	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 17, 2015

Padraig Harrington

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I'm not making much happen. Just didn't hit my wedges close on the front nine. We got a good break with the weather today, big break with the weather. Not only did we not have to play in the storm this morning, but when we played nine we played it straight downwind every hole, and then the wind changed a little when we came around that turn there, so the back nine we didn't end up playing it into the wind, we just played it in a cross wind, so definitely got a good break there.

Q. You've been right in the mix at an Open. You don't know how close you're going to be, but at the same time 69 in a 20 mile-an-hour wind gives you hope, doesn't it?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, as I said, I think that wind is definitely the easier wind of the golf course, so I see people still moving forward this afternoon. I played every shot as hard as I could. It would have been nice to hole the putt on 17 for birdie, but you know, 69 is a decent return. You know, I'm six behind at the moment. I can't see that -- I can't see it being only six at the end of the day, but if it wasn't too far off, you never know tomorrow, you could get a decent draw again and make some ground up.

Q. It's the first 36 holes of a tournament you have to play to have a chance at winning. Is that the way you're viewing where you are right now?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I actually felt I was better for these 36 holes. I've been working hard on different aspects of my game. Physically it's pretty strong, and then just mentally I found myself in a better place this week. I haven't hit my wedges well, that's all. I kind of had a good attitude out on the golf course all week, so I'll hopefully take that into the weekend.

Q. If you have a good third round, what would it mean to get into contention at St. Andrews in The Open?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It would be nice. Unfortunately I've won two of them already, so it's not going to be life-changing or anything like that, but it would be nice. It would be nice to get into contention coming down the stretch and perform. We'll see what happens. It's a long way off. As I said, no matter what, I'm going to need a big weekend. Could be a pair of 65s I need over the weekend, who knows? But obviously the weather will determine quite a lot, and this afternoon will determine a lot. But still, 69 is a reasonable return, and certainly after being 1-over through six holes and not much happening for me, it was quite a good return.

Q. When you woke up this morning and either saw the pictures of the course and all the standing water or you even heard the rain last night, what went through your mind?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: To think that I only heard about it or -- I was standing in it when it was happening. We were on the range warming up when the storm came in. You know, I got up this morning at 5:00. I did my warm-up. I came out here. I had breakfast, had physio, did some more warm-up, and at no stage in that -- I suppose that would have taken all the guts of an hour and a half. At no stage in that hour and a half did I think I was going to tee off. This is The Open Championship. Considering the weather we played in in 2002 at Muirfield, we were going to go play. But unfortunately the town of St. Andrews drained onto the first fairway, so they really couldn't go. We were happy about that. I think I went back and -- I snuck into one of the Tour vans and slept for an hour and a half or so. Yeah, it was a nice break on our behalf, and then when we got playing, as I said, you know, our front nine played straight downwind. When we're coming in the fourth hole there, I hit 3-wood down to the end of the fairway, and the guys coming up are struggling to get out to the fairway. It was a good break for us today.

Q. Can the greens -- it looked like people were able to spin balls back.
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, you know, the greens have definitely softened up, and so some of the shots -- I hit a really nice shot into 16, the shot I hit every time I play here, and I hit a really low 6-iron, and it stopped within a couple of yards. Normally that would run up the tier. 17 I learned my lesson and probably hit a club -- like I hit it a lot lower and a lot harder than normal to get it to run up that bank. Yes, it's helping on certain shots, but some of the traditional shots are not the same, either. It is interesting that way, but I'm sure the softer greens are helping guys who are not familiar with the golf course.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: No, you don't change anything, I think, on the back nine I didn't have wedges. I hit a 5-iron close on 13, and I chipped it close on 14 and 18. I just didn't hit my wedges well. That was it. The front nine I didn't hit them close enough. I bogeyed the second off a wedge. You've just got to hit your wedges closer. I knew that coming in so it's not like I wasn't paying attention to that. On the way out you feel like you've got to make the birdies when you've got the wind behind. Thankfully, as I said, it changed for us coming out. If we had to play the back nine in the same wind that we started off in, it would have been a beast.

Q. What are you most pleased about and what would you like to do a bit better going forward?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: You know, I'm pleased with my attitude. That was probably the best part of it. You know, I could tell you everything I'd like to do better but you don't have enough time. My attitude was good. That was the main thing.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297