THE 151ST OPEN

July 20, 2023

Richard Bland

Mixed Zone

Q. How do you reflect on today?

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, kind of a bit sort of one step forward, one step back today. I kind of got off to a good start and then a couple of sort of sloppy bogeys at 5 and 6.

Then played well through the turn. Hit my tee shot in the trap on 12, can't get it out, made 6 there.

Then a good birdie at 14 and missed a short one at 16 for par, which was disappointing.

Yeah, it was good to -- I needed that just to finish on a high really.

Q. Can I ask you about 17? You obviously didn't have a problem with that, but talk about it.

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, it's probably not my cup of tea. I'm sure there's a few guys that have said that. But it's there and we've got to play it. You've got to man up and do it.

But yeah, for me, I think it's just a little out of the context of the golf course. I played it like 30 years ago, and I didn't remember it and fell in love with it as soon as I came back and started playing.

What a great challenge we've got. Then 17 is a bit of a sore thumb, I think, really. I think it just needs a bit of -- the green just needs to be bigger, I think.

But it is what it is.

Q. The setup of the course in general?

RICHARD BLAND: Oh, it's absolutely superb. The greens are pure. Just the whole course.

If you play well, if you drive it well, you can give yourself some opportunities.

12 to me, it's not that bad a tee shot, and I've hit it and I can't get it out. That's links golf for you. If you're just a little off, then it's going to be tough. It's major golf, and that's what it should be.

Q. The atmosphere out there, big crowds, big galleries --

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah. Like you say, there's nothing better than playing in front of your home fans. Hopefully there might be a few out there really late tomorrow night when I'm coming in.

Yeah, it's almost probably going to be dark by the time I finish. Hopefully there's a few stragglers left out there. We're going to be bringing the flags in for the green keepers, I think.

I think the nice thing is the greens are going to still be putting just exactly the way they do at 7:00 in the morning. That's what is so fair with links golf. You're not going to get any spike marks or footprints or anything like that. They'll putt exactly the same.

It's going to be just a fair test at 7:00 in the morning as it's going to be at 7:00 at night.