THE G4D OPEN

May 17, 2024

Wayne Perske

Mixed Zone

Q. So tell us about the eagle, firstly, on 5.

WAYNE PERSKE: Seem like a good start, had the complete opposite. 4-over after hour, had not really done anything particularly bad. Just wasn't going my way and then yeah, one shot can turn it.

So I just hit it down the fairway with a fairway wood and then holed an 89-yard pitch shot. So hopefully that one makes the highlights reel because the TV guys were there and it was pretty cool and it just -- it's funny how one shot can change the way you think. It was all 'poor me' and then I hole a shot and it's like, I've got a couple free ones and I birdied the next, and then was sort of like, well, I can still get that top five that I was trying for. Even after that, like I played some really good golf and some scratchy golf, so it feels really like the one that got away.

Q. Top five, best players in the world, getting to that stage where you proved you can do it.

WAYNE PERSKE: If you had said to me at the start of the week that you'd have fourth, I'd have said no but considering everything that happened, yeah, I've got to be happy to accept that, if it is, that's what happens, then going out there today and having that start and then being able to pull it back, I'm quite pleased with myself.

Q. Off to London tomorrow?

WAYNE PERSKE: Not a bad trip. Already looking forward to next year and next year giving it a bit more of a shake because I really want to win.

Q. What do you need to work at?

WAYNE PERSKE: Definitely the short stuff. My ball-striking is quite good. Especially with my shorter irons, it's just when I missed the green, I didn't get it up-and-down like those guys do.

So I'll take that on board, I'll go home, because I've been hitting a lot of greens and a lot of the tournaments that I've been playing, so short game really has not been exposed but it was exposed this week so I know what to work on.

Q. Top Australian?

WAYNE PERSKE: That was a target, yeah.