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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 18, 2015

Scott Arnold

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

Q. Certainly the reception was befitting of something big at the last?
SCOTT ARNOLD: Yeah, they were going a bit nuts all day actually on the back nine when I started holing a few putts. Obviously yesterday was a tough day teeing off so late, 7:05, and then I actually played okay, had a few three-putts, which sort of cost me a few shots on the way out, and then I hit a bad drive up 5 and made a bogey there. And then this morning obviously everyone knows what happened. We had 310 yards into a bunker which never really should have got to it and made a bogey in the end. I think I was 4-over, 3-over for the tournament. Obviously came back well, played really well coming in, really. That back nine was really well. I was very proud of myself, really, how I played, especially under the pressure that I was under to try and make the cut. I'm very proud of myself.

Q. (Inaudible.)
SCOTT ARNOLD: To be honest, it was more the wind on the way in was suiting me because I was hitting it left to right. It was just setting up for me very well. Obviously 11 was the one that was going really, really hard left to right, and I hit it way right and made a great save there, and then obviously had four in a row coming in, hit some really good drives and just gave myself chances and I holed the putts, which obviously you need to do. Yeah, I was actually glad I had a shot with two to play and I hit it out of the left rough on 17, got up to the top and then rolled back, and yeah, three-putted. But I think that was the longest putt I had all week, so it was pretty hard to judge the distance, and then on the last, I sculled my tee shot, which wasn't really great because it left me a very, very bad angle and a very, very difficult shot. I was very happy to hit the putt down and leave it a tap-in, let me tell you.

Q. Were you horribly conscious of what you were doing, what you needed to do?
SCOTT ARNOLD: Yeah, at the last I did, yeah. When I birdied 12, 13, 14, 15, I didn't really want to think ahead because I knew that 17 was -- 16 and 17 really are potential bogey holes. Obviously the last isn't really a bogey hole if you hit a decent tee shot. I knew if I sort of got through those holes okay, and when I had that birdie on 15 and two-putted 16, had the one-shot cushion really to make the cut -- I knew the cut was going to be level, so I just sort of played 17 safe and wasn't really disappointed when I three-putted. Obviously it would have been nice going up the last being 1-under, but yeah, I knew what was going on, and it was just take the front out of play on the last and hopefully two-putt. I think it's probably one of the best two-putts of my life, let me tell you.

Q. Is it one of the best performances under that kind of pressure?
SCOTT ARNOLD: Yeah, I'd have to say it probably was under the circumstances, your first major playing here and sort of being nowhere, really, after -- especially with yesterday, and then coming down needing to make a few putts, hitting a few good shots, and like I said, the wind out of the right and down really sort of helped me coming in. I struggled with the left-to-right wind all week, so I was glad to get that out of the way, and coming home I thought I could give myself a few chances, and I did, and took my opportunity to make them.

Q. Did you consciously go on the attack on 12?
SCOTT ARNOLD: No, I hit a good tee shot off the tee, just in the right rough, because it was really, really pumping out of the right, and I played for the right rough. I just hit a good little pitch wedge really out of the rough and sort of ran it up the tier and holed an eight-footer and didn't really give me a lift, but I thought, I only need to make two more. It was a par-5. It was doable, just got to stay within yourself and hit good shots, and I hit a good drive up 13, a good iron shot in and holed about a 20 footer there with a big left to right, and that was a good run. I hit a good drive down 14, which was nice just over the green, good up-and-down, and then obviously we're in business there, and then I hit a good drive down 15, good iron shot in and holed it again, and I was like, here we go, come on.

Q. Can you compare your mindset right now to 24 hours ago?
SCOTT ARNOLD: Yes. I was -- well, 24 hours ago I was thinking I've only got five hours' sleep and I've got to get up, and now it's pretty much over the moon really. I can't really put into words how good I feel at the moment. Obviously sitting around all day, I didn't hit a shot for 11-and-a-half hours, like from when I last left the course to -- obviously I hit a few on the range, but in tournament play it was 11-and-a-half hours until I hit my next shot.

Q. So you didn't hit one before 7:32?
SCOTT ARNOLD: Well, I hit some balls obviously to warm up before, like I hit a bucket to warm up with, but in tournament play, because I had a two-foot putt on 10 to tap that in, and then I had a 40-minute wait on the next tee. So between when we came off this morning to when I was out there, the next shot was 11-and-a-half hours later, so it was a bit like --

Q. Tomorrow you come back; are you looking at let's attack and try to move up?
SCOTT ARNOLD: Yeah, obviously. I think a bit of pressure is off now, really. I've got nothing to lose. At the end of the day, if I play well and keep doing what I'm doing, I'm sure -- if I play like I did the back nine, I'm sure I can hopefully shoot a few good numbers and try and get up as far as we can. But obviously weather permitting and whatever happens there and with the wind, we'll see what happens.

Q. Better than Tenerife?
SCOTT ARNOLD: A lot better than Tenerife. I think last-place prize money is about what you get for finishing second there this week, so I think we're in business.

Q. Who's with you?
SCOTT ARNOLD: It's my girlfriend and her sister and her boyfriend and her mom and dad. It's obviously good to have a bit of support, and especially for them getting excited. I think they were more excited than me coming down the stretch thinking, there's another one, there's another one. Yeah, it's good for everyone. I haven't missed a cut all year now, so that's one thing -- I think I've played 13 events now, so put that one to bed. I didn't want to miss the first cut of the year. Hopefully we can press on tomorrow and try and creep up that board.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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