DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN

July 4, 2021

Lucas Herbert

Mount Juliet Estate

Quick Quotes

Q. Lucas, the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is one of the Tour's most iconic events. Describe how it feels to be its champion?

LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, it's an unbelievable feeling. It's just so -- it's a bit fulfilling, really. I felt like I was at one of my low points in my life when I played here two years ago at Lahinch in the Irish Open, and now to feel like I've done full swing and come back around and won the event that I was at a pretty low point at, it's pretty satisfying. I'm very happy standing here right now.

Q. You got off to a good start, but really struggled from the 5th through the 10th. How big were the putts at 8, 9 and 10?

LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, obviously chip-out on 7 and then make that really nice putt for par. And then just scrambled all the way down 8 and made that; that could have been the turning point of the day, if those two putts don't go in, you make two bogeys. To keep that card really clean out there and not come back to the field and give them a chance, I'm happy about that.

And later the bunker shots on 15 and 16, I felt like I scrambled so nicely all day. I didn't feel like I holed a lot of putts yesterday, so to feel I holed the putts today, so good, so good.

Q. In that five-hole stretch, how did you turn it around?

LUCAS HERBERT: A lot of soul searching out there. Trying to go back through anything that me and the coach have worked on before, and I lost one right there on 5. So I played around with a couple of feels and they didn't work. I hit one down 12, and I said to myself, that's with the one, stick with that feel the rest of the round, and I did. And it felt like we were back to where we were at yesterday.

Q. One of the turning points was the bunker shot at 15, a crucial point in the round.

LUCAS HERBERT: I hit a lot of bunker shots in the practise area all week, and I probably felt like ball was just coming out a little hot out of there. So I hit a few in there this morning and got my feel, and then rest is history.

I hit two really nice bunker shots there that came out exactly how I wanted them to with some pretty good adrenaline running through me. I'm pretty proud of those two.

Q. A word from Nick, your caddie; he did a great job today, didn't he?

LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, it's so funny, I rang Nick at the end of last year and he left Johannes. Johannes had a great run, and he left Johannes to come with me this year. We're so close friends. We pretty much live together for the past six months and to share this win with him, I know it's going to mean everything to both of us.

Q. Projected to Top-20 in The Race to Dubai and 54th in the world. Surely that's a major goal to get into the Top-50 and get into all the bigger events?

LUCAS HERBERT: 100 per cent. The more big events you can play, the better. I feel like I'm getting more comfortable in those, so I can take more opportunities when I do get those chances.

I know how much -- I won obviously in Dubai (OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic) last year and how much that benefitted me winning the event, rather than a top five or a top three, a win is so much more than a second place. Yeah, that was just -- I was mentally trying to keep that forefront of my mind today that a win is a lot bigger than just a good finish and I was proud to finish the way I did.

Q. Also qualifying for The Open Championship, how excited to be going to Sandwich with a win under your belt?

LUCAS HERBERT: Yeah, it's awesome when you get to play an Open Championship. Some of the best venues in the word and they test you so much strategically. I haven't played the course before. There's always a great buzz around The Open. Everyone gets behind it in the U.K. and Ireland. I'm stoked to get that start, as well.