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U.S. JUNIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2017

Ryan Smith

Andover, Kansas

Q. How happy are you to be in the quarterfinals in the Junior Amateur?
RYAN SMITH: Quite happy to say the least. Happy that I have that 18th hole done. That's completely -- that was my, whew, first time enjoying that hole for once. So, yeah, that was a big-time plus, and that gives me confidence into tomorrow if I need to go that far that I can birdie that hole, just complete, utter confidence. So, yeah, I feel pretty good about that.

Q. What's happened to you to bring you to this point in this championship? Where is this all coming from?
RYAN SMITH: Short game lot of good short game, lot of good putting. Short game is key in these championships. Just playing from the rough. You have to practice the worst, just in case you get it. The better people get luckier bounces, and you just have to have will and determination to get it done some rounds like today.

He's a great player. He's a tough player. Tough players, played really consistent, and didn't give up any easy hole, so, yeah, really happy about that, yeah.

Q. Let's talk about the finish. You're all square going into 17. How did it all unfold? Because, obviously, it's unusual, but it happens where you win a hole off a bogey.
RYAN SMITH: Yeah, well, yeah, well, after he hit his in the water, I was just trying to aim from the middle of the green. I don't know why, but every time on that hole I always hit it like right on the left edge of the green. So I give myself a little bit of a hard time with that hole.

But after he two-putted for 5, I was just trying to lag that five-footer up there. I wasn't trying to do anything special with making it or anything like that. Yeah, that was the one hole all day that I think he might have given to me.

Q. Then 18, you can tell us what club you hit, but that's a super third shot in.
RYAN SMITH: Yeah, that's just a full lob wedge really. Just a nice, smooth swing, nothing crazy hard. I have a backstop back there behind the hole that if I really smoke it, I can get it spinning off of that. After he hit his second over the green, it was a little bit easier to give myself a chance to lay up and not really pressure myself into doing anything incredible with that third shot. Yeah, it was nice to put that in nice and close, and not have to really worry about the putt too much.

Q. What was your distance on that?
RYAN SMITH: I had 102 to the hole.

Q. Just talking to you now I get a sense, a feeling of relief?
RYAN SMITH: Yes, yeah. Especially after that match. He's such a consistent player. He's probably one of the tougher opponents I'll play in this tournament. I mean, he's so consistent every time. He puts the ball in play, nothing crazy, he just doesn't have any weaknesses. So I definitely feel a little bit relieved getting that 18th hole over with and not having to go back and play that one again.

Q. The last one for me, you were down early in the match, but then you won 7, 8 and 9. How did you go about winning those holes to get yourself in?
RYAN SMITH: Hit the ball in play. Yeah, didn't lose five balls today, so that was a plus. Actually put my driver in the fairway for once on 7. So I gave myself a decent look at that hole.

8, was just trying to hit it to the front of the green and two-putt. My putting has been really good this week, especially speed-wise. Then 9, yeah. That was nice to even that out. Especially after he chipped in earlier in the match. So it was nice to get that to even out a little bit.

Q. How did you do that on 9?
RYAN SMITH: You know, it was a tough one because right where the ball was it was a little bit down grain right toward the hole, and right behind it it was completely into. It was kind of where a footprint was. So it was a tough one especially with the downslope just before the green with the water by it. So I kind of had to put a little check spin on it to get it to stop running down that slope. It would have been pretty close either way. But it was a little bit of a good luck charm for that to go in. So, yeah. Just flick and stick, really.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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