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THE SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROLEX

July 21, 2016

Bernhard Langer

Carnoustie, Scotland

Q. 71, how do you feel?
BERNHARD LANGER: It was okay. There was a lot of good in that round but also some bad. So I've got to work on that stuff. A couple of 3-putts kind of stalled my momentum on 7 and 8, but before and after that, I played pretty solid golf. I've just got to continue to hit fairways and greens and hopefully make a few putts.

But the wind was a challenge, even though, you know, it was fairly strong earlier on and then it flipped twice in the middle of the round, which caught us off guard a little bit. Like 17, I hit as good a shot and it wasn't even on the green. Just the wind switches during my swing.

Q. How is the wind affecting the greens today?
BERNHARD LANGER: Not too much. It wasn't strong enough to make the ball roll one way or another. Maybe into the wind it was a bit slower and downwind a bit faster, because it was blowing about 15 earlier on, 15, 18. But not so much the end of the day.

Q. More positives to take into tomorrow's round?
BERNHARD LANGER: Definitely. I feel like my game is very close. Just got to try to hit a few more quality iron shots and get a little closer to the hole.

Q. Tough today, was it?
BERNHARD LANGER: The wind was blowing pretty good early on and then it switched twice. It switched on the par 3, what is it, 13 or something like that, and then again on 17, which makes it tricky. You look at the flags and the wind was straight across. I made one practice swing with my shot and looked again they were going that way. All three of us came up short -- but it usually doesn't do that that dramatic, but you could show the temperature change when it comes off the water, it's old.

Q. What did you hit into the last? Terrific shot.
BERNHARD LANGER: Good 7-iron. I was hoping it would be really close, which it was. Just couldn't convert the putt.

Q. What distance was the shot?
BERNHARD LANGER: The shot was 169 metres, which is 187 yards, something like that, downwind.

Q. You're quite happy with that opening round?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, I think it's not bad. 3-under in the clubhouse is the best score right now, and there may be a 4-under, but I'm right there. You can't win the tournament the first day. You can lose it by messing up real bad. But there's a lot of golf to be played yet.

Q. Did you find the course more difficult than the last time?
BERNHARD LANGER: Yeah, I think there's more rough. I think it it's much greener. Last time they probably didn't have as much rain in the months before and the rough wasn't as punishing. I think this time around, you can find some bad lies, really bad lies.

Q. Is it more rough -- is it thicker when you're in it?
BERNHARD LANGER: Thicker and a bit patchy. Because of the rain, you get areas where the water gathers and it just grows more so when you don't have that much rain. It's just kind of thin. It's long but it's thin.

Q. Luck involved?
BERNHARD LANGER: Usually is.

Q. Do you ever set a target in your head of how many of these you want to collect in the next few years?
BERNHARD LANGER: How many tournaments or majors?

Q. Majors.
BERNHARD LANGER: No, not really. It's hard to do. You just try to do your best every time you go out. Sometimes you play great, and like Mickelson, and somebody else plays better. What are you going to do about it? Some other times you may not quite play your very best but you may still end up winning.

I have not set a target. I had a target of winning a hundred tournaments a few months ago and I achieved that. That was a milestone in my career. But for majors, I haven't really thought about it.

Q. Now that you've achieved that goal, is there another one?
BERNHARD LANGER: Keep winning. Keep winning into the 60s. Keep winning more than anyone else ever has.

Q. The hunger doesn't ever abate, does it?
BERNHARD LANGER: Not really, no. I'm a competitive person. I enjoy that game. And if I spend that much time away from the family and home and friends, I might as well do well. If I'm out here finishing 50th every week, I don't think you're going to see me out here very long.

Q. Are you competitive in everything?
BERNHARD LANGER: Everything. Doesn't matter what it is.

Q. Did you not let the children win when you were kids?
BERNHARD LANGER: They have a bit of that, too, yeah, a bit of that competitive spirit, which makes for interesting games. Yeah, they play golf, too.

Q. No fights yet so far?
BERNHARD LANGER: No, no. Come on, we're Christians, we don't fight.

Q. How can has Terry been with you?
BERNHARD LANGER: We started when I was 49, so ten years now I think, just about.

Q. One of the longest.
BERNHARD LANGER: Well, I Peter Coleman, 22 years, that was definitely one of the longer ones. Terry is working on it. I might not get old enough for him to catch that 22.

Q. You'd have to be 70 to make 22.
BERNHARD LANGER: There's other guys, Hale Irwin and Bob Charles and Gary Player and a few of those that have played to about that age, but we'll see. We will see.

Q. Sum that up.
BERNHARD LANGER: It was a mixed bag. A lot of good in it, but also some not-so-good. A couple of 3-putts that stole my momentum there on 7 and 8, but then I came back really good. Wish I had made that last 6-footer there on 18 for birdie, but overall, I'm not far behind. I'm pretty much where I want to be.

Q. It's a golf course that's very demanding and we know that, do you feel as though your game is in great shape and it's got everything that's required to win here this week?
BERNHARD LANGER: It's close. My game is close. I'm hitting some quality shots but there's a few that are not quite as good as I'd like to, so I'll be working on the range a little bit and working on my putting stroke. It's not far off, so I'm very close. I might find some and that makes all the difference.

Q. I hear one of your family is getting married next week.
BERNHARD LANGER: Yes, my son, our older son. Looking forward to that, Colorado Springs. Should be a wonderful weekend.

Q. Grand daddy soon?
BERNHARD LANGER: Maybe. We'll find out.

Q. Are you satisfied with a 71 today?
BERNHARD LANGER: Pretty much. It could have been one or two better, but it's a tough golf course out there. Made a couple of 3-putts on 7 and 8 which kind of stalled my momentum. But then gathered myself and got a couple up-and-down, made a couple of birdies. Wish I had made that putt on the last. That was two really quality shots to about six, seven feet and would have liked to make that one. But it is what it is. I'm not far behind I think and still got a lot of golf to be played yet.

Q. Great conditions today. Is today the day that you can get this golf course maybe a little bit compared to the next three with the forecast the way it is?
BERNHARD LANGER: I haven't seen the forecast, so you know more than I do.

Q. A little rain in it.
BERNHARD LANGER: Rain always makes it tough, but wind makes it that much harder, and it was interesting today. The wind switched two or three times totally against the forecast. I guess we had a storm threatened to come in and it looked around and flipped again. We got caught in that wind switch but that's links golf.

Q. How much fun is it to play links golf especially on a golf course that many consider the toughest on the Open rota?
BERNHARD LANGER: It may well be. I personally love links golf. I just like the turf, just to nip it off the turf, and the ball sits pretty nice. You need some creativity, because you have got to see shots and create shots that you normally can't do. And you've got to use the way the ground bounces and rolls, and you've got to find that out in the practise rounds, and then also use it to your advantage during the tournament rounds.

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