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U.S. MID-AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPOctober 9, 2009Nathan SmithKIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA PETE KOWALSKI: I'd like to welcome our 2009 U.S. Mid-Amateur Champion, Nathan Smith. If you could just maybe give us a sum up of what this means to you, winning the second time, and having the experience of having been through trying to win it again. Now it's taken you, what, six years to do it again. That's pretty good stuff. NATHAN SMITH: Well, you can't even put it into words. You know, there are so many good players. I remember the first time I won it, you know, I was a lot younger and a lot more naive. You go through a couple of these, whether it's the U.S. Amateur or the U.S. Man, you just realize how hard it is. You know, it was tough. You get in the finals and you just never know if you're ever gonna get back there again. You really want to try to make it count, so I tried to play as hard as I could. Q. Does this validate your win in 2003 when your opponent was injured and could not finish? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, I got be honest, yeah. It does. It kind of -- yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, Brian is a great player. It was really unfortunate. But at the same time, you wish you could play it out. This definitely means a lot. Q. With the year you've had, Walker Cup, Men's State Team put this into words, what this means. NATHAN SMITH: Well, as I said yesterday (indiscernible), it's real honor. He's a great player. That's just an honor. But as far as -- yeah, it's a dream. I don't know what else to say. You know, I was part of two great teams with a lot of special players on it. So, I mean, you know, I kind of look at it that way. It's just an unbelievable way to end the year. Q. What did playing all that golf this summer do for your play at the Mid-Amateur? NATHAN SMITH: Well, it helped a lot. I think you're through it, but I think it really helped me in the Walker Cup with the intersquad. Just being around those younger guys and watching how they do things and how they play. I kind of took it all in and I really watched them closely. I think the other thing is I'm 31. You know, I won the Mid-Am, like I said, I was younger and naive. You don't have a lot of baggage, if that makes any sense. You play in these, and sometimes you can easily get a negative attitude. Being around those younger guys is almost like you're rejuvenated. There's a confidence. I kind of fed off that and watched them. I think that kind of -- you know, it was great. Q. Did you feel that if there's one place for Tim, where 5, his ball was in the hole, comes out and then you make the putt to have the hole, was that kind of when you felt this could be my day? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, I thought that was huge. He had a great shot. It looked like it went in from our view, and then it was one of those where I just wanted to make a real good effort and get the putt there. As soon as I let it go, it was good. When it went in, I mean, stuff like that that happens, it's just meant to be. I had a lot more of that week. I had some of that in 2003. You know, at times you gotta grind it out, but I mean, that was just kind of like just another, you know, meant-to-be thing this week. Q. Was it a matter of you playing well, Tim playing poorly, or a combination of the two? NATHAN SMITH: Well, the pins out there a so tough. I think there's such a fine line. I went out there this morning, and my goal was I really just didn't want to give him anything and make a bogey. I accomplished that this morning. He played really well. If you're one foot here and one foot there, like I said, there's a fine line. Unfortunately this morning, you know, a lot of good shots that were maybe just a little bit too long or too short. I kind of lucked out. I had a lot of right numbers and clubs into the greens and was able to take advantage that was. Q. What was your Master's experience like in '04, and what do you think could be different about Magnolia Lane? NATHAN SMITH: Well, that was a dream. I mean, playing -- I remember playing in the par-3 with Phil. You know, he ended up winning that year, which was his first one. Our tee times were pretty similar and I had lunch with him a couple times. That's just off the chart. Then the guy goes out and wins his first Major, and you're kind of there every step of the way. So I don't know if it's could get more special than that. It's hard for me to think about that. But, you know, that's a dream. Q. How did you do there? NATHAN SMITH: I shot 78, 72, and I missed the cut by two shots. Yeah, I needed par. It was par on the last hole. Tough hole. Q. Do you allow yourself to think about going in there, Okay, I've been here before, and I can try and make the cut now. I've got a different mindset now. NATHAN SMITH: Well, that's something -- you know, I've got a lot of time to think about that. It's hard for me. I'm kind of just coming off these matches. But, sure, when the time rolls around, I want to be try to be competitive somehow down there. I mean, that is the fun of it. At times it feels a little ceremonial. But I want to somehow try to be competitive with those guys. I'll try and figure out a way. Q. Would you try to play with Phil again in the par-3? NATHAN SMITH: I would be okay with that. I would be okay with that. (Laughter.) Q. What about playing and preparing for the Masters? NATHAN SMITH: That'll be big. I mean, I think just maybe the preparation through the winter. Of course, I don't know how you're gonna be in PA and you're gonna stay sharp and balance it all. But, you know, I think that just playing the course, you know, playing in the tournament and maybe have a little more feel for shots around the greens and be a little more prepared. Q. Let's answer the question of the level of your superstition. Give us a run-through about what you did that was repetitive this week that is part of your routine. NATHAN SMITH: Well, I did the same thing in '03. The last couple rounds of the match play, I pretty much wore the same outfit. I'll just give you two. I wore this pink shirt. I wore it in the medal round over here. I played good, and then I kind of got back to it the last couple days. I washed the shirt and everything, so it was all good there. Then I think we kept going back to King Street to eat every night, so I think I'm gonna not eat steak for a while. Q. Did I hear you also made your mother park in the same parking spot? NATHAN SMITH: Maybe. Yeah, maybe. I gave you two. I figured that was, you know, enough. (Laughter.) Q. Eat the same thing for breakfast? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, you know, but -- yeah. (Laughter.) Q. Are you a superstitious person? NATHAN SMITH: I really am not. But, you know, when you get to these formats, I mean, sure, you become that. You can't help but become that, so... Q. What is your relationship with Arnold Palmer? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, well, you know, he's been great. You know, being from western PA, like everybody, he's one of our heroes. I think when I did injure my shoulder, I got a phone call. I've talked to him throughout years. He's the best. He's the king. Q. Do you seek him out to maybe play practice rounds? NATHAN SMITH: Maybe. If he's up to it, you know. Q. When you have a summer like this where you're really doing well, do you ever say, Maybe I'll go pro, maybe I'll try this or something? NATHAN SMITH: Sure. You know, like I said, I'm never gonna say never like Brett Favre. (Laughter.) Q. He's coming back. NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, but, you know, it's a perfect fit for me. Like anybody, yeah, you have days where you're out there and playing great and you start to think. Then you have other days where you're pretty comfortable. But it just seems like a perfect fit. Q. You have the right balance of golf and family? NATHAN SMITH: I think so. I don't know if my wife thinks so. I think it's pretty good. Q. Where did you manner on the course come from? NATHAN SMITH: I don't know. I think it's -- I don't know. I think that's just in my personality. You know, a lot of these events you never want kind of tip your hand. You don't want to have the person you're playing kind of see anything, you know, that you're upset or rattled or anything. You know, this event too, I mean, you really just gotta go play and have a good attitude. It's crazy how much people can (indiscernible.) Q. Tell us about the last shot. What club did you hit? What yardage did you hit? And it was six inches? NATHAN SMITH: Close. Well, it was one of those where it's just funny. You get into match play situations, and you play it in stroke play, but you get this feeling that your opponent is just not gonna miss. I just felt like Tim was gonna just keep kind of going on a run. He's such a good player, it was one of those you just want the match to end. I had 100 yards to the pin, and it was really a perfect 56. I had to just control the spin. I knew when I hit it it kind of -- you know, I knew it was probably gonna be pretty good. I was just trying to get it inside just if he made it, at least I would have a look or something like that. Q. Your mindset? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, I mean, I just -- you know, I kind of went out this morning and I just kind of went out. A 36-hole marathon you just want to go out and play. You don't want to be looking over your shoulder. I wanted to play like it was another Saturday with a buddy. And then, you know, it was one of those. Once I got a lead, I just wanted to try to improve. It's amazing how quickly things can change. If you're only 5 or 6 up and all of a sudden there's a couple birdies. There's a lot of holes to play. It was almost like in 36 there's nowhere to go. I mean, you can get how many up and it just never stays. But then this afternoon I kind of tried to shadow him, and I felt like even having a hole was a win. Q. How much work is piled up at home? NATHAN SMITH: What a bad question. (Laughter.) I don't know. You know, now I -- yeah, sure. There's a lot. There's a lot of work. It's been tough, but everybody has been great. My wife and everybody. Q. How many of those guys will be asking for Master's tickets? NATHAN SMITH: Probably quite a few, yeah. Q. What do you do? NATHAN SMITH: Investment adviser at Executive Wealth Counselors. Q. Do you ever think about turning professional? NATHAN SMITH: Sure. Yeah, I think in '03 I was just starting to play a lot of -- I mean, I went to Allegheny College. It was just one of those I was kind of starting to get into. I was going grad school and my game just kind of kept progressing. It wasn't like I was gonna walk out of college and turn pro. I think maybe a little more -- you know, everything is just a little better. It just seemed that in '03, there were a lot of timely things happening, some aspects of my game seem a little better. And the course management, just being around, playing, it's a little better, too. Q. Were you a good high school player? NATHAN SMITH: Yeah, I mean, you know, I won the Pennsylvania championship as a sophomore in high school. Yeah, I had a couple top finishes my junior and senior year. Yeah, I mean, I had some different offers from some different T1 schools. It's just, you know, Allegheny was a great fit for me. You know, it was one of those I could go in and I could play, you know, without going up the ladder. Q. You didn't make a bogey until the afternoon. What happended on those holes? NATHAN SMITH: I hit -- yeah, the ones on -- I'm trying to think. Maybe, 6, the par-5 was my first -- I thought I had to go way right there. I thought he was in trouble. The wind was going that way, and I wanted to get up to like 5. I just missed it. I put it on the wrong side of the green, so I three-putted there. Then 8 I was in a divot. I mean, I hit that maybe (indiscernible) (laughter.) I see the camera back there, and I just chunk it. It was in the tree. I didn't know how it was gonna come out. No, I hit two good shots. Just didn't happen. I was trying to make bogey and make him make par. But eventually the course is gonna get you. Like I said, it's such a fine line out there. There were some good shots. You know, I had some great shots just to get it on the green. Yeah, coming down the stretch, it's one of those where you start to think about it and kind of do the math. Q. You talked about it was meant to be on 5. On 9 the first time around you put it near the water, and you have to chip up and save par there. I mean, that seemed like another one of those, you know, impossible... NATHAN SMITH: Exactly. I was just trying to get something up there short left and maybe just get a putt at it. I just barely got it up over the hill and it managed to feed in there. There were a couple good putts like that that just kind of kept it going. Absolutely. That's the stuff that has to happen. I've watched guys the last couple years that have beat me. It's just, you know, tip your cap. That's kind of how it felt. I kind of felt it all week. It was that type of year for me, so... Q. Will you play in the U.S. Open now? NATHAN SMITH: Sure. The Open is. That's definitely it. I'll have a great shot at it I guess with the Walker Cup exemption. So absolutely, sure. That's definitely something. Definitely something. End of FastScripts |
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