U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

August 14, 2025

Niall Shiels Donegan

The Olympic Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How do you feel?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Elated, ecstatic. Yeah, it's amazing. Just trying to enjoy the moment right now and get ready for tomorrow, I guess.

Q. What was the adrenaline like, not just being in the U.S. Amateur, but as a home game with that kind of crowd?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: I think I've done a really good job this week of controlling that adrenaline and using it only when I need to, just every shot refocusing, not getting ahead of myself, staying in the present.

But, yeah, it's hard sometimes when you've got -- the crowd around this amphitheater of the 18th green, you're shaking a little bit. That's three putts that I've holed to win my matches down 18. It's been great.

Q. How do you come down from this? It's only the round of 16.

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: My dad does a pretty good job of that. He reminds me that I'm just human, like at the end of the day, this is just golf. 10 percent of my life is golf. 90 percent of my life is my family, my friends. Just keep the 10 percent where it is and live the other 90 like anybody else.

Q. Seems like you really feed off the crowd. Can you talk about what the crowd does to you?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: I don't know. I kind of black out whenever that happens. I just do whatever feels right. I just try and hit the shots and see what happens.

Q. How often did you play this course growing up, and how much does your familiarity help?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Growing up, I really didn't play it much, but ever since I got exempt in the top 100 in the middle of June, I've probably gotten out here six, seven times on the lake course and a couple of times on the ocean course.

Grateful that there's so many members in Mill Valley and the city here that are willing to help me out and support me. It takes a true village.

Q. You've been living at home over the summer, I assume?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: No. I was in the UK for a month and Europe playing tournaments some over there, and then getting set up over at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, for the upcoming year.

Q. Is there part of you that feels like you already kind of won this week or no?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: No, absolutely not. It's just great memories so far. I mean, see what tomorrow holds, and whatever happens, I'm loving it.

Q. You're still in this tournament, obviously, like you said. You're still getting to play tomorrow. Was there any bit of maybe Walker Cup aspirations with that matchup there considering he's already on the team and that's obviously a goal of yours too?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: No. Walker Cup, that's one of those things, if you just focus on playing golf, working hard, like it will happen. I think I've done a really good job of flushing that out -- God, I'm forgetting my words here -- outcome related goals, just focusing on my process, and we'll see what happens come Cypress.

Q. You just played 36 holes of grueling golf. How does your body feel? What are you going to do tonight to get back in shape?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Luckily with college golf there's so many 36-hole days, you kind of get used to it. Any walk around this place for 36 holes is going to be up the legs. Get the blood flowing, just a lot of relaxing this evening.

Q. I gathered earlier you're planning to transfer to North Carolina?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Yes.

Q. You went to Northwestern the last two years?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Yeah, I was.

Q. You'll be in North Carolina this coming season?

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Yeah.

Q. Your tee shot on 15, he hits the green, it's about 20 feet. What's going through your mind as you're watching the ball fly through the air? That seems to be where you really took control of the match.

NIALL SHIELS DONEGAN: Yeah, to be honest, in the morning Christiaan Maas hit a similar shot to his that flew a bit further and got past the back ridge. I thought he'd done something similar to that. In the morning I'd hit one club extra, and it moved quite a bit left.

Took the club down one and just hit it hard. When it was flying, I was thinking, if this is the number, it could be good. Then I heard the roars, and I was like, oh, tap-in maybe? Then I came up and it was eight foot, and I was like, oh, dang.