Norman, Okla. - Brad Benjamin, 22, of Rockford, Ill. defeated Nick Taylor, 21, from the Ledgeview Golf and Country Club, in Abbotsford BC, 7 and 6, to become the 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links Champion.

Below is an Interview with Nick taken after his loss to Brad.

Benjamin, who led 4-up after 18 holes, applied the pressure to Taylor immediately in the afternoon, winning the 19th hole by hitting his approach shot on the 468-yard par-4 first hole to within 3-feet for birdie, which was conceded by Taylor.

Benjamin continued his aggressive play, matching Taylor's birdie on the 621-yard par-5 fifth hole, and then surging ahead with a 30-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole to go 6-up in the match.

He closed out Taylor, 7 and 6, by hitting his tee shot the 164-yard par-3 12th hole to within 8 inches. When Taylor conceded the putt, the match was over and Benjamin became the 2009 champion.

Congratulations Nick!   from all your friends back home in Abbotsford BC.

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An Interview With Nick Taylor

DAVID NORMOYLE: Nick Taylor, the runner-up, 2009 U. S. Amateur Public Links Championship. Nick, just tell us how you're feeling right now.

NICK TAYLOR: A little disappointed. I played well the entire week, and to be in the final and lose is definitely disappointing. But Brad played unbelievable in the afternoon. Pretty much did to me what I did to the other guys coming in to this Match Play. So I didn't play great, but I didn't really give it to him. So I just tried my best to play good.

DAVID NORMOYLE: Coming out the first 18 holes, you're four down, hit a great shot into the first hole, great shot into the second hole and great shot into the third hole and you still weren't really gaining any ground. Did that affect you at all?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah. A little bit. You definitely get down when you get off to a good start and I wasn't making putts the entire day. When I didn't make the putts, he answered. It was tough to kind of gain ground when he was playing so well, and it was just frustrating I couldn't make any putts to give him some pressure.

Q. It seemed like the first time all week you kind of battled the driver.

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah. A little bit. In the morning at least, I missed a lot more fairways than I had. It was a little more right, again in the rough and not getting the greatest lies. And really in the morning I didn't - I didn't play - I scored decently well, but every hole he was having looks at the hole where I was having design, so it wasn't really - on the first 18 I really didn't give him a fight at all.

Q. What word comes to mind when you think back on the past few hours?

NICK TAYLOR: I don't know, you know. Disappointing. I came out and I was hitting a lot better than I did in the morning, and nothing was happening. He made a couple one-putts, and I was obviously hitting it pretty close and had a chance to get it back, just didn't make anything. So it was just frustrating probably would be the best word.

Q. Is there one thing you can point to that changed today as opposed to the last five days?

NICK TAYLOR: Maybe a little bit of everything. This afternoon I hit it pretty good, I'd hit the entire week, but just putting. I had a lot of chances in the afternoon, and I just didn't capitalize on anything and missed everything, and in the morning it was kind of the same thing. Just wasn't making any putts.

Q. His birdie putt on the par-3, between the afternoon?

NICK TAYLOR: A little bit. Par-5 was probably make that putt, and Brad didn't make the putt to stay five up, and then make that long one and I would be in close. It was really wasn't a great day. I left a lot short which was more frustrating not even getting the chance. You know, he just played really good and put more pressure on me than I was willing to put on him, than I had the entire week. It's just disappointing I couldn't make any putts.

Q. How did you feel physically today after eight days in this kind of heat playing every day, 36 a day?

NICK TAYLOR: Wasn't bad. It's going to wear on me tonight. I'll probably pass out around 8:00. But yeah. Brad and I both went through it, so really no different there.

Q. Talk us through what was going through your mind when you walked up to the 12th hole in the afternoon. There was a little bit of confusion on whether to something the putter or keep going. Tell us what you were thinking about when you saw the ball that close to the green.

NICK TAYLOR: I walked up and I said I'll putt it just for the cameras. He was 6 inches. There really wasn't any point. And yeah, just to get that kind of shot, which is cool for him to end it that way, to hit it to a foot and holed it. When he hit the shot, I knew Brad could hole it or hit it close, and I had a pretty good shot, and he made it closer.

Q. What do you take from this weekend?

NICK TAYLOR: A lot of confidence. I played well for eight days, or five days, whatever it was. And gives me confidence for going to the next two weeks, and I have a bunch of tournaments. Disappointing, but I was playing well. He's the only guy that beat me the entire week, so he played great, and you know, I just kind of ground myself in the afternoon. I hit it well and had chances. Just didn't capitalize. I didn't think I really gave it to him. He just played really well.

Q. Being a finalist in this championship, you have exemptions to a number of other events. What's your amateur future look like, either as an individual or with Canada?

NICK TAYLOR: I'd love to play in an Open and play there, and Nationwide Tour event. And then for Team Canada up in Montreal, and then right after that in Montreal is Canadian Amateur and then U.S. Amateur.

Q. After this championship three more years. Do you think you'll be back next year?

NICK TAYLOR: I don't know. I'll think about it. I hope so. But it's a great tournament. It's the first time I've ever played in it. I love the format of Match Play. It was a great week. I'm not sure if I'll come back, but I want to.

Q. Thinking about playing the Amateur event at Southern Hills, probably be a hot week like this.

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah. It's going to be hot. I think this week was uncharacteristically hot, and it's supposed to be hotter there in August. So anyway, I'll experience it. I'm not going to be used to, but hopefully I'll go up there and play well and have my chances, get in the final or make Match Play and play well. If I play like I did this week, I'll be able to. It's fine this week, but I have a lot more tournaments.

Q. You had your dad with you all week. Is there anything you said to your dad that you'd like to share?

NICK TAYLOR: No. He's just proud of me, and that Brad played great and I got beat pretty much. It wasn't much you can say after how he played in the afternoon. So yeah, he's proud of me that I made it this far.

DAVID NORMOYLE: Thank you for your time.

NICK TAYLOR: Thank you.