THE 151ST OPEN

July 23, 2023

Matthew Southgate

Mixed Zone

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: I'm absolutely soaked. It was that sort of light misty rain that just gets you soaked.

It was so difficult out there today. I mean, so hard to keep the focus and so much energy has gone into qualifying and getting ready emotionally for the tournament.

Just felt like such a grind out there today. Just I'm over the moon that it's finished now, to be honest. Can try and dry off.

Q. Birdie on 17.

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: Yeah, lovely really. It's been a tough week on the greens for me. I feel like I've hit so many good putts that have just sort of burnt the edges and I haven't really had one of those lovely big Open cheers. Everybody was holding umbrellas so nobody could clap that putt going in, so I got a big roar out of the crowd.

They're the memories this stick with you. I'll never forget that. It's been such a brutal hole all week and I've three-putted it yesterday for a bogey.

The birdie today got me back to level par for that hole. If you just said I would have to two 3s, a 4, and a 2 there for the week I'd have bitten your hand off for that in practice. It's such a brutal little hole.

Sentimental really. Like the 2 helps the scorecard but it's lovely to get one of those Open roars.

I mean, shooting in the 60s out there today was fantastic, really. I haven't really played that well, but I just dug so deep to get up-and-down a few times and sticking at it out there, which is key.

Q. What's coming up for you next?

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: Three weeks off now. I've got one of my best friends, he's getting married, so I'm best man, so I'll be organizing a couple of stag dos, but there's a couple of people who don't drink so I'll stick around with the nonalcoholics and let the others have a good time. Looking forward really just to getting home. I haven't been at my house for about five or six weeks. Forgotten what the place looks like. It'll just be nice to get back.

I've had a little niggle that I haven't complained about in the top of my left shoulder and I think it needs a bit of work in the gym just to strengthen it up. It hasn't prevented me from playing, but you get to 34 and aches and pains and you want to get on top of it because obviously I love playing and I want my career to last as long as I can.

Q. In terms of that niggle, will you see somebody about that?

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: Oh, my mom is a qualified physio. I don't really think there's much to see about it. I've got some exercises to do and it's just putting in the time really, but I feel like if you go in the gym and you rush in the gym, you sort of run the risk of getting injured. It's nice to do it in the off weeks when you've got the time to sort of gently, gently do it properly and take your time to do it.

It shouldn't take too much effort, but it's something I want to get on top of.

There is some constructive stuff to do the next few weeks before I'm back out, and I'm playing in Northern Ireland my first tournament.