Quotes from the Championship Press Conference, featuring Ole Miss' Braden Thornberry and Head Coach Chris Malloy
Quotes from the Championship Press Conference, featuring Arkansas' Mason Overstreet and Head Coach Brad McMakin
Alan Bratton, Oklahoma State head coach
On the team's play in the fourth round
"Today was a really tough challenge out there. For the most part, I feel like we handled ourselves okay. We let a few shots get away there at the end. It's a tough competition, your main goal is to get into match play and we're sitting at a pretty good position now. We just have to wait for the rest of the day to see."
On the wind conditions
"The wind was really hard today. It started switching for us a little bit on the stretch of 12, 13, 14 and 15. That was a really hard stretch because the wind was moving, but it was a good challenge."
On transitioning into match play
"I think you take a deep breath. You try to get a little bit of rest because it's so stressful those last few holes, but you wait to see who you play. You think about your matchups and then you go get them."
Ryan Hybl, Oklahoma Head Coach
On the team's play in the fourth round
"We're in. It was not pretty for us coming down the stretch, but this is a four-round tournament, and we did enough. I'm proud of them for our week, and now we kind of have to recharge the batteries and get ready for a whole new format, tomorrow."
On the wind conditions
"We're used to this. That's is why I was a little disappointed how we played today. We deal with this every single day in Oklahoma, so we didn't do a very good job today, to be honest. Again, we did a good enough job throughout the week to put us in a good spot."
On transitioning into match play
"Loving it. Love my guys. I think they're going to be ready with a way different attitude. In my opinion, from last year to this year, this is our second time doing this, so hopefully that experience is going to win out. We're going to have some fireworks go off."
Dwaine Knight, UNLV Head Coach
On the final round of play
"Most of our guys have played a lot of match-play tournaments through the summer and they're comfortable with it. They know what to expect. The line-up's going to be interesting. We're going to do that in just a few minutes. It's just fun format. We've got a chance to play for a national championship, so we'll take that and go one shot at a time. That's what we try to play and hope we had a good finish."
Thoughts on battling the windy conditions
"I think Purdue really helped. The weather was really, really tough there on a very hard golf course. We also played early in the spring there and it was tough wind. I think that kind of prepared us a little bit for this. We struggled a little bit today, but we finished like Rebs. I'm really, really proud of them. My assistant coach, Philip Rowe said 'laser focused all the way,' and I thought the guys beared down when we were struggling and they finished really strong."
Scott Limbaugh, Vanderbilt Head Coach
On handling the conditions today
"We had some guys play really well. It was a tough golf course, Will Gordon was big for us today, hanging in there. Patrick (Martin) kind of got off the tracks for the first time in a while and just had one of those days. If you look at Theo (Humphrey), John (Augenstein) and Matthias (Schwab), they just hung in there. We got off to a good start and I thought that was really important. In these final rounds of tournaments you really want to get your feet on the ground. We came into the final round in a good spot but you still don't want to be in a position where it is a dog fight the whole way, so I was proud of how we hung in there."
On changing gears to the match play
"The game plan definitely changes. We've been fortunate enough to have these opportunities the last couple of years and haven't had any success. We did have some success at the SEC Championship, we won three matches there, but it was absolutely to the very end of every one of those. Our guys know what it takes, it is going to take a great effort, UNLV is playing some of the best golf in the country. Our guys know that and we will just come out knowing we need to be at our best tomorrow."
Casey Martin, Oregon Head Coach
On the day
"It was an incredible day, one of the best we could muster and we needed to. We were way back and we were grateful for the bad weather, that created and opportunity for us and we played incredible. It was an amazing finish, an amazing, gutsy effort.
On anything specific that led to their success
"I don't think so, we have had success in the wind this year. More than anything, we just hadn't played well the first three days, so I kept telling the guys we were due for a good round and we got one."
On the match play
"We are playing the most storied program in college golf (Oklahoma State), so we are going to have to play incredible."
Mike McGraw, Baylor Head Coach
On the windy conditions in the final round of play
"We're from Texas. We have wind in Texas. You'd think we would've handled it better. But honestly, you put wind and nerves and firm fast greens together it's just a cataclysmic combination and it's great. It made for some pretty good drama and it was really exciting. We came here with the goal in mind of making match play because it's all fair game. Everybody's even again now. The guys did that, they're really excited about it so, regardless of the round today, you accomplished what you were supposed to do."
On how the mindset changes
"It is a different animal. You get a fresh new start and you get a fresh new start every hole. I think it will really benefit one of my players. I'm not going to say which one, but it will definitely benefit one of our players who can use a fresh new start. I think it will help him. It's just a good mindset to play with than stroke play. That's gone, here I go."
Mike Small, Illinois Head Coach
On finishing off the round
"We were leaking oil bad. All the guys came through 17 and my job was to get them back on point. We were not controlling our space, we were down and out. Most of them had some cottonmouth. They were choking a little bit. It was a stressful time. They need to understand that this is a blessing to have this opportunity to feel that way. You're playing for your team, your brothers. The fans are out there and you have to look at it as an opportunity to feel this way. To be able to test yourself and to feel the nerves and get so worked up you can't stand it, embrace that. That's what athletics is, that's what sports is.
"So much of this game is a mindset. Golf swings don't fumble down the stretch; it's the mind, the emotions and outside factors. If you don't control your space, they creep in there. We were just trying to get back to controlling our space."
On making it to match play
"This is the sixth of the seven times we've made it to match play. I've seen everything. There are certain teams that are better matchups but we still have to play good golf. If we go out and play scared golf and apprehensive golf it doesn't matter who we play. If we go out and play great golf, and solid golf and control our space, it doesn't matter who we play. We have to take care of ourselves. We have to take care of what we're doing. Certain situations may come down to where you have to beat your man, but we have to take care of ourselves."
Chris Zambri, Southern California Head Coach
On the day and the conditions
"Today was not a good day. Looking at the scores, it was pretty crazy, but we are grateful to be where we are. That's the most important thing, we have a fresh start. If somebody had said, 'we will give you a spot in the eight, will you take it.' Absolutely. Absolutely we will take it, we are feeling great."
On starting fresh with the match play
"I feel good about our team. We had a good season, we were the number one seed coming in here, so we can play. I know we had a dumpy day, stuff happens. We could have handled the wind better, that's for sure. I think it was a combination of that and just having a bad. I know we will have more wind tomorrow, so we will be ready for it."
