THE 149TH OPEN

July 15, 2021

Padraig Harrington

Mixed Zone

Q. Padraig, thanks for joining us. Can you take a moment to reflect on your round?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, obviously disappointing. Hit the ball a lot better than my score, so, yeah, disappointing overall.

Q. Just wondering was it mainly on the greens that it was a struggle today or tee-to-green were you reasonably happy?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I hit a couple -- I hit a lovely tee shot down the 1st. Didn't think it was a problem, and luckily there was a marker because you wouldn't have found the ball. I moved it two yards, so starting with a 6 wasn't a great way to start.

And again, similar thing on 4. I tucked a wrong line, hit a nice tee shot, and again had to chip it out. You know, 3-over after four makes you very tentative. You feel like you can't make any mistakes, and I played like that for quite a while.

Then I made a few birdies. Didn't make -- you know, getting through 9 and 1-over was good, but I had chances. Hit some really good shots then through the back nine. Had plenty of chances. Didn't birdie 14; three-putt 15; had a good chance on 16.

These are things that just, yeah, after a bad start you need things to go your way, and obviously bogeying the last is always very disappointing.

Always a lot worse to bogey the last than any other hole. Certainly leaves a sour taste.

Q. One other question: Louis Oosthuizen is leading again. What have you made of his play over the years and him as a player?

PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, he's very -- how would I put it -- comfortable in himself, and what's where you need to be when you're playing majors. He does his thing and doesn't try to be anybody else but Louis, and you see that with guys who are playing well.

They're happy with who they are.