THE 151ST OPEN

July 21, 2023

Alex Maguire

Mixed Zone

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Q. Tough day out there?

ALEX MAGUIRE: Yeah. Played phenomenal for the first seven holes and putter was stone cold. Missed everything. Hit it to 10 feet on 1; missed it. It was a bad lip-out.

Then hit it to four feet on the next; I missed it.

Two-putted 3. Played 3, 4, and 5 really well and hit one of the best shots I can remember hitting into 6. Hit a 5-iron to like eight feet and then that missed, as well.

Yeah, and then 8 was the one that cost me, I think. I made a stupid double, roll kick into the bunker, made a really bad double.

Then you can be slightly off in this game, especially around here. This place is so hard. The score kind of reflects it. Obviously Brian's 10-under, that's ridiculous. But it's so hard out there. You miss the green in the wrong spot, tough to get up-and-down.

Especially if you miss the fairways -- you can't really attack the course without taking on so much risk because you hit like I say, a driver on 12 or 14, or 16, there is a bunker if you push it, there is a bunker if you pull it, all at the right distances.

It's really hard to try to attack the course, and then when you sort of miss a fairway and you're scrambling for par, it's quite tough.

Then I lost a ball on 14 with my second shot and caught a flier there, which I didn't think I was going to get a flier, so when that ball went into the bushes it was sort of my chance to say goodbye.

Q. What did you learn about yourself over the last two days?

ALEX MAGUIRE: That I'm definitely good enough to compete out here. I think obviously the score today is sort of an asterisk besides my career, especially my form over the last while. I think if you look at how I played, you would definitely think that I'm good enough to play out here.

I think I hit a lot of really good shots at the right time, smart shots when I needed to. Like yesterday 1-over, it was probably the worst score I should have shot out there, and then today obviously it was just one of those days that you hit a few bad shots and then the holes where you hit good shots, the course sort of kicks you in the ass.

Which yeah, I take away a lot from it knowing if I'm on my game I can definitely compete out here.

Q. There are a lot of positives, though, the experience of carrying yourself around here this week, the preparation, what it takes. You talked about how tiring it is and that's all in the bank now.

ALEX MAGUIRE: Yeah, my first ever professional tournament was at The Open, so I was sort of thrown right into the deep end, which was a little scary at the start because there was so many things going on, but I couldn't be any more happier that my first event was The Open.

Yeah, there's loads of positives, and I'm sure it sort of stings right there because there definitely was a chance of making that cut. I rarely play to make cuts, but today was sort of -- like I was 1-over starting the round and then had a few good chances on the first six holes, like really, really good chances, and to give myself a cushion, you make two birdies in the first six and that gets you under par.

But four ahead of the cut line. Then sort of you can be very conservative on the back nine and make your pars, but once I made that double on 8 it sort of put me behind the 8-ball.

But there's so many positives from this week. Yeah, I'm sure that will all come to the surface in a few days, but right now it's just a little bit sore.

Q. Just a word about your playing partners. You played with a major winner here in practice and you played with another major winner --

ALEX MAGUIRE: Yeah, I played with a lot of major winners this week. I had Patrick and I had a great one on Wednesday with four Claret Jugs between us. I was the only one that didn't have one.

And then obviously Charl is a fantastic guy. I think yesterday we didn't really speak much and he was battling an injury and I was trying to focus on myself.

But today we talked a lot, and he said there on 18, he said it's probably the best swing he's ever seen. Obviously, look, it's a nice consolation walking up the 18th green and Charl Schwartzel, one of the best ball strikers of his time when he won the Masters, to say that I have one of the best swings he's ever seen is really nice.

Then Rikuya, who made the cut, yesterday he was all over the place and then today he made -- I think he might have shot 2-under. Phenomenal golf. I mean he sort of battled his way back and I was delightful to see him, because he was such a nice guy.

He didn't have much English but even when he lost a ball on 5 and he was profusely thanking us for helping him looking for the golf ball he was so, so nice. So to see him make the cut and have a nice pay weekend this weekend, yeah, it's great.