Lee & Kittleson Square off Today in Final of U.S. Amateur

DANNY LEE: Yeah, I mean, I'm just having a really, really good week and everything I hit, everything I putt just falls in the hole and it's just amazing.

MODERATOR: I think that when he came back on you twice, you got the par-3s on the back side and went 2, 2. How long were those putts and where were they, those kind of things. Those were the ones that kind of sealed it for you.

DANNY LEE: Oh, I can't actually remember how close that putt was.

Q. Would you say this is your first real test you had this week your match against Patrick?

DANNY LEE: No.

Q. You've looked like you had a pretty easy week out there when it comes to this match play.

DANNY LEE: Yeah, you know, we both played really, really well. And we had some couple bad holes. And Patrick, I know him, he's a great golfer, and he's a good friend of mine, and I know his, I know he's a good player and he's going to come back. And he was always putting pressure on me and he's a pretty competitive golfer out there.

Q. Given the fact that you were born in Korea, in Seoul and you later, your family later moved to New Zealand, how at such a young age of 18, coming from the southeast Asia -- how did you do this? Did you get a lot of instruction or is it a natural ability on your part?

DANNY LEE: How did I move to New Zealand?

Q. Well, yeah, why did ya'll move to New Zealand, but the most important thing is, how did you achieve at the age of 18, coming from southeast Asia, which is not known for the world for a great amount of golf, how did you do this?

DANNY LEE: Actually -

MODERATOR: How did you get so good so fast.

DANNY LEE: My parents and uncle support me really, really hard and really, really well, and I think that's why I kept a sending up to this place so fast. And I'm young.

Q. Was there any residual affects from the shoulder today was it still hurting today?

DANNY LEE: Actually it was feeling much better than yesterday, but it still it hurts a little bit. It will be okay tomorrow.

MODERATOR: You had twinges of it when you got into the rough and trying to hit from long distance.

DANNY LEE: That stuff, when I try and swing at it really hard it just tickles a little bit, it's not tickle, it's a little bit hurts, but.

Q. Did you do anything last night, have any extra treatment last night and/or this morning?

DANNY LEE: Yeah, I actually went to the hospital.

Q. Hospital?

DANNY LEE: Yeah. And I had them look at my shoulder and it just says no problem with the bones, so it's good. I just think it's a muscle that got a little bit bruised.

Q. What did they do? Scan you?

DANNY LEE: Yeah, actually.

Q. Do a CAT scan?

DANNY LEE: An X-ray.

Q. An X-ray?

DANNY LEE: Yeah.

Q. And do you feel like you're becoming a little bit of a celebrity out here with all the autographs and all the people following you?

DANNY LEE: Actually it's cool that they want my autographs. And I think that it's really cool stuff, yeah.

Q. Can you talk about your sand play today, it really seemed to help you out, especially during this match today.

DANNY LEE: I'm really comfortable around the greens. I think that my short game's improved quite a lot and, yeah, I like to play from the around the greens.

MODERATOR: Today was the first time that you got as far as hole 16.

DANNY LEE: Yeah. It can happen. It's like it doesn't surprise me, actually. You just got to, golf is about playing 18 holes, but match play is a little bit different. And I was expecting to play 16, 17, 18.

Q. Did you have a twinge in the shoulder when you hit the second shot on four?

DANNY LEE: Yeah.

Q. Because you sort of let go with one hand?

DANNY LEE: Yeah. And just it hurts a little bit.

Q. Was the ball in the pine needles or in the grass there?

DANNY LEE: In the grass.

Q. It was in the grass?

DANNY LEE: Um-hum.

Q. Just to kind of confirm, you had said in the past that you probably would stay an amateur for awhile, you weren't quite sure when you would turn pro, but the way you made it sound like it would be more sooner than later. But with these two invitations to the Masters and the U.S. Open, I mean, you would definitely stay an amateur to play in those?

DANNY LEE: Definitely. There is no way I'm going to turn pro. (Laughter.) I got to play the U.S. Open and Masters.

Q. How much do you know about Drew?

DANNY LEE: Actually, I got no idea who that is. And I heard he's a great golfer, that's about it. It's going to be a fun day tomorrow.

Q. You go back to New Zealand?

DANNY LEE: After this, this is going to be my last tournament, yeah.

Q. You ought to stick that shoulder in the hot mud.

DANNY LEE: Yeah.

Q. Do you feel like you're the favorite going into tomorrow the way you played all week, all these autographs, everybody knows your name, any kind of added pressure knowing that you're kind of the favorite for tomorrow?

DANNY LEE: No, I don't actually care about that stuff. All I got to do is just play well with the golf course and that's it. Yeah.

Q. You aren't going back to the hospital now, are you?

DANNY LEE: No. (Laughter.)

Q. You had enough of that, right?

DANNY LEE: Yeah. I'm scared they're going to stick me with needles.

Drew Kittleson Interview

MODERATOR: We are here with Drew Kittleson, a winner and is advancing to the final round and the final match of the U.S. Amateur Championship with a 4 & 2 victory. Drew Kittleson of Scottsdale, Arizona. Drew, tell us about your feelings having advanced to the championship round in the match tomorrow, and clinching a berth in the U.S. Open in 2009, with today's victory and a possibly Masters invitation.

MODERATOR: It's pretty exciting.

MODERATOR: Has is it sunk in yet?

DREW KITTLESON: Not really at all. It's just kind of, you said it, that's really, I mean I thought about it, don't get me wrong, but the match is done and I guess that's it. I can't believe it. I'm at a loss for words and I'm excited.

MODERATOR: Well, considering you were in a playoff in your qualifier to just get into the field here in Pinehurst, I would say that you've come pretty far since the playoff. What did you do to get, to win the playoff, just to get here?

DREW KITTLESON: Well, the last hole of regulation I hit it to about six inches from a fairway bunker from like 180 yards to get into the playoff. And then in the playoff I birdied like the third hole or something. It was like a three-for-two playoff.

MODERATOR: Three guys for two spots and the third hole you birdied it just to get here?

DREW KITTLESON: Yeah, I was the first player in. The first player to qualify out of the three.

MODERATOR: Okay. Talk about your match today. You were 2-down after five to Adam, what were your thoughts at that point.

DREW KITTLESON: Well, on four, the par-5, I hit the green in two, had probably about a 30, no, probably about a 45-footer for eagle. And then he holed out from like 100 -- I don't know how far he was, probably a hundred yards. And he holed out twice yesterday, somebody told me, so I was like, well, here we go, and then you can't really do anything. And then 6 I was in the trees and hit it over and ended up halving that hole and then the match started turning my way a little bit, I made some birdies.

MODERATOR: Right. I think Adam mentioned that the critical point was the early part of the back nine, you were all square after nine, you birdied the 10th a par-5, and then he said a critical 3-putt on 11 gave you a 2-up lead. Was that the turning point and you felt like in control of the match?

DREW KITTLESON: Yeah, it was definitely a turning point, he was in the weed, sand area, whatever you want to call it and had a really tough, there was a bush right by his ball. And I was in the middle of the fairway and I went first and hit it in there about six feet. And then he hit it about 10 feet is all and then he missed and I missed. So I figured we would tie the hole, but he rammed it a good four or five feet by. And he ended up missing that.

MODERATOR: Yeah, I guess that one was a little outside of your comfort range for giving a putt, what was it, about two or three feet?

DREW KITTLESON: No, it was a good five and a half feet. He kind of rammed it.

MODERATOR: And then coming down the stretch there how you clenched the match on 16.

DREW KITTLESON: It was not a good hole for either of us. He was in the bunker fescue, I don't even really see his ball on the right and I was in the left rough, he pitched out into the rough about 50 yards, maybe like 80 yards short of the green and then I had to hit this hook from the trees in the rough and caught a flier, it landed about middle of the green, hopped about 10 fat in the air and went about a good 15 yards past the back edge in the rough. Not the shot I wanted to have, being dormie. But then he hit it up about 30, 40 feet, so I knew that five was probably good and I hit a good chip and ended up making the putt anyway.

MODERATOR: Question from the media members?

Q. Was there a point where you felt settled in the match today because I'm sure obviously going through your head like you said all the stuff that's going on and what could happen if you win, but is there a point where that finally goes away and you are feeling like you're getting involved in the match?

DREW KITTLESON: Yeah, I mean you get down early, you better start thinking about something else. And I was 2-down, that was, I was, I had only been 1-down through one all week and so I was 2-down or I was 1-down to Eddie through about four, and so when I was 2-down through five it was kind of a new territory for me this week and I had to flip the switch and turn it around and get something positive going. And ended up doing it.

MODERATOR: Compare your nerves today with maybe any of the nerves earlier in the week, were they higher or the same?

DREW KITTLESON: Pretty well the same. I mean I was playing well coming in, but still, you know, you don't know exactly how you're going to show up for an event. And so stroke play I was probably a little bit more nervous than any of the matches really. But now that I've been hitting it well for awhile you can be a little bit at ease because you got some confidence going.

Q. I'm not a historian, but I would like to address the other medium people here, whose been around this game a lot longer, as far as doing media work, winning an -- if you're going through the first so many holes and then you went five holes out of nine, has anybody ever done that before? In making a major comeback like that in a semifinal? Anybody know anything about that?

DREW KITTLESON: I have no idea. I know Tiger was like seven down or six down.

MODERATOR: I think as far as the history goes we can look that up and find that answer for you, but I'm not sure -- is there any other questions for Drew? Ken?

Q. I'm sorry to bring this up, but could you talk about your adversity growing up and losing your mother at such a young age?

DREW KITTLESON: To be honest I probably would like to keep it short, but just she died of colon cancer when I was 13. And I was playing an event, I was playing Doral, the junior tournament, and it was probably three or four days before Christmas and she died when I was at the event.

Q. Have you been following Danny Lee, how much do you know about him, and have you been seeing what he's been doing this week as far as his game has been pretty flawless?

DREW KITTLESON: I never even seen him hit a golf ball. Every event we never get paired together or all throughout the whole summer. I mean, we always have opposite times, I haven't even seen him this week anyway. He was like the group behind me and I don't know it's -- I guess our routines are opposite or something because I never, really never even seen him hit a golf shot and obviously.

MODERATOR: You guys have never even met?

Q. I guess you will tomorrow.

DREW KITTLESON: I never met him, no.

MODERATOR: Never met him.

DREW KITTLESON: No. And but I mean, he's won the Western Amateur and he's no slouch, that's for sure.

MODERATOR: Go ahead.

Q. I was out there with you on day-to-day and the group, it seemed like the greens got a little crispy near the middle, did it seem like the greens got a little faster?

DREW KITTLESON: They have gotten firmer and faster every round, definitely, which I like. I think that's the conditions that we all expected coming in, because of it's Pinehurst and we only see it on the U.S. Open and that's what we were expecting. And, yeah, they were definitely getting firmer, except for 15 was really firm during the week and today it was kind of soft. I think they watered it right before I got there.

MODERATOR: Have you thought about -- I know you haven't had a lot of time, but tomorrow's 36 hole final compared to a 18 hole match, is there any different strategy you might take into that?

DREW KITTLESON: I mean, not really. It's just double. I just try to play every hole, it's really, I don't know who said it, but it's 18, you know, individual matches, so tomorrow it's just 36. And I guess if you're down a lot you can use certain strategies off the tees and things like that but that's about it.

Q. You're obviously a great talent with the stuff you've done, but would you say, would it be fair to say you surprised yourself this week?

DREW KITTLESON: I mean, yeah, yeah, a little bit, but I'm pretty self confident, I guess you could say, so I don't think anybody should go to an event thinking they can't win. But in the back of your mind there's always your awful rounds that you played and I hope that doesn't show up.

Q. And where I wanted to follow that up. Where does your focus come from? Because I seen you a few times this week and you're just really, I don't want to say intense, but you're dialed in on the course.

DREW KITTLESON: I've really I found that I can't perform my best any other way. Like if I'm chit chatting with anybody, I'm having a good time, but I don't play as well. So I just have developed my own or I recognize my own way of I guess performing my best.

Q. You have 20 birdies in match play this week, and when you, this golf course doesn't usually lend itself to birdies, especially to guys that have not seen it very much, can you attribute that to anything?

DREW KITTLESON: I think my driver. I hit that really well and I've hit it pretty far, so that's given me some even these long holes, I don't have more than, I don't think I hit more than a 6-iron into any hole this week except for par-3s, but I mean that allows you to be a little more aggressive and I really just have taken pretty conservative lines. If I'm right, I don't think I made a double all week. And so you know I've taken pretty conservative lines going into the greens and which has given me those middle distance birdie try tries, 20 feet, somewhere around there and if you have enough of those you're bound to make them.

Q. The other thing is, since it's stroke play, you haven't seen 17 and 18. Does that concern at all? You obviously have to see it tomorrow.

DREW KITTLESON: Yeah, I mean it doesn't really concern me too much, it's just, I'm excited that I haven't seen it. That's in my favor. But just play, 17 is just a par-3, you got to get the wind right, because it's kind of elevated and I have good notes from the practice rounds and 18 is just a wedge in, so it should be shouldn't be too difficult. I got a local caddie on the bag, so.

Q. You're long off the tee, how close did you come to driving the green on number 7 this week?

DREW KITTLESON: I haven't hit it far enough right yet. I've had plenty of distance, yesterday against Derek I was, I think there's two bunkers there, I was dead center of the green. Probably a little past the center of the green.

Q. What is the carry? What do you have to hit it to get there? You go across the trees?

DREW KITTLESON: I have no idea. I mean, yeah, just a big high, I got to get myself to hit it, I can't hit it far enough right yet. Every time I keep taking more and more off and it's just not enough.

Q. Large galleries, the TV cameras over there, can you tell me what effect that has on your game, if any?

DREW KITTLESON: I mean, I just saw a little clip on the camera there and/or on the TV and I didn't, I mean I knew they were out there, but I didn't realize that they were that big. And then I saw them on TV and there's a lot of people out there. And just trying to be focused as much as I can, but also a bunch of friends of mine came in last night all the way from Arizona, so they were hooting and hollering for me, which was nice.

MODERATOR: Congratulations again, Drew, we'll see you tomorrow.

DREW KITTLESON: Thank you. Appreciate it.

The transcripts for the above interviews are courtesy of ASAP Sports.