U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 13, 2021

Michael Thorbjornsen

Oakmont Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. So difficult ending to what ended of up being a two-day match.

MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: Right, yeah. Nick and I both played pretty solid out there. We both made a couple mistakes.

Match was pretty back and forth. I think he got up early and I took the lead and he got it back towards the back nine.

Coming down the stretch I think I was 1-down with three to play and ended up losing hole 7, which is our 16th hole.

Yeah, just hit a poor chip there to save -- try and save par.

Next hole he absolutely flushes a 3-wood and it was one of the best shots I've seen in a long time to about 15 feet or so to the back of the green on 8. Forces me to hit a really good 3-iron try and rip one up there.

Ended up miss-hitting it a little bit, blocked it out to the right, had like a 25-yard chip. Yesterday just as I was about to chip, they called it off. Said, We have to come back tomorrow. I was like, Ah, man. That's not great.

But I don't know. I was just trying to think like, Hey, maybe I won't make that chip yesterday but maybe I will today. That's all Drew and I been talking about. What if this happened, that happened.

Q. Do you think about that shot all night long?

MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: Yeah, not in a way that it keeps me up, but just, oh, I can't wait to go back out there and hit it.

So we came out this morning, obviously didn't warmup or anything because it all depended on that shot right there. Chipped it; looked really good. I couldn't have landed it literally exactly where I wanted it to land. When it was rolling up to the pin it stayed straight instead of broke left. If it broke a little bit to the left it would've gone in.

Q. Obviously playing with Nick, where you do you feel he stands now as he keeps going? Where is his game at that you saw?

MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: He's definitely got game. The couple mistakes he made -- well, bot this morning, but yesterday afternoon -- just he had a couple three-putts in a row and that's what made me like go up in the match.

Hits the ball really far, really accurate driver, good ball-striker, and then again, just a great putter. He's just got an all-around good game. Definitely rooting for him to win this whole thing.

Q. Finally, what do you take away from the whole week?

MICHAEL THORBJORNSEN: Just another U.S. Amateur in the books. This place was so special. This is definitely one the toughest golf courses I've played. Definitely one of the most fun just because of how tough it is.

And hopefully get to come back here and couple years, few years to play the U.S. Open.