tough. Then the rain and everything, he drove it so straight, and he drove it long. He played flawlessly, flawlessly. There's nothing he didn't do well.

When you do that, you win. That's how the game works.

Q. How far was he getting by you on the drive?

DREW KITTLESON: Oh, it wasn't like it was -- nothing of any substance, just -- I'm not sure he missed a fairway. Yeah, don't miss any fairways. That's pretty good.

Q. Let's talk about your week. First time to the semifinals. How would you evaluate your whole week?

DREW KITTLESON: It was very nice for my wife and my son to come. I played the Crump last week. So two weeks away from my family was a lot. So they came out. So I'm very appreciative that they came out.

You know, it's just I know I have the game. I just have other things going on in my life. So I don't get maybe the opportunities that others get.

I played a member guest, and then I played the Crump. So if you give me two weeks to like kind of tighten up, then I'll show up and I'll play good. But that's not how my life works, and that's okay. I'm very content with it.

Q. What part of your game was good this week?

DREW KITTLESON: My iron game was really good. It was really good. And my putting was -- everything was fine. I mean, there's nobody that was going to beat him. That's just the end of the story.

I have no idea how the other match is doing, but I bet my card would be doing pretty good against that match.

Q. Then this morning, you had a good one against Scott Harvey.

DREW KITTLESON: Yeah, we made one bogey each. So I mean, I made maybe a bogey or two for 30-something holes at this place in half rain. I mean, that's really good. It's hard to get around. So I'm very content with it. Disappointed with the outcome obviously, but I'm very content with how it went.

Next year -- I don't know if I'm exempt into next year.

Q. Yes, you are. That was going to be my next question.

DREW KITTLESON: In my hometown.

Q. Are you looking forward to it?

DREW KITTLESON: My father, when I was probably 12 years old we moved to -- so I grew up on Troon Country Club. Never a member there or anything, but lived there. So it will be fun. Very unique golf course. I think people are going to be very interested to see it.

Q. Can you tell me what's different about desert golf as opposed to what we see here in the East?

DREW KITTLESON: There's nothing. It's just an open landscape. There's no targets. When I went to Florida State, they -- part of my agreement to go there was we would play ASU's tournament. When my teammates came and played desert golf -- they're Florida guys. There was water and hazards and condos, and they were pretty lost.

It will be fascinating. The course is awesome. It's narrow and hard, and the desert is -- it will be very interesting. I'm very surprised that actually the tournament is there. It's interesting. And two years from now, the four ball is in Scottsdale, which has never happened since ever. I'm 35. Yeah, I can't even think of one.

Q. It's been a while.

DREW KITTLESON: It will be awesome to have two USGA events in Scottsdale. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. One last question going back. I know you have a tough schedule of work and everything, but when you beat a Scott Harvey, who's won this, and you play Bobby Massa, does that make you want to play in more amateur events at all?

DREW KITTLESON: Not really. I think I just have other priorities in my life. I love going and competing. I love going and battling. I really enjoy it.

But I have a lot of responsibility at work, and I've got 170 employees in multiple states. I have my life on the line working for me and my family and my other family, my brother and my father and everybody. So I have a a lot of responsibility.

If I'm really being honest, I would say that sometimes when I'm playing golf, I probably feel bad because I probably have other things that are more important.