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EDS BYRON NELSON CHAMPIONSHIPApril 27, 2007Colt KnostIRVING, TEXAS JOE CHEMYCZ: We welcome Colt Knost into the interview room. Colt with a 6-under par 64 today on the TPC at Las Colinas course. Lots of good things happening for you for the first two days, not only the low amateur but the first amateur to make the cut here since Justin Leonard I think in 1993. Maybe just talk about your first two rounds out here and the experience, and we'll open it up for some questions. COLT KNOST: I mean, it's just been unbelievable the last few days. It couldn't have happened in a better place being in Dallas and everything, and today was just unreal. I feel like I didn't play real well yesterday but I brought it back pretty strong today. JOE CHEMYCZ: 13 of 18 greens, 12 of 14 fairways, 25 putts obviously. Everything looked like it was better. COLT KNOST: Yeah, I mean, the biggest thing was the fairways. I think I hit seven or eight yesterday, just drove it terrible. Normally that's the strength of my game is keeping it in the fairway. That was definitely the biggest difference today. Q. What were you thinking on the 18th when you knew you had it and you just had to finish up? COLT KNOST: I mean, I was really nervous on the tee but then hit a pretty good tee shot under the circumstances. I just got a little excited on the approach shot and pulled it. Then hit a great bunker shot, and I don't know, wasn't thinking too well over the putt. Q. How long was the putt? COLT KNOST: Five feet. Q. How did you kind of settle down after No. 2? COLT KNOST: I don't know, I've made plenty of bogeys in my career. I wasn't too worried about it. Just was trying to do the best I could out there, and honestly was just trying to get it around even or 1-over and make the cut and just kind of kept going lower. Q. You have a decision to make with the tournament starting Sunday. When will you make that call? COLT KNOST: I'll decide tonight. I'm going to make sure the team can play four on Sunday and then me play Monday and Tuesday hopefully if that's allowed. If not, I'll have to do some more thinking. I'll decide tonight. Tomorrow has nothing to do with my decision. Q. What's the decision process for those that don't know? COLT KNOST: Well, our conference tournament starts Sunday. It's Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, so obviously with me making the cut I'd miss the first round. So it's just kind of a tough decision. I mean, I don't want to leave my team out there, but this is kind of an unbelievable experience to pass up. Q. Where is it? COLT KNOST: In Texarkana, Texarkana Country Club. Q. If one of your teammates were in your shoes, what would you wish he would do? COLT KNOST: He'd have to play in this. You can't pass up a PGA TOUR event, especially -- the biggest thing about conference is trying to get into regionals, and we're already in regionals. We'll see, though. Q. On Monday at the Monday qualifier you were so happy to get through that playoff and everything, and now that you've taken a gigantic step further, what do you think now compared to Monday? COLT KNOST: I mean, I was just -- on Monday I was obviously just happy to get in the tournament, and now after today it just gives me such confidence in my game that I know I'm doing the right things to get better, and I proved to myself today that I can play out here. I mean, coming into this week I was kind of wondering how I'd do, wondering if I belonged out here, but now I kind of know I do. Q. You've got how many wins this year? COLT KNOST: Three. Q. How about the difference on the first tee from yesterday to today? Did you feel a little more comfortable out there today, and even after the bogey on 2 you started getting back in the groove? COLT KNOST: I wasn't really that nervous yesterday on the first tee. One of the guys on the tee, Finley Ewing, was just joking around with me the whole time before I teed it up and just really relaxed me. Today I was probably a little more nervous. The starter announced SMU Mustang and everybody kind of gave it a roar and kind of shocked me a little bit. Q. What course did you grow up playing? COLT KNOST: I started out playing Lake Kiowa Country Club. It's like 20 minutes north of Pilot Point. Gainesville, around there. Q. How old were you when you started? COLT KNOST: 12. Q. How many times have you played this course before and what's your low score prior to today here? COLT KNOST: I actually have played this course one time, and I didn't even play the last five holes. Today was the first time I've seen the last five holes, so -- because I on the practice round Tuesday we played 1 through 5 and then 12, and then we got rained out. Honestly, I remembered like 6 through 11, I guess, but the last few I've never seen. 17 I had no idea. I actually was watching it on TV last night and they said it plays six yards downhill. That's the only reason I knew that. Q. How long ago was it you played? COLT KNOST: About a year ago, two years ago. It's been a while. And I've never played the one across the street. I played ten holes of a practice round on Wednesday and that was it. Q. Take us through the -- what did you do there on 2 to make bogey, and then we'll turn it around with some birdies? COLT KNOST: 2, I tried to hit a hard 6-iron from like 191. I couldn't really figure out what the wind was doing and hit it in the bunker and hit a pretty good bunker shot, hit it a little thin over the green and actually made a six, eight-footer for bogey. Q. And the string of birdies there starting at 3? COLT KNOST: Yeah, 3 I blocked my tee shot, thought I hit it in the water and it just stayed up, hit a 5-iron to about six inches, made birdie. 4, I hit 9-iron into about 12 feet, made birdie. 5, I hit 9-iron from 151 to about eight feet. And then 7, I think I had like 244 up the hill and hit hybrid to about eight or ten feet. 11, I hit a wedge from 128 to about 15 feet. 15, that was probably one of the better shots I hit today. I hit a 6-iron from 188 to about eight feet left of the hole there. And then 16, I debated on whether or not to try to get up there as close as I could or lay back, and I decided to get it up there all the way, and I was just short left. Actually when I was watching it last night I saw Corey Pavin in the same spot and hit a chip shot a lot like he did, hit it kind of hot and it spun to about three feet or something. Q. What year are you in school? COLT KNOST: I'm a senior. Q. Before this Monday qualifying what was your plan? Did you have any plans for after your college career? What were you planning on the next step to be? COLT KNOST: Well, I'm staying an amateur through the summer to try and make the Walker Cup team. If I don't make the Walker Cup I'll turn pro after the U.S. Am. If not I'll turn pro as soon as the Walker Cup is over. Q. Chase more Monday qualifiers the rest of the year? COLT KNOST: Yeah, I mean, see how this week goes, and if the summer goes well hopefully get in some events, we'll see. Hopefully get in as many events as I can before Q-school. Q. PGA TOUR or Nationwide Tour? COLT KNOST: Both. Q. Have any of your buddies called you and have been watching TV or are they all here? COLT KNOST: There's a lot of people out there. I haven't checked my phone, but there was a lot of people out there. JOE CHEMYCZ: Colt, thank you. End of FastScripts |
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