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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2015

Marc Leishman

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

Q. You had a shot to win the British Open and it didn't work out for you, but obviously a big week for you.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it was a big week. Obviously pretty disappointed at the minute, having a chance to win it and not being able to take it, but that's golf, unfortunately. There was three of us in the playoff and there could only be one winner. Yeah, I'm disappointed, but I'm happy with the way I played all week, played great Thursday, Friday in the wind and then played good the last two days in the better conditions. Pretty disappointed with that bogey on 16, but apart from that, it was pretty good golf.

Q. Not often 64-66 on the weekend in a major won't get it done.
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I was definitely happy with the way I played and gave it my best shot. Zach just played really well in the playoff, and I didn't have my best stuff there. Yeah, disappointed, but that's the way it goes.

Q. Was it a divot you drove it into --
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, drove it straight into a divot, which was pretty disappointing, especially to that pin with the burn right in front I had no chance of getting near it. That's about as good as I could have done, and then three-putted it, and then obviously the three-putt on 17 was not what I was after, but yeah, I was on the back foot as soon as I hit it in that divot and made the 5 on the first. I was, yeah, trying to make up --

Q. (Inaudible.)
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, mate, I'm happy. Don't worry about that. I've just finished second in The Open. Yeah, I could have won it, but look, we spoke about it earlier this week, my perspective is a lot -- well, it's quite good at the moment. I can go home tomorrow and hug Audrey and the boys and celebrate a little bit, I guess. It would have been nice to have a Claret Jug to drink out of to celebrate, but I'll find something else.

Q. Have you spoken to her?
MARC LEISHMAN: No, not yet. I sent her a text message between when I finished play and the playoff, but didn't get a chance to talk to her. Once we're done sort of with all the media stuff, I'll get to have a chat to her, which will be good.

Q. (Inaudible.)
MARC LEISHMAN: I heard the roar. I don't know, maybe on the 17th tee. Was it that late? I'm not sure, possibly there. Yeah, I knew that I had to -- it was really important for me to par 17, and then gave myself a good shot on 18, too, I just misread the putt. I hit a good putt and it didn't break. But yeah, yeah, I knew -- I watched the leaderboards, and I knew that that putt on 18 was a pretty important one.

Q. You may not look back badly on it, but if you do, is it going to be 16 or is it going to be the putt on 18 or will it be the divot?
MARC LEISHMAN: I mean, it'll be 16 probably. I think it was 16 -- no, 15 I hit the bad tee shot and got lucky it didn't go in the bunker and had a good two-putt par there, so I did a lot of good stuff, and actually didn't hit that bad a putt on 16, it just didn't do what I thought it was going to. Obviously that was pretty disappointing because it was only about four feet, four, five feet. Hit a really good bunker shot and didn't finish it off. But no, I don't think I'll look back. I won't -- it won't be that one shot. I holed a lot of good putts. I holed a really good putt on 15 for par and a good putt on 14 for par, a lot of good stuff. I'm not going to look back and be sour about anything. I've had a good week. I'm disappointed, but as I said, it's golf.

Q. To shoot 64-66 in a major, when you do sort of reflect later, that's going to give you relief for next year?
MARC LEISHMAN: It will, definitely. Any time you can shoot in the 60s over the weekend of any tournament, I think it's pretty good. But yeah, to do it in a major was happy. I was happy with that. Hopefully I'll have a chance to outdo that and do better some day. It would be nice to shoot those numbers and win and have some great memories. I've got some really good memories from this week. It would have been obviously a lot better if I could have won, but still have a lot of great memories, and it's been a good week.

Q. Is that as well as you've played?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I played good. It probably is, to be honest. I've never really put four really good rounds together like that. Like even on Friday, that -- I think I shot 1-over, that was really, really tough conditions, and that 1-over was actually probably as good as the first-round score in the wind of 2-under, I think. Yeah, that's probably the best -- I've probably putted better, I've probably driven it better, I've hit my irons better, but put all together, that's probably the best week that I've had.

Q. When did you see that you were in front?
MARC LEISHMAN: I think on 12. Maybe on 12.

Q. What was that like?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it was good. It's obviously good to see your name on top of the leaderboard. Didn't really change anything. I still knew that I had to play really good coming in because they were hard holes. Like that wind was in off the left, and it was pretty tough. But no, it's great to look up on the leaderboard and see your name on top. Would have been better if it was on top up there now, but not to be.

Q. You didn't mention any 62s this time?
MARC LEISHMAN: No, no, because it was a bit -- the last few holes were a bit tougher today. Yesterday there wasn't a whole lot of wind. Yeah, it was just -- when you're on a run like that you just try to get as low as you can and see what happens. Yeah, when it was blowing like it was, yeah, it never really entered my mind.

Q. There were three Australians just so close. What does that say about Australian golf?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, I mean, it's strong. Obviously Jason seems to be up there in every major. Scottie is Scottie; he's always up there, as well. Hopefully I can become sort of a -- get up there a bit more often and try and win a few more tournaments. Yeah, but it's good. Australian golf is in a good spot. You have Cam Smith coming up. You haven't had a new guy on Tour for a while. He's coming up and got a huge future. Bowditch is playing great, a lot of guys, Matty Jones, so many guys playing good at the minute. If I've forgotten anyone, add them in. (Laughter.)

Q. People in Warrnambool are watching?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, there would have been a fair few bit there. It's probably early there now, 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning, so I'm sure it would have been buzzing.

Q. (Inaudible)?
MARC LEISHMAN: Probably not that early in the morning. Yeah, because it was just during the night, I guess, just whoever had Fox telly, that's where they would have gone.

Q. On Twitter, I know you're not on Twitter but there was massive support. Warm your heart?
MARC LEISHMAN: Yeah, it's great. You know, support, it's great to get support like that. You know, it's just -- well, not overwhelming, but it's just great to know that people follow you, and I've got -- they've got an interest, and I can make things exciting for them. They would have been up at 3:00, 2:00, 3:00 in the morning watching golf on TV where they probably wouldn't have been watching golf if they didn't have some sort of connection to me. It's good to know that I can do that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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