U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

September 26, 2024

Evan Beck

Kinloch Golf Club

Quick Quotes

EVAN BECK: I'm playing probably the best golf of my life, so maybe if I stuck with it, I could have made some money.

Happy with today, with this week, and it's really special to do it so close to home. Looking forward to what's next.

Q. You said that last year really helped you. In what particular ways? Because the course is different, you're playing a little bit differently, but what did you go through last year that helped you this year?

EVAN BECK: Just like the agony of getting smoked by Stewart, and just so nervous. I mean, I didn't sleep at all the last couple nights and couldn't eat breakfast. Just knowing that you have to come out with everything and you can't just make pars and hope the other guy makes mistakes.

Q. I know it's just been a few minutes, but have you thought about what this means next year, Augusta, the U.S. Open, everything? Did your boss give you a couple weeks off at the beginning of April to go to Georgia next year?

EVAN BECK: I've been thinking about it every day. Try not to get emotional, try to stay in the moment, and hit one shot at a time. Mikey, wherever he is, he might have split already, my caddie, Mikey Moyers, did a really good job of keeping me in it.

We played, what, 28 holes, and he must have said come on, Mike, like 750 times to try to like stay thinking about what we're doing and not thinking about what comes with this.

Q. 16 years ago you played your first final. What does it now mean to get that USGA title? You've had two bites at the apple and two defeats and now you have one today.

EVAN BECK: That's a tough memory there, Dave. I got beat pretty bad that week. 2008, Cameron Peck. He did the same thing, he came out hot, and it took me however many years you just said to learn how to do it the right way. Slow learner, but I got it.

Q. Do you feel redeemed in a way after those kinds of defeats?

EVAN BECK: Yeah, for sure. To get all the way there and come up short is gut-wrenching. To be able to push through and prove that you can do it to yourself, more than anything, it's pretty awesome.

Q. When I say you're a USGA champion, what does that mean to you as a longtime golfer?

EVAN BECK: It's pretty sweet. I always dreamt of winning one of these. It's incredible that it happened so close to home.

Q. You obviously played a guy today who hits it far, out drives you on most holes. You got up on him early, you made some birdies, and then he kind of -- early in that second nine in the morning round, he had a chance to kind of get you, and he only got one hole. Then you got three straight wins with him making bogeys. Did you sense that was kind of the turning point?

EVAN BECK: I do. I think he was probably pressing a little bit, and rightfully so. You're down, it feels like a lot of holes, but it's really not.

I was just lucky to stay in it and keep making pars and birdies, and the speed on my putts were good all week. Had a couple drop, which was great.

Q. When that 40-footer fell on the 1st hole of the afternoon round, were you thinking to yourself, man, this is my day?

EVAN BECK: I was thinking that after the first 18, and then that one went in, and the crowd went crazy. That was a really cool moment. It shouldn't have dropped in. It kind of went in the back side, but we'll take it.

Q. Talk a little bit about doing it here at a place with Vinny, your relationship with Vinny, how special that is to win your first amateur at a place that is home to one of the greatest amateurs of all time.

EVAN BECK: So being from Virginia, Vinny's like my golfing hero. So it's really cool to be here holding this trophy.

Q. Do you know much about Bob Jones and his career as an amateur?

EVAN BECK: Yeah, a little bit.

Q. Does it feel weird to be holding something that has his name on it?

EVAN BECK: It feels really weird. It doesn't feel real. I think it will sink in at some point. There's a lot of great names on this trophy, and somehow mine's going to be on there too. I don't know.

Q. Who do you call first for a practice round next year at the two majors you're going to play in? Anybody that you'd like to play with?

EVAN BECK: I don't know. Maybe some of the Wake guys, Will Zalatoris, Webb, I don't know, we'll see. Getting ahead of myself.

Q. Considering how close you were last year to getting to those things, was that tough to swallow? Then how sweet does it make it getting over the hump this year and getting to do that?

EVAN BECK: Last year was pretty brutal. It wasn't even really close. The score was close at the end, 3 and 2, I think I lost, but I was down 9 at one point.

Like I said earlier, to be able to come back and make it to the finals again and come out on top is pretty sweet.

Q. Have you played Oakmont ever?

EVAN BECK: I have.

Q. In a competitive thing?

EVAN BECK: No, like a Tuesday, middle of nothing.

Q. What were your thoughts?

EVAN BECK: It was really, really hard. We'll see. I don't know.

Q. Did you get a chance to play Augusta while you were at Wake?

EVAN BECK: No, never have.

Q. Sometimes a team gets to go down.

EVAN BECK: They did. A kid on my team, his dad is a member, and they took the team, but I was out West that week. So I missed the trip. I think we're going to get to go.

Q. What's your official occupation? You're a consultant -- do you have a company in D.C.?

EVAN BECK: I'm an associate portfolio manager for Brown Advisory in D.C., based in Baltimore.

Q. You live in D.C.?

EVAN BECK: Our office is in D.C., yes.

Q. When you think of growing up here, kind of the dream when you were a little kid, playing in the Masters and things like that, then to have it actually come to reality, just that journey, what's that like?

EVAN BECK: Pretty wild. It obviously hasn't sunk in yet. You've see me cry like three times, I'm probably going to do some more of that later.

Yeah, it's going to be crazy. Hopefully we'll be able to get some people to come down and have a great week.

Q. How many times have you tried for The Open?

EVAN BECK: I don't know, a lot. Never made it.

Q. Made it to sectionals how many times?

EVAN BECK: Three.

Q. Different question. There's going to be a Giles Invitational next year. I know you're a big part of trying to get people to come for that. How cool is that that you'll be reigning Mid-Amateur champion here going into that?

EVAN BECK: It's cool. No matter what the situation is, coming back for a tournament or just hanging out, it's cool.

Really excited about the Giles Invitational. It's long overdue. This is an incredibly special place, and I think we're going to do right by honoring Vinny and his legacy.

Q. You think most of these guys will come back?

EVAN BECK: I hope so. I've been getting texts and calls from guys wanting to play. I don't know if we're going to have to turn guys away, but it's in pretty high demand.

I think everybody loved their experience this week, rightfully so. I think it should be a fun event going forward.