THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Alex Noren

Mixed Zone

Q. I imagine you feel pretty good getting in with an under-par score.

ALEX NOREN: Yeah, I'm pleased. It was tricky kind of going from Tuesday, different wind, Wednesday, different wind, today, different wind. The downwind holes are tricky, as well, because you've got to think a lot, the tee shots, and to not get in any bunkers. Yeah, I didn't play great, but I managed my way and kind of stayed out of the big trouble and hit enough good shots to be under par.

Q. Your form this year has been really good. At 42 years old, is there a way of explaining why it's showing up now?

ALEX NOREN: Well, I hope I'm not at my best, but I mean, I'm working hard at everything, and I want to be a lot better than I am. I think that's probably the mindset that you have to have. I want to get better. That's why I'm still all right at it.

Q. What was the hole that you thought made your round?

ALEX NOREN: Well, just hit some good shots on the front. It was so tough because it was so short yesterday when I played the front in good weather, and then today you've got to hit some quality shots, even on 1, 2, 3. It just kind of felt quite easy. When I was in a little bit of trouble, my short game was working, and it was kind of like somewhat of a miss it in the right places and easy chips, and it's hard to say one hole, but I birdied 8 and 10 -- no, 7 and 10 -- 7 and 9. 9 is tricky. Yesterday it was downwind, today is into the wind. It's tricky. It's blowing. You're coming in with a 5-iron instead of maybe a chip 8-iron. Mentally it was pretty difficult out there.

Q. Do you feel you avoided some bad stuff? When you birdied that 18th it was beginning to get pretty bad. Today you could be top 5, top 10.

ALEX NOREN: Yeah, I don't know what the weather is going to be this afternoon. Not great. Yeah, I thought it didn't get -- we weren't going to get anything. This course, I think, with the wind today probably plays maybe the easiest wind because the back nine is I think 300 yards longer than the front, and this back nine helps a lot with this wind.

But it's just so -- the ball skits like on a football pitch. You put a little bit of water, but the water doesn't go down, so it's not softer, it just skits. 18, I hit 9-iron, probably it bounced probably 20 metres, 20 yards in the downwind.

It's going to play tricky, but people are going to shoot under par, I think.

Q. You have a bit of a reputation of being a long worker. You spend a lot of time on the range. When you have a late afternoon tee time tomorrow, how much time will you spend today?

ALEX NOREN: I don't spend that much time anymore. I come out later. I spend normal days. But today I'll work maybe two hours after the round, some gym. It adds up. I'm trying not to practise too much at home with my kids around. Maybe I've shifted the practice a little bit.