Q. First task, safely negotiated. Happy with that, just a case of getting through, isn't it?
CALUM SCOTT: The first two rounds, all about getting to the match play, and then it's really just a toss up from there. It was tough. The last two days have been really tough. The wind, the way it was on the course, it was some diagonal, into off the left, down off the right. It made you diligent off the tee and felt like I had to use a lot of two irons and utilise that instead of trying to get it down there because the rough is punishing here. So it was definitely a battle.
But the battle is won, as you said, these last two days.
Q. Tougher than a Nairn wind, was it?
CALUM SCOTT: Yes, it is. This was pretty brutal. But I'm happy to be through it even par. Solid enough to get the first two days done.
Q. Is that going to be the strategy going forward given how much the conditions will be probably of the same in the match play, what you've learned the last couple of days?
CALUM SCOTT: At the end of the day, I think being in play is a huge advantage. Not just because you're going to find your ball but you know exactly what it's going to do out of the fairway. Sometimes you can catch these wispy lies and it can fly. You lose control of your ball flight. I think it's important to hit fairways, hit greens, and just put pressure on the opponents. That's all about is match play, try to go first, put a bit of pressure on them and see if they can answer back.
I'm going to go with the same game plan, hit a lot of 2-irons and try to get it in play.
Q. Great finish at the Links Trophy, runner-up. Was that your first event back on home soil?
CALUM SCOTT: First event back.
Q. Hit the ground running.
CALUM SCOTT: Exactly. I came off some good form in America the last few events. I was confident. I didn't get off to the best start and just hung if there, knew I was playing solid golf and eventually good golf showed up.
Same with today. It was a battle those first nine holes. I stuck in there and made a birdie on 13, 16 and 17, and that just gave me a little cushion going down the last.
It was really good.
Q. What were you doing on the birdies?
CALUM SCOTT: 13, that's a par 5. Hit 2-iron off the tee. It was down off the left and 211, I hit a really nice 9-iron to about 13 feet and left it on the edge for eagle.
I got myself up-and-down on 14 and 15 to keep it going.
Birdied 16, hit driver about 78 yards in that left rough and hit a shot to seven feet and rolled that one in.
17, driver again in the left semi and hit it to 25 feet and 2-putt. Made it easy for myself coming in.
Q. Good that you've come back from the States. Different kind of golf here.
CALUM SCOTT: Absolutely. Ball spins differently and the wind affects the ball just a little bit more, especially being sea level.
Q. How many Amateurs have you played in now?
CALUM SCOTT: My first one might have been at Nairn, 2020.
Q. What's the best you've done?
CALUM SCOTT: That was there. I think I got to quarters.
Q. Target better.
CALUM SCOTT: The goal is obviously to win. But one step in front of the other, and you know, just try and win my match tomorrow whoever I come up against.
Q. Heck of a lot of prized bounty on offer, isn't there with The Amateur Championship. You try not to think about that, do you?
CALUM SCOTT: Of course. When you get further into this championship, you're always thinking about, what happens if I win, this is amazing. But you try not to get too far ahead of yourself and just stay where your two feet are, kind of thing.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports