THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Matthew Southgate

Mixed Zone

Q. How would you reflect on the round?

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: It was good. It was very difficult out there. It's challenging. Borderline out there being committed to it in a good shot or being scared to not hit a bad shot. It's very, very tough mentally to be committed to what you're doing. I had a bit of a loose tee shot on 11 there, which is a notoriously difficult tee shot. I flushed it, but I just pulled it into the wind straight onto the course.

I didn't hit a great provisional, and I really didn't think I'd find a first one, found a first one, managed to take a drop, got it out and made a 6. It's not often you make a double bogey and feel good about it. I had to really dig deep after that to make sure nothing slipped and I had really done my job well from there, which I was really chuffed with.

Q. Better towards the end of the round?

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: I had a great opportunity on 16. Hit such a good 2-iron off the tee, 2-iron into the green. I just slightly mis-hit it. Took all the wind out of the shot, so the wind never really got hold of it.

It went into the pot bunker 25 yards short of the green. I thought, oh, no, that could be really, really bad. It's such a small, little bunker. Luckily when I got out of there, came out of its plug mark. I couldn't get it close to the flag, but I could get it on the green with a really good shot, and I done that. Holed about a 60-foot putt, and that was great.

A little sore not to pick up another one on 17 or 18. Just hit three world class shots, the tee shot into 17, two at the last. It's tough to putt in the wind as well. It looks so simple when you're watching on the TV. When you've got dead straight putts and the wind is howling off the right, it's really difficult to judge where you've got your aim.

All in all, you can't win The Open on Thursday, but you can certainly lose it. I just walked off the 18th green feeling like I've definitely not lost it yet, so it was a good day.

Q. What are you going to do the rest of the day?

MATTHEW SOUTHGATE: I'm going to chill out. The house I'm staying in has got a hot tub. I'll be watching the coverage this afternoon. I've got some lovely friends that are playing. I couldn't be any more encouraging. I play very much me versus the golf course and the other guys that are part of the field there, a lot of them are good friends. I like to watch the coverage and cheer them all on.