Fourth Round Quotes
May 31, 2008
NCAA Div. I Men's Golf Championship
Fourth Round Quotes:
UW Head Coach Matt Thurmond
On the team's seventh place finish:
"You play to win and we really believed we could win. We had our chances to win I think if a few things would have gone the other way or if a couple of the guys had played a little better at the right time this week. When you consider that just a few weeks ago we were wondering whether or not we'd even get into the regional, and now we're in the top seven in the country, that's just amazing. It was fun to play this week without many expectations. We felt great to be here and we knew could play really well and do what we did, if not more. But we didn't feel like we had pressure to do so. So we had a good time, as good as a time as you can have on that tough course. I'm just really proud of the guys and the way they competed, the poise they showed. When you play one way for most of the year, it takes deep inner confidence to just completely blow through those expectations and that comfort zone that you have established for yourself. Not many people can do that. Usually people just keep doing what they've always done. It just really says a lot about the kind of guys that they are."
On today's round:
"Today was the toughest of all the rounds from the conditions. The first round was really tough too, but today all the long par fours were in crosswinds. Almost no holes were into the wind or down wind, so it was just really difficult out there. We never had anything great going but we always just hung in there. We shot 18-over but still passed two teams. It's all damage control, it's all hanging in there after bad holes. I figured par was about 3 or 4-over, so if that's the case par would be 16-over for the team, and that's about how I felt we played."
On Nick Taylor's runner-up finish:
"Nick's the main reason we finished in the top-10 as a team. He was absolutely awesome in the postseason. To have a guy finish second at regionals and nationals, what more can you ask for? The great thing is, Nick does it with so much class and works so hard, does everything right. He's a great student, a great person and I love to see him have this kind of success. It's not a surprise to any of the guys on the team or to me, frankly the surprise is that he hasn't done this more often because he's really, really good."
On Taylor's final round:
"I walked the last several holes with him. He just hits every fairway and every green. Down the stretch today he made some good par saves. He didn't have a lot of great birdie looks coming in but he just kept making pars."
On how Taylor dealt with the pressure of being among the leaders heading into the final round:
"He's unique that way. Pressure only effects him for the positive. He really gets better and better under pressure and that's a very rare attribute. That's why he's so good."
On the end of senior Zach Bixler's career:
"I walked with Zach much of the day today. He's had an excellent career here. His teams have finished in the top-10 three times. They've won a Pac-10 Championship. Zach has given us a lot of character. He plays with attitude and confidence, and he's given that to the team. He's relaxed and has a lot of fun, and raises his level when it's most important. Your teams are what your leaders are, and we've been a lot of what Zach has been. It's a pleasure to have had him in the program."
On freshman Tze Huang Choo's performance as a true freshman at NCAA's:
"John (Wise) didn't play very well this week. He was very disappointed and I wish for his sake he would have played better. But he played well the first round and that was the round that Choo really struggled. Choo really picked up the slack the next three rounds and shows a lot for a freshman to be able to come out in his first NCAA Championships and play three really solid rounds. He was huge for us."
Final thoughts on season:
"I'm excited that we have four of these five players returning and four excellent players coming in. That we've had this experience gives us a great start on next year. It's neat to have an image of being a team that always plays great at the end of the year. It's a cool image to have, it's cool that my guys believe that and to now have that happen in a few generations of players. Four of these guys had never played in a NCAA Championship, but for them to do what the other guys have done, it's a great thing for our program."
UW Sophomore Nick Taylor
On his runner-up finish:
"It feels really good. I played pretty good for most of the day, I hit it really well. It was tough out there today to get close to the hole and really have any chance to birdie. It even got more difficult with the wind and standing above the ball, not knowing if the wind is going to effect it or not. I was proud of how I played. I didn't think I'd be that close to Kevin (Chappell) in the end, but I played really well today and I'm happy with the way I finished."
On the team's finish:
"It was a really great tournament for us. A month or two ago, we thought it would be really tough just to make regionals and we made it through that, made it here and played really well. One of the better things was being able to get Zach (Bixler) back here in his last year. It's been a pretty tough year for all of us so finishing seventh was a great accomplishment for the team and is pretty exciting."
UW Senior Zach Bixler
On the team's performance this week:
"I think we rose to the occasion, Nick definitely did. When I look back on it I wasn't too pleased with how I played my rounds but I finished all right. I think we just came together at the end when we needed to."
On your last tournament as a Husky:
"I haven't really thought about it yet, but it's been a great four years. It hasn't really sunk in yet because I've always been used to showing up the next year. When I have to start looking for a job I'm sure it will sink in."
On your individual round today:
"It was about the same as I've played the whole spring, which is not bad but not up to my expectations. It's kind of good and bad and I have sour feelings even though I played a pretty solid round. I'll get it sometime."
On battling the course and the tough conditions this week:
"It was the toughest course with conditions I've had to play. It took a lot of patience and we hung in there."
