Q. When did you first fall in love with the game of golf?
JORDAN BURNAND: Yeah, actually the first time I fell in love with golf and started playing it, my dad didn't know what to do with me in December, so there was a local driving range by my house, and there was a little summer camp, so he threw me into the summer camp to actually get rid of me and keep me busy, and I actually just fell in love, and that was at about six, six and a half years of age, so it's been a long time playing now.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about what you love about golf? What's attracted you to the game of golf?
JORDAN BURNAND: One of my favourite things I love most about golf is just the fact that you're actually playing the golf course. You're not playing many other guys around you. It's just a challenge with you and the golf course every single day, just trying to better yourself and shoot a better score on that course. Then it's just the good vibe and the interesting atmosphere around golf is just incredible.
Q. Tell us how important for you and for the region is the new Africa Amateur?
JORDAN BURNAND: Look, this African Amateur and the importance of it to all South African golfers and Africa in general is just spectacular. It gives us an opportunity to play for a spot in a major, getting us into other big amateur events across the world. It's just incredible. There have been a few around the world or other regions, which is incredible, but for South Africa and Africa, it's unbelievable and it's such an awesome opportunity for all the African players to play against each other.
Q. Can you run us through the last couple of weeks quite briefly and summarise when you got pneumonia, bronchitis, but then went on to win and come second, as well?
JORDAN BURNAND: It's been a good three weeks for me with my golf. I've played nicely. I got pneumonia, bronchitis, managed to win the stroke play, then lost in the final of the Amateur and then finished last week in the Golf RSA International Amateur. It's been an unbelievable last three or four weeks for me.
Q. How is the health?
JORDAN BURNAND: It's there. It's getting there. It still takes its toll on your body, especially in this heat I think it'll be interesting, but it's much better than what it was a few weeks ago.
Q. What do you love doing outside the game of golf? What are your hobbies? What are your interests?
JORDAN BURNAND: Yeah, so there are a few things I love doing hobbies-wise. I love training. I think it's still related to golf but it keeps me busy, and then I enjoy watching series, Netflix and that. That calms my mind down a bit watching different things, and just relaxing I think is massive for golf, so that plays a massive role in what we do.
Q. What are you watching at the moment?
JORDAN BURNAND: At the moment I'm watching "Suits" and "Reacher" on Prime Video. That's what I'm doing.
Q. First time watching "Suits"?
JORDAN BURNAND: It'll be the third time watching "Suits." It's brilliant. I love it.
Q. Just to finish off, inspiration, who are people in the golfing world or outside of it who inspire you?
JORDAN BURNAND: I think if you're a golfer and Tiger Woods hasn't inspired, I think especially what he's done for the game and how he's changed the game I think is massive, but probably today's time I love Rory McIlroy. I think he's a fantastic athlete and I think he's brilliant for the game, and yes, I probably look up to him the most from a golfing point of view.
Obviously I've got a few role models in my personal life, my mom and my dad who are obviously massive. I look up to them, as well.
Q. If you had to be an animal in the safari out of Kruger Park, which animal would you be and why? What would suit you and your character or maybe even your golf game?
JORDAN BURNAND: I think if I was an animal in Kruger I'd probably want to be a leopard, just hop down, get a chow every now and then and then sit on the bed or in the tree as they would call it and watch a bit of series. I think that would be fantastic for me, a little leopard.
Q. What's your natural shot shape?
JORDAN BURNAND: Fade.
Q. Off the tee and all irons?
JORDAN BURNAND: Fade, yeah, left to right.
Q. What's the biggest strength of your game?
JORDAN BURNAND: I think at the moment I'd probably say driving, driving the golf ball off the tee.
Q. If you had to have a green light yardage where you're like 105, 101, what's the yardage --
JORDAN BURNAND: 105. That's the number.
Q. You're in yards?
JORDAN BURNAND: Metres, 105 metres.
Q. Is there any part of your game that you're working on?
JORDAN BURNAND: I think my pitching. My pitching from about 60 yards in, that's probably what I need to work the most on.
Q. You've obviously been playing really well recently. How confident are you feeling about your chances and winning this title this week?
JORDAN BURNAND: Yeah, look, I feel very confident this week. Like I said, it's a massive opportunity, limited field. Yeah, with the recent form that I've been having, it's awesome. I do feel excited to be playing, but it's a new week, new opportunity, so we need to take one shot at a time and see what happens after 72 holes.
Q. South African golfers, the likes of Christo and Aldrich have won an Amateur Championship in recent times. How much has that inspired you and other South African golfers to go on and follow in their footsteps?
JORDAN BURNAND: Yeah, with Christo and Aldrich a couple years ago winning the Amateur, it shows you that South African amateur golf is in a very good place, and I think it's inspiring for us and obviously our feeder system to know if they're able to do it we can do it, so hopefully we can follow in their footsteps and we'll see if we can win a few amateur titles and then move on to the paid ranks.
Q. Just talk about Leopard Creek. How much have you played here and what do you like about it?
JORDAN BURNAND: Yeah, Leopard for South Africa is a very, very special place. We come here every year for a squad training camp, and then we have this original tournament prior to when the R&A took it over, we used to play African Amateur here, so this is probably my fifth or sixth year coming here in a row, which is very nice. I love the golf course. It's very special. Yeah, it's just a very special place in South Africa.
Q. If you're the man standing with the trophy in his hands on Saturday as the winner, how would that feel?
JORDAN BURNAND: Yeah, look, if you can win this, I think it would be absolutely awesome to win the first African Amateur. I think it would be really special to have your name on there for many years to come, and it would be special to win in your home country, and obviously all the doors that open with that victory is just massive.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports