THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Matt Wallace

Mixed Zone

Q. I imagine you're pretty pleased under par, but maybe even still feels like it could have been better?

MATT WALLACE: Yeah, obviously the triple bogey on 9 doesn't help your scorecard, but I dealt with it great, and a lot of chat this week about having to deal with stuff that you don't want. I dealt with those very well. Had that one real blip, and I didn't play the way I wanted to to start off the tee, so dealt with that, as well, but to be in that position and then come into the clubhouse hitting it well down the stretch was really nice.

Q. Is the gorse, the case of the 9th hole, is that the danger out here? One loose swing can be a triple.

MATT WALLACE: Yeah, I left myself too far in off the tee. I hit a great tee shot, but I could have hit a 3-wood rather than a 2-iron and then I had a blind shot, and you can't miss it left, so I went for a hold fade and just slightly missed it off that turf, and it just spun up and went into the gorse.

Taking that shot on, I could easily have just hit it left, but this isn't what the Open Championship is about.

Q. Is that impacted in some way because you're playing the front nine into the wind and you have no time to prep for playing that front nine into the wind?

MATT WALLACE: I haven't played it like that, regarding against the bunker off the tee, so we're like, well, 3-wood, if it's hot it might hit the downslope, it can get in it. But that's kind of the beauty of links golf is like I couldn't hit a 3-wood in there without the bounce, without the knuckle on the fairway I wouldn't get 3-wood there. But there's a slight chance it might go in there, and then you are dead.

I hit the 2-iron, hit a good shot, just left myself a long way in, and it was all the way in that.

Q. I was curious, last week you talked about in this green room interview, showed some real vulnerability about acceptance and trying to understand your place in the game. I was curious where you were at and what you meant by "place in the game" and how you didn't feel like you were where you wanted to be.

MATT WALLACE: Yeah, I think I get in my own way sometimes mentally, so I stop myself from allowing my game to come through because I know it's good enough, and I've shown that. I think everyone can see that. But I think everyone would also agree that they see me not getting the full potential out of my game, so I need to figure that out. I've been on that for a few years, and it was just at that time, it was just a frustrating thing and an honest thing to say in that situation.

I guess it came across as though -- I feel I can be competing for big tournaments. That's what I feel I can do. I haven't done that in a long time, so if I can start competing, I'll be very happy.

Q. Do you feel there is value in those immediate thoughts that kick around in people's heads? You said it was right after scoring.

MATT WALLACE: Yeah, I've literally come off and had no time to really think about what's gone on, and I'm just frustrated and upset, and then it goes how you're feeling, and I've had to openly say that, and I've never had to do that. I'm sure the top boys have had to do that a lot, so they're maybe media trained more than I was at that time. But the way I always answer questions is honest and give my true thoughts on how I was feeling.

Q. Do you feel better when you exit? Is there a therapeutic nature --

MATT WALLACE: I was choking up, so I didn't feel great. There was a bit, what do they call it, cathartic? There was something very cathartic about it that I could get it out when I know people are going to see it. But I've had some amazing sort of messages from it, which has been really nice. Some not so, like just get on with it, that sort of stuff, you earn millions. I wasn't earning millions last week. But yeah, no, it was nice.

Q. In terms of the last few holes, the par-5, 6th hole, it's like playing 620, isn't it.

MATT WALLACE: Yeah.

Q. Is that the way do you think the game is going? Does a par-5 need to be 620 to challenge the top players?

MATT WALLACE: Well, it is 620 and straight into wind. It's a different challenge. I don't mind it because it is a three-shot hole, and it should be a three-shot hole for everyone. Is it a little bit numbing, like dumb? Kind of. It's a little bit blah. It doesn't really suit the golf course, I believe, because the golf course is amazing as it is. It's been lengthened on some shots, but it still plays relatively similar.

That hole just is really, really long. I think if you put it 15 yards up, the bunkers are still in play. It still could be 15 yards up, could be 20 yards up, it doesn't make a difference today.

Q. If it's downwind could you reach it in two?

MATT WALLACE: Yes. Well, I played with Rory in practice day and he reached it with an iron. So it's definitely reachable. Maybe not for me.

Q. I think what I'm angling for is should course design be prioritised as far as pure length?

MATT WALLACE: Absolutely. Postage Stamp, prime example, and what Tiger said. It doesn't have to be a 240-yard par-3, even though we've got one out there on 17 that's about 220 to the front.

The best par-3s for me in the world are between the 150 to 180. I think you can go across the board, some of the best golf courses in the world, they're in that sort of area.

Then the par-5s, you don't want them all reachable, so you want some where you have to think about it. Today might not even be a driver off the tee. Could be 3-wood, 2-iron and then a wedge.

As long as it's playing similar for everyone, you know.