	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 147TH OPEN

July 22, 2018

Eddie Pepperell

Angus, Scotland, United Kingdom

EDDIE PEPPERELL: Apologies for yesterday.

Q. That's fine. Given your brusque assessment yesterday, what was the turnaround today?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: It wasn't shy. It wasn't shy today. Well, I hit the ball better on the range, which gave me some confidence because I didn't feel I was swinging it well this week. And then playing with Phil. Those two things gave me something to go out there with, honestly.

I was a little hungover. I won't lie. I had too much to drink last night. And I was so frustrated yesterday, that today was really, I wouldn't say a write-off, but I didn't feel I was in the golf tournament. Whether I shot 69 or 73 today, it wouldn't have been heartbreaking. But as it happens, I shot 67. So, you know, it's a funny game.

Q. Did you feel like you put yourself under too much pressure given how well you'd done last week to do well here?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: No, definitely not. I don't think I'd do that. I just didn't play as well this week honestly. Last week I felt like I hit the ball really good, and I felt like I putted better. I had a feeling with the putter that I've run dry, shall we say, and this today was tough. It was hard work just getting the ball to the hole. It fell hard. The putt I had on the last -- I had been short pacing today, desperately trying to hole it but desperately thinking, well, I could easily wipe this three foot past, and the last thing I want to do is leave myself a three-footer at Carnoustie in front of 10,000 people.

I've managed my game exceptionally well today because I knew on certain tee shots I wasn't going to hit a great tee shot, so I played for the rough and I played for missing the bunkers. This course lends itself to that in these conditions. Had this course been wet this week, I wouldn't have had much joy. But I've managed to at least manage my game well enough to post a score now. It's probably not going to be enough, but it's decent.

Q. So the beer will taste good tonight then?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: The wine might.

Q. Are you going to hang around?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: Yeah, I've got to apparently. Well, they're on 5, and it's 20-mile-an-hour wind. The only hope I have is that it's Carnoustie, and the last three, four holes, even though they're downwind, still anything can happen with obviously pressure and all that sort of stuff out here. So I'll have to hang around.

You know, listen, if I finish top five, then I'll be delighted with that.

Q. Eddie, what time did you get to bed last night?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: It wasn't that late. It was probably 11:00, half 11:00. Not too bad.

Q. What did you have to drink?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: Just some wine. The ING house, and I was there with my coach. We just drowned sorrows for a half hour and had a good chat with a few people. It was enjoyable.

Q. You have a coach to guide you on your performance. How come you've been drinking? Because drinking is not performance.
EDDIE PEPPERELL: Well, that performance, you see, that's what matters. You need to -- listen, I wouldn't always have a drink the night before. Sometimes I have a few drinks. Tiger is minus-7, he didn't have a drink last night, I bet. Proper athlete.

Q. Can we expect some tweets tonight?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: Probably not. I'm going to have to wind it in now, I reckon.

Q. You didn't play a practise round here before you started?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: No. Nick said to me coming up at the last, I'm a caddie's dream because I don't play practise rounds very often. I didn't play one last week and I didn't play one this week. I didn't want to be here on Monday because I wasn't feeling very well. I've played Carnoustie loads of times. I've never seen it like this.

Yeah, I just -- I took it very, very casually this week, you could say that, yeah.

Q. Was it a nice chat between you and Phil?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: Yeah. I mean, I didn't get to ask him about that (laughter), which was a shame because I wanted to. I asked him about his clothing line and that it looks good.

Listen, I love Phil. Actually, what he did, I think I defended him on Twitter. I like things that happen slightly nonconformist, you could say, and I think Phil was that. No, it was an absolute dream to play with. Really, I loved it.

Q. You got some free clothes out of it?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: Maybe. He did say the fabric is kind of loose fitting around this area, and he called me an athlete. I think he's lying. So I'm going to ask for a couple. Yeah, so I'm going to have to ask for a couple shirts maybe.

Q. Is there something to be said for taking that kind of casual approach, having a drink the night before, kind of clearing your mind?
EDDIE PEPPERELL: I think so. Depends how you -- depends, honestly, how you feel. Yeah, you know, it really does. I mean, I've done it all different types of ways in my career, and the next day it's been anything and everything. So there's no real rhyme or reason to it. I think it depends on how you feel. I like to socialize in the evenings really, if I can, and it certainly takes some of the pressure and the sting away from competitive golf at this level because it's stressful.

Q. (Inaudible).
EDDIE PEPPERELL: No, I didn't this morning, but I did wake up in the middle of the night not feeling too good. I didn't really have that much to drink, just I'm a lightweight, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297