THE 152ND OPEN

July 19, 2024

Ewen Ferguson

Mixed Zone

Q. A quick comment on your game?

EWEN FERGUSON: Game was okay, but my body is broken this morning. I really struggled on the range, neck sore. Don't know what's going on.

Just a lot of golf, and just my swing wasn't firing. Yesterday it was okay, but still not quite myself. Then today was like -- I had a nice bath last night and tried to get everything going, but four hours sleep, it's just not cutting it.

Just a lot of golf recently and trying to do it. I think I'll be one too many, but hopefully somebody can turn a hairdryer on for the boys.

Q. It's been quite an emotional three weeks for you, hasn't it? You have played a lot of golf. It's not just the golf you played, you've had all the emotions of success, disappointment missing the cut last week, but then coming to this event here.

EWEN FERGUSON: To be honest, I still feel new to this side of things, even though last week playing with Spieth, I found myself in a bit of a fan boying as well watching. Second round I realised he's just another guy, like says all the same stuff I say to my caddie, says all the same stuff to his ball.

Then this week just like go on your own game and forget about everything else. I changed shots I would never normally hit. Matt Fitzpatrick would hit one, and then Spieth would hit one, and I don't have that shape. Then I'm thinking I'll try it, and I hit it in the rough and make bogey, and I think what am I doing?

That's why I think it's so impressive how Bob copes with it. That's why I think he's a few years ahead of me in terms of playing in these big tournaments, playing with these big stars, and just kind of knowing they're just normal people at the end of the day.

Q. It's a huge learning experience for you, though, isn't it? You're in the top 20 in DP World Tour, and you're getting your Tour card next year on the PGA Tour. You've got to get used to it. You're going to be in some big events before the end of the year as well.

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, I've done it before, and I know I'm good enough. I know that I've played with these top players before, final in DP Worlds last year, Scottish Open the year before and stuff.

I know my game's good enough, but I just don't think I quite had it mentally the last couple of weeks. This week I was fine, but last week and this week I was fine, but I just found it really tough yesterday. Then today kind of grinding, wasn't hitting it as far as I usually do, feeling heavy legged, try to make it happen, try to make it happen, and try to make it happen.

Obviously I holed that one on the last, but just saying hopefully it starts pushing the rain or something.

Q. Hopefully, that's the key. So you're learning from Bob, and Bob says he's made mistakes as well. You can pick up on that one day?

EWEN FERGUSON: We did speak of that before actually in Kenya, when I was leading by four after three rounds. I had a terrible last day, and he messaged me and said, It's tough on Sundays, isn't it? I was like, aye. He was like, aye, I haven't been doing great either. Back then he was.

Now obviously he didn't find it much problem. To be honest, neither did I really. You learn from then. Look at now, I don't struggle. When I've got a sniff, I feel like I've got a good chance. Yeah, but when things calm down, I might ask him for some advice and some of the other boys too.

There's just so many of us now, even like Connor Syme, he doesn't probably get shouted out as much as me and Bob, but when I play with him, I think he's unbelievable, and he can compete as well. We're heading into something next week, and I'll speak with him there. We talk a lot about how to get better. His dad was even watching me yesterday, and Connor is like here this week.

At the end of the day, what happens is you just go back home and just try to get better, what I need to change in my diet, what I need to change with everything. Golf is a lifestyle in a world where you're motivated to do well. I think that's what happens when there's so many of us who are good. We all want to do well. We all want to beat each other.

We're not jealous of each other. Envious at times, wish it was me, but when I was watching Bob putt last weekend, I was like, come on, come on, show them that we can do it as well.

Q. (On getting into the American majors as well.)

EWEN FERGUSON: I'm a big believer trying to play my way into them and getting to them on my own. I don't love going to the actual qualifiers and wasting a week on Tour. I feel like that's where I earn my stripes and do well in there and try to get on the PGA Tour, try to do well this week, do well in these big events, and earn my way there.

It's took me -- probably by the time, every single time I take the steps, but I think I'll get there in the end.

Q. What's your next event?

EWEN FERGUSON: My next event is Prague, and then a week off and then Denmark. Playing loads of good tournaments there. That will be good.

Q. What's the level of excitement, all this experience, all this knowledge, when it all comes together, what can be achieved, not only short term, but long term?

EWEN FERGUSON: I think I'm better -- if I see my name on the leaderboard, I think I'd fly. But to see my name at the cut line, I find myself struggling there.

When I see myself doing well, I'm like, hey, look at me. When I see myself struggling, I'm like, come on, you, you need to do well. So I'm trying to find that balance.

I find it so tough at times, especially in these tournaments. You try and take it all in and fall in a bunker, and you're like why did I take that one? I had it at 20 feet. I was going mental down the last at my caddie there because I've hit it to 35, 40 feet, and I'm like I should be taking it on, hitting it close. I'm not going to make it from there. And he's like, I just wanted to give you a putt, man. I'm like, aye, but it's too far. Can you make it? I'm like, aye, fair enough. It's just all part of it, isn't it?

Q. One from me. Mixing it with the world's best is clearly, from what you've been saying, it's whetted your appetite for more. You must be really excited about what could lie ahead for you now.

EWEN FERGUSON: I'm so excited. Like I said, I know when I'm doing well, I feel like I thrive when I do really well. I think that's a really good thing in golf as long as your good weeks are really good. I think they are.

I'm definitely so motivated to try and do well and mix it with the guys way, way more often and get on the PGA Tour. I've played with Bob since we were young as well, and he makes it look quite easy out there now. Not just him, but Pavon and some of the other guys who have gotten their cards.

I feel like that's the next step and just need to get back to the drawing board again and keep working on it.