THE SENIOR OPEN PRESENTED BY ROLEX

July 27, 2023

Mario Tiziani

Royal Porthcawl Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. First round here at Royal Porthcawl, you look up to the scoreboard and see your tied second, how does that make you feel?

MARIO TIZIANI: Yeah, good. You're kind of in your own world out there. You see it, but it's the first round and you're just trying to do the best you can to make as many pars as you can, and if you can sprinkle in a birdie, great, but stay out of bunkers and try not to make it stressful on yourself.

Q. How did it feel after the TV cameras and fans left?

MARIO TIZIANI: It's a super long day. We don't play quickly because it's difficult. We'll go home and try to get a quick dinner and come home tomorrow.

Q. How are conditions?

MARIO TIZIANI: At first I thought we got a pretty good break. Started off with a good break, and then I don't want to say it laid down but it got warm and was pretty nice in the middle.

And then at the end, the last probably six, seven holes I think was tough. The wind switched and a little bit of rain.

Q. You do come from some golfing pedigree with your father and your in-law, Steve Stricker. Who do you counsel when you come to Wales to play a links course for the first time?

MARIO TIZIANI: I talked to Steve a little bit. Jerry Kelly, we went to high school together from the same hometown so I talk to Jerry a little bit. I've never played over here, so whoever I can talk to, just kind of trying to get any little tidbit, and of course my father, too. He's played over here as well. So anybody I can talk to, I'm going to take anything I can get.

Q. How do you describe the experience, given that you've just walked off 18?

MARIO TIZIANI: I thought it was awesome. I've never played golf over here, like I said, and it's so different and it's all about protecting your golf ball, which is kind of how I grew up. It doesn't seem like that's the way the game is these days. It's just kind of through the air. And if guys make bogeys, they make bogeys, and they typically make a ton of birdies. I grew up protecting my golf ball and you have to do that here.

Q. Do you have to make a lot of adjustments? On the main tour, guys will get rid of the 5-wood or what-have-you, but it's not that simple always.

MARIO TIZIANI: No. And I did. I'm not carrying a 3-wood. I put in a 2-iron.

So yeah, again, it's about anything -- you don't want the ball in the air, and all those clubs put it up. So I want it on the ground.