These past three weeks have been a whirlwind for new Stanford graduate Brandon Wu. After helping the men's golf team capture the NCAA championship on May 29 at Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he represented the U.S. at the Arnold Palmer Cup at The Alotian Club, about 150 miles to the southeast, in Roland. Last week, Wu played in the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where he tied for 35th and was second low amateur.
Now sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, he has a busy summer ahead, starting with a 36-hole qualifier for the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Ireland. He's also planning to compete in the Porter Cup and Western Amateur and was just invited to the Pan Am Games next month in Lima, Peru. His ultimate goal is to be selected to the U.S. Walker Cup Team, which plays Europe at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in England, Sept. 7-8.
Q: Have you had a chance to process the last three weeks?
A: Not even. It's still pretty crazy and hasn't fully set in yet. It's been such a fun few weeks.
Q: Oklahoma State was heavily favored to repeat as NCAA champs, but Stanford entered on a four-tournament winning streak. Did being under the radar provide added motivation/
Great day for the Cardinal, who win NCAA Regional and produce the medalist in senior Isaiah Salinda.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/ABCZvLI3Ty
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) May 16, 2019
A: We weren't too concerned about what everyone else was thinking and were focused on what we were doing. There's only so much you can control. We wanted to stay constant as a team, knew we were playing well, and had a championship-caliber team.
Q: When did winning cross your mind?
A: Once we got to match play. It was kind of a struggle the last two days of stroke play and we were leaking a little oil. It was a tough course and I didn't well play well that final round. Once you get to match play, it truly is different. Anything can happen because it's five individual matches and you just need three points instead of counting three-out-of-five scores. That's when we knew we had a good chance.
Q: After tight wins against Wake Forest and Vanderbilt, did you catch a break when Texas upset Oklahoma State in the semifinals?
A: We knew Oklahoma State had a very strong team and Texas was riding hot, but we were still confident in the matchup. Texas had Cole Hammer, but that's just one guy and you need the depth to step up. That's kind of where we were the strongest, that back end. When Isaiah (Salinda) beat Cole, that was a huge bonus.
Q: The final was moved up to 6:30 a.m. (Arkansas time) instead of 2:30 p.m. due to the threat of tornados. What was team's mindset the night before the final?
A: Honestly, that might have worked to our advantage. We did all those Friday morning workouts mad and I feel like that really paid off down the stretch when everyone was tired. We were well-conditioned for it.
Your 2019 National Champions.#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/DhhafuC8jg
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) May 29, 2019
Q: Describe the flight home?
A: That was really special, having the whole team together. Everyone was sending congratulation texts. All week, every time we teed it up in match play, Isaiah and I kept thinking this could be our final college round and we didn't know how it was going to end. We both ended up winning our final match and it was cool to go out on top. It was the perfect ending.
Well said by @bwu97.#GoStanford https://t.co/n9f2xJBhQd
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) June 7, 2019
Q: You didn't have much time to savor it, returning to Arkansas for the Palmer Cup and playing in the U.S. Open.
A: I had a great time at the Palmer Cup. Making the Open is a goal every year. Two years ago, I lost in a playoff. After being that close, it's something you want even more and know you can do it. Being at Pebble Beach, that close to Stanford, made it even better. A bunch of my friends and family were able to make it down and watch. I had a lot of Stanford supporters down there and it was cool to hear them cheering in the crowd.
Senior @bwu97 chips in for birdie at 15 Friday and is tied for 19th at the U.S. Open. #z#GoStanford
A post shared by Stanford Men's Golf (@stanfordmgolf) on Jun 14, 2019 at 9:21pm PDT
Q: On Sunday, you were paired with Dustin Johnson. What was that experience like?
A: That was cool. He's someone I've been watching for a while. Obviously, he's extremely talented and one of the best players in the world. He was super nice. On one hole, I asked him about the crowds and how to handle them; I'd never played in front of so many people before. Not that I was super-nervous, but I just wanted to hear what he had to say about it. He said just do your own thing and don't worry too much about them. Be nice but focus on what you're doing.
Q: Were you able to soak in the moment Sunday?
A: I was pretty locked in most of the week. The whole mindset was I was just there to have fun. I don't think me trying to play good golf really got in the way of that. Playing well was kind of a bonus. I was just trying to enjoy being at Pebble Beach.
Strong exit by @bwu97. #GoStanford pic.twitter.com/lCuwYCQHdW
— Stanford Men's Golf (@StanfordMGolf) June 17, 2019
Q: You were unable to attend graduation with your classmates but got a surprise after the final round. Teammate Henry Shimp drove down that morning with your diploma case and cap and they were presented to you behind the 18th green by Stu Francis, president-elect of the United States Golf Association and a Stanford MBA '77.
A: There were a couple whispers about it, but I did not know it was going to happen. The little impromptu ceremony was a really nice surprise. I was little bummed missing graduation and the Wacky Walk, but that was a nice way to make up for it.