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THE 147TH OPEN

July 21, 2018

Chris Wood

Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom

Q. It felt like a birdie. What happened? What did you do?
CHRIS WOOD: Popped up really, didn't it? I obviously got a break after the second shot, just finishing inbounds. It was either a penalty drop or have a go with a sneaker shot on the other side of the fence. But I felt like I could get the ball maybe five yards in front of me, and the fairways and fringes are so good and so quick, it's just like putting on the green anyway. So once I got within a yard or two of the green, I did fancy it. It was a pretty easy read, double break, right to left, left to right, but lovely to see again in the middle.

Q. How good does that make you feel now? Of course you had a great start today, but to finish like that, it must be a massive lift.
CHRIS WOOD: Yeah, to be honest, it wouldn't have changed my mood an awful lot because the way I've played the first couple of days has been terrible. It was a good effort to get through and make the weekend really. So there's no way I expected to be 7-under on the day. So to shoot mid-60s today, regardless of how I finished, would have been a good effort.

Q. Is that as good as you felt for a long time?
CHRIS WOOD: A couple of weeks ago, I finished second in the French Open. I think I went 8 under through 10 during a spell my third round. That was pretty good. But the game has not felt I've had much control for a long time.

A couple of shots I've been fighting, the left shots. Yeah, it's not an ideal position to be in heading into a major. But I'm sort of approaching it like I am where I am and I'm just trying to work through it. Next year hopefully I'll be feeling better about my game coming into The Open.

Q. How much of a momentum killer was 14, and what happened there?
CHRIS WOOD: Yeah, it's a tough shot, obviously. It's about a foot from the face. And I got down there and thought I might have a shot to get to the pin. But the bank faces are so steep. It was really high. I had to jump to see the flag there. And I probably just had to -- I probably just -- in my mind, I was seeing myself flighting it up, getting it to within 10 feet almost. That was probably an unrealistic shot. It didn't go out, obviously, and took a bit of medicine with the second go.

That sort of killed the round a little bit. 8-under through 14 is looking strong there.

Q. You haven't made many better 4s at 18 than you did, though, in your career?
CHRIS WOOD: Yeah, that's right up there. I mean, I've hit 2 iron off the tee on 18, which leaves you a lot to do coming in. I hit it every day. Made a 3 Thursday, three-putted last night for 5. I'd love to be able to stand there and hit the driver like, probably 80 percent of the field are doing and go with 8 or 9 iron, but I'm just not there with my game. On a hole like that, you've got to have a shot that you're comfortable with. 2 iron, that is for me.

When you leave yourself 4 iron to the back right pin and you're hooking it, it's not nice.

Q. There's no chance with a 7 iron (inaudible)?
CHRIS WOOD: Yeah, there was those sort of shots there, but I sort of felt like I could just stop the putt with no loft into the grain with topspin and maybe get a few extra yards. With any sort of iron, I'd probably have to guarantee a strike a bit more.

So, yeah, I think I made the right move, but obviously the second putt was a bonus.

Q. Chris, apologies if this is a question you're always asked. But it's ten years on from the sort of breakthrough performance at The Open as an amateur. What does that do for your career in the long term? What does it do to the expectations around you, particularly as an Englishman?
CHRIS WOOD: It makes me feel old. I'm married with a baby now ten years on. But, yeah, I mean, I love this tournament, and it kickstarted my career, obviously. Every year I come back here, and -- this is my fifth event in a row, and I was shattered when I got here Sunday night. It just lifts you. It's just such a special event and one I really feel like I could do well in.

But, yeah, so every year I come back here, and there's always great memories, particularly Birkdale and going back there. I've upgraded my caddie since then - my dad was on my bag back when I was an amateur. So there's obviously lots of good things have happened to me in those ten years.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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