Q. Wow, a lot of birdies. You had 13 yesterday, you had I believe 11 today.
BRANDON HOLTZ: Yeah.
Q. You birdied the last four of the --
BRANDON HOLTZ: I birdied the last four in the quarter and then I birdied the first four in the semis, luckily.
Q. Are you leaving that putter out in the sun to get heated up?
BRANDON HOLTZ: I just started hitting it close and got a little confident with it, and that's all you need is some confidence, and hit a good stroke and usually it turns out well.
Q. This is your first USGA event and you get all the way to the final.
BRANDON HOLTZ: I'm happy. I'm playing good golf, and hopefully can just keep it going.
Q. Has it been any particular part of your game?
BRANDON HOLTZ: My driver. I mean, my driver has been -- I'm hitting it the best I've ever hit it really. Again, like I told you yesterday, a lot of these guys are hitting 3-wood or hybrid off some of these tees, and I'm just teeing it high and let ing it fly, man.
Q. That drive on No. 10, how far was it?
BRANDON HOLTZ: I think I had like 42 in, so hit a good drive, hit a good chip, and see ya, on to the next one.
Q. 36 holes tomorrow; have you ever played a 36-hole match in your life?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Well, the last two --
Q. Not in one match?
BRANDON HOLTZ: One match, no, I haven't. I wish you guys would just give us some damn cards, but that's fine. Pace of play, right? No, I'm ready. I'm excited. I'm ready. Let's get after it.
Q. How are your legs? For a 38-year-old guy that's a lot of walking.
BRANDON HOLTZ: I'm going to take an ice bath tonight for sure, the homemade ice bath.
Q. Who is on your bag?
BRANDON HOLTZ: My dad. He's been looking forward to this event, too. Glad to have him here.
Q. Is he a golfer?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Yeah, he's a golfer. He's a gamer. That's where I get all my fire.
Q. You're guaranteed three years more in the Mid-Am, you're also guaranteed a spot at Merion next year. Obviously you're playing for something huge tomorrow.
BRANDON HOLTZ: You got that right.
Q. How do you keep that from clogging your mind up?
BRANDON HOLTZ: I just try to concentrate one shot at a time. Just like tomorrow, I'm just going to show up on the first tee and get at it.
Q. Christian made a little run at you, 7-up --
BRANDON HOLTZ: Yeah, he hit a couple good shots, put a little pressure on me, and he played good. He played good all the way to the finish, and I was fortunate enough to keep the game in gear and get the job done.
Q. Have you heard from Todd Mitchell at all?
BRANDON HOLTZ: I talked to him the last two days. I'm going to reach out to him again tonight and see if he's got any advice for me.
Q. He's the last guy to play in the final from Illinois State?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Correct, and my hometown of Bloomington. We play a lot together.
Q. Do you play on the same course?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Uh-huh, Crestwicke Country Club.
Q. That's private or public?
BRANDON HOLTZ: It's private.
Q. You were a pro from when to when?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Full-time from like '10 to '15 and then I kept my pro status, I played in one event in a year. I played in the Illinois Open because I like to play for cash, and then I got my amateur status back last year, kind of mid to late last year, so I wasn't really able to sign up for anything.
Q. '10 to '15, how high did you get to?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Just mini-tours.
Q. Around Illinois, Midwest?
BRANDON HOLTZ: Correct. I made it to the U.S. Open sectional probably five, six times but just could never get it to the next. But honestly, the older I get, the better I get.
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