Q. Can you explain a little further about the ball in the tree? Did you have trouble mentally navigating that or was it a clear-cut situation?
MACKENZIE HUGHES: I mean, it's a clear-cut situation. It's just one of those breaks that you feel like -- I mean, it's like one-in-a-million break. I've played golf my entire life, I've never had a ball stuck in a tree. For it to happen on the back nine of a U.S. Open felt unfortunate because if that ball is over there in the grass, I've got a chance to get up-and-down for par, and that's a different outlook than trying to get up-and-down for bogey, and I ultimately made a double there. I hit a bad shot but I was left of the green with lots of green to work with, and who knows what would have happened.
No, just a really bad break, and an unfortunate time to have it happen.
Q. What was the biggest thing you took away from being in the final group at a major?
MACKENZIE HUGHES: You know, it's definitely a different feel, and it's splitting hairs where I came out of the gates and I bogeyed the first hole but I hit two great shots, but I probably hit the wrong club into the first hole. Little things. Like through six holes I was 3-over par and kind of behind and I hadn't really hit a bad shot -- too many bad shots. I had a couple good looks for birdie that I didn't capitalize on. I think a lot of things have to go your way on a Sunday of a major in order to win, and I wasn't making the putts when I need to.
Overall I'll know what I felt like in this final group today and be able to apply that next time I'm there hopefully soon.
Q. Did you feel at any point today you had to start pressing out there?
MACKENZIE HUGHES: Yeah, I kind of felt like after -- really after 13, I was 1-under par at the time, and I thought 5 might have a chance. So again, the last five holes I thought I may need to do something, and trying extra hard doesn't really end up going the right way a lot of times. You have to let golf come to you, and I was trying to do a little more than was probably needed to do.
I did feel like I needed to press there late in the back nine, and I just didn't have it. I didn't really make many putts from kind of 10 to 15 feet and all burned edges.
Just yeah, not my day, but I'll learn a lot from it and hopefully be back soon.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports