THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Joe Dean

Mixed Zone

Q. Congratulations. What a round that was. Just tell us what were the highlights for you?

JOE DEAN: Figuring out that I needed to swing it a little shorter, a little more like an 8-iron. So around the 10th -- poor tee shot on 10, and then 11 hit a really nice tee shot and just felt the swing a little shorter. Yeah, the back nine was a lot better than the front.

Q. How challenging were the conditions out there?

JOE DEAN: Yeah, massively. Again, the game plan this week is just to try to avoid bunkers at all costs, just to hit as many greens as possible, centre of the greens. They're not overly big greens, so usually if you're in and around the centre, you've now got much more of a chance at pulling it, and it's a better chance than some of these runoff areas. They're quite challenging, and they can make the golf ball go a bit wrong.

So, yeah, just keeping it simple and going from there.

Q. Were you watching before you went out? Did you get a bit of help watching before you went out?

JOE DEAN: I watched a bit in the players lounge. I can't say I was taking too much focus on what everyone were doing. Obviously they were showing some really good bits and some really bad bits. I was just really watching to putt a bit.

At the end of the day, we knew what the wind was going to do, and we knew where the pins were going to be. There wasn't really too much to sort of catch us out and surprises. We just got a bit of a game plan going.

Dare I say, we played somewhat to it. So, yeah.

Q. As we speak, you're tied fourth at the moment, at the top end of the leaderboard. Would you have believed that before you went out? Would you have that confidence?

JOE DEAN: It's a tough one because obviously if you make bogey with a score out there, you've got a chance. Like I said, some of the bunkers out there in the runoff areas are that penal that doubles and triples come in very quick.

So I had enough confidence in myself that, if I stayed away from those dangerous spots, I could be -- level-par was a really good score out there. We were just basically aiming for level-par. If it's a bit worse, it's not too bad. If it's a bit better, then obviously we'll take it.

Q. You put yourself in a great position going into the second round.

JOE DEAN: Yeah, absolutely. Again, at the end of the day, I'm just trying to treat it like another round of golf. Conditions hopefully will be a little better tomorrow. Then again, we are in Scotland, so it could -- there is a high chance it might not be.

Yeah, we'll just look at the wind tonight for tomorrow and look at the forecast and the pin locations and have a little plan ready and we'll go tomorrow.