GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 11, 2023

Ewen Ferguson

The Renaissance Club

Press Conference

BRIONY CARLYON: We are delighted to welcome back Ewen Ferguson to the Genesis Scottish Open. It must be nice to be back in Scotland and have a week in front of home fans. How excited are you to have your National Open here?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, come back to Scotland and playing, and knowing some of the courses a little bit better as well, kind of don't worry about the practise rounds and stuff as much. You just focus with your coach and you know what shots you need to hit and advance as well.

So that's helpful, and obviously I like playing in front of like my family and stuff and kind of try to impress them. Looking forward to that.

BRIONY CARLYON: Four Top 10s this season. That's including a tied fourth for the British Masters. Just where is the game at, and how are the confidence levels heading into this week?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, played really well at the British Masters after first four holes, that wasn't good, but then played really well that week and actually the putt on the last, just missed, missed the putt on the way back but was happy to give it a go.

Was excited to play last weekend at Himmerland because I finished second there last year. I wear contact lens every day, and sometimes my eyes get really sore and I get migraines, and I get like blurry vision. It looks like something is floating across my eye, so I had that kind of Wednesday and Thursday in the Pro-Am. I woke up on Thursday, the weather was terrible and that was going and I was like, kind of stressed. So pulled out, which is a shame.

BRIONY CARLYON: Like you say, here this week, hopefully the weather will be better for your eyes.

EWEN FERGUSON: My eyes are good now. I've had some sleep and I wore my specs for a few days, so I'm all in good shape.

Q. How often does that player up, and how much of a concern was it at the time that it might affect this week?

EWEN FERGUSON: I wasn't actually concerned this week at all because I hit goat it all times of the year. I know it's more now. But when I go in a dark room, when I wake up, have a cold shower, I'll be fine. But it's very frustrating when it happens.

But when I'm in Dubai playing or like South Africa where the weather is really good, you can kind of get away with it. But when it's one day rainy, that's when it's so hard and made me a bit panicky.

Q. At your first Scottish Open in 2020, you were still on The Challenge Tour at the time. Can you talk about how the event has changed since then, top 10 in the world here this week, the event has been elevated. What does it mean as a player to play against the top players in the world?

EWEN FERGUSON: Even then. I was just walking about, all the players, I'm like that. I was buzzing seeing Spieth and Justin Thomas yesterday on the putting green, and Spieth is walking about. Like I'm such a golf fan and stuff, as well, just love seeing these guys, and I'm playing against them as well.

Excited to be there. And also this week, a thing on social media, hoping to knock off Rickie Fowler. That's a bit harsh, but hoping I can play against Rickie Fowler this week, that would be good.

Q. Some guys can get inspired by the home crowds, and with the family stuff like that, and it can be pressurised and intimidating for other people. Why do you think it brings the best out of you?

EWEN FERGUSON: I did feel nervous at a home game before but I do feel that I have intensity overall my shots, at the British Masters as well. I think looking forward through Thursday if that happens or another tournament where no one else is there, I might be upset if I missed the cut. But because they were there, I didn't want to let them down.

So I think just like, five-foot putts, bash it out of the bunker. If you hit it in the bunker off the tees, bash it out. Every shot I feel like is a new purpose, and I think that's why I do well.

Q. Have you spoken to any of the other players about contact lens issues?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, my best friend, also, really struggles with his eyes, Connor Syme, he's got a problem with his eyes as well. He wears contact lenses and we both have a similar thing when it happens, it's really annoying. We can chat about our headaches together.

Q. Were you warned about this when you had the contact lenses, that they might trouble you in the summer?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, it troubles me at random times in the year. That's why I wear sunglasses all the time when I'm playing. I think because the wind and the weather, and the day of the Pro-Am in Denmark, the weather was so, so bad and that was 18 holes, and I think it was really strenuous on my eyes. I was always like that and got messed up, and I woke up the next day, could hardly see out of my right eye. Wasn't worth giving it a go.

Yeah, laser surgery, my pain threshold is not that good, so....that's great for that. I don't think I can do that.

Q. Knocking off Rickie Fowler, where did that come from? Did you laugh it off?

EWEN FERGUSON: I think it's brilliant -- (laughter) would be nicer, knock off.

Q. Good to see you again. How would you describe these two weeks in your career, Scottish premiere event, your own open and then you play The Open next week. How do you contain your excitement?

EWEN FERGUSON: Just like because I am like a fan of golf, as well, like watching, like golf movies and everything like Scottish Opens and The Open at Hoylake and knowing the history of the game a little bit, I feel proud to try and do well.

I'm always kind of like thinking about the records and stuff like that as well, so I think to try and like do well this week, and then try and like get myself up there in The Open, would just be proper cool, because obviously it's the open but also elevates your own life status I think.

Like you look at Bob, for example, who has done well in like majors, he's really elevated his status. I'd like to do well.

Q. Any changes in the bag, and will you have a big fan base next week?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, next week, good. They got a house on the range. I'm not staying there by the way. I'm definitely not staying. I'm staying in a hotel just so I can keep normal life on tour up, and then they are all staying in a house there, so they can all have fun and do their thing. Might meet them one night for dinner or something like that.

I think it's a good week as well, for us, because see even sometimes with the weather, they are like, oh, you'll get used to it but we are probably a bit more used to it than like, I don't know, guys in Arizona or something.

It's a good opportunity to go and just like bow really hard and like the Lytham Trophy and Links Trophy and stuff stands you in good stead for that.

Q. Making your major debut, with several Scots there now, how pleasing is that for Scottish golf in general?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, that's really cool. Scotland is a small country, and we all get on very well. Obviously showing how good they are as well and I know they are really good players. Hope they show that next week, and yeah, just playing. I mean, it's such an individual game that I'm going to be there obviously trying to do well for myself. But I'm happy to see them get there. Maybe play a practise round. But I'm supposed to be playing a practise round with Rickie, so see what happens

Q. When you think back to the Boys' Am at Hoylake, what's the enduring memory that comes to mind?

EWEN FERGUSON: The Boys' Amateur? I went there a couple weeks ago with Connor for a practise round and they had that champions board up. Have you seen it? It's quite cool, Tiger and Rory. That's nice. Nice to be part of that.

To be honest though, I couldn't really remember. It's so different. I just kind of like the vibe around the place, for players, it's a magical feeling. Should be pretty pleased and obviously I've done well there before. Like seeing that on my C.V., should be good.

Q. Growing up, playing a lot of links golf, do you think that gives you guys an advantage, a head start with the rest of the field?

EWEN FERGUSON: On the bag changes, I go 7-wood or 5-wood or like a long iron. It's mainly quite windy, so I'll probably put a long iron off the tee. I don't really like changing my bag setup because I always feel like if it doesn't work once -- I probably won't change my bag setup, maybe just a long iron.

I think playing in this does add a little bit of an advantage I think because like I played here loads, and I've played links golf loads, and just know these shots are just really not normal, little chippy irons from a hundred yards, really uncommon. Something you don't do a lot in the States.

Q. Don't have to rehearse those?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, it's not something you practise. You just remember how do you them. Obviously all the other guys are just amazing golfers, and I'm sure they can just do it with a sand wedge. But just like try and kind of go back to times when the weather was not too good, but at the same time not that disappointed that the weather is not that good, because you know, I don't fancy hitting against Rory.