THE 150TH OPEN

July 16, 2022

Robert MacIntyre

Mixed Zone

ROBERT MACINTYRE: I was. Obviously a few opportunities today, but I just got going.

Q. If you missed the 13th hole, you'd be fine.

ROBERT MACINTYRE: It's golf. Some holes you love. Some holes you hate. I'm afraid that's one that I hate.

Q. Are these just building blocks? Just building, building, building. Is that how you see it as well?

ROBERT MACINTYRE: It is. Yesterday was big for me. I've never been that stressed on a golf course in my life. With seven holes to go, I don't know what was going on. Had to turn away from the actual fairway on 16 because there was too much going on. Fan support is absolutely brilliant, but I was feeling it.

Almost -- you're not letting people down, but you know how much it means. There's so many people supporting me, and it means so much to me that I just didn't -- I wasn't going to let them down because I was having a hard bit, but I was trying almost too hard.

Then the two putts on 16 and 17 yesterday, I just gave up. I was like, great, I gotta have these putts, and if they go in, they go in. Thankfully, I holed them.

It's just about -- yeah, just, I made every cut, okay. I've challenged. I've finished top ten twice, but I've not challenged yet. But I'm only 25.

Q. That's another big step when you finished on the 16th. That could go two ways. You've come through the test.

ROBERT MACINTYRE: Yeah, it's been good. Obviously I'm wanting to compete every time I tee it up, but I've not mastered The Old Course yet. I don't know quite how to play a few holes, and it's driving me insane right now.

Q. You mastered the Road Hole today.

ROBERT MACINTYRE: I got lucky. Luckily I was outside a yard from the lip. When I hit the bunker shot, I don't know where it had gone. As soon as I hit the ball, I hit the lip and there was just dust everywhere. Mike didn't know where the ball had gone. I just heard people clapping, so I was like, oh, it's out.

No, it's just a tough hole. There's not going to be much cheering going around there.

Q. What's your aim and your target when you have 18 holes left to play?

ROBERT MACINTYRE: Just go at it again. Be sensible on certain holes. Depending on pin positions, that's what -- I mean, I played some great holes out there.

I mean, like 12, I have a great tee shot onto the green, and I've got no putt. I just couldn't try and get it next to the hole. I had to smash it 20 feet past the hole.

It's like that. You've got to take what you get out there. It's one of those golf courses when it's as firm as that, it just depends where they put the pins. I mean, I saw some pins this week that I never thought I'd see. They put them there, and it's just absolutely brutal.

Q. You talk about the support and how you fought yesterday. Can you go out tomorrow and just enjoy it and savor it a bit more?

ROBERT MACINTYRE: 100 percent, I enjoyed it today because there was no consequence. I was hitting shots I wouldn't have hit like yesterday. For instance, on 16 I hit bang driver down the left. Whereas yesterday I had to turn away on that hole because I just had to switch off from golf for a second to give me a bit of peace.

But tomorrow is going to be absolutely brilliant. Hopefully I'll go out a bit later and hopefully shoot a bit lower than today and get the crowd going.

Q. Was it quite exhausting having to finish up yesterday after the way that you'd felt and get ready for an early start today?

ROBERT MACINTYRE: I mean, last night I was sitting at the dinner table just slouched, didn't know what to do. I was trying to eat, but I was just, I was done. I could have curled up in a ball when I finished and cried.

No, obviously, it was good to make the cut, but we're wanting a few things in the game, and I'm starting to see signs that, as long as I commit to the work. It's good to test it on such a tough test.

Q. On the 1st tee (indiscernible).

ROBERT MACINTYRE: (Laughter). Actually, I don't know what it is, if it's because I'm left-handed or what. But every pair of golf shoes I ever wear, I lose studs. It was the same with Adidas. It was the same all the way growing up. I lose studs.

I'm hitting my tee shot, and after I had it, I felt my foot move. I'm like I lost a stud. Sure enough, I checked after 10 yards, and I'd lost a stud. I'm not daft. I've got backups. We just screwed on another one.