THE 152ND OPEN

July 20, 2024

Ewen Ferguson

Mixed Zone

Q. How would you sum up your Saturday?

EWEN FERGUSON: I've got pretty lucky with the weather. Can't complain too much. Bogey-free at The Open any day is okay. The weather is not too bad, so game is all right, didn't hole many putts. But can work on that hopefully going into tomorrow.

Q. (On his nerves.)

EWEN FERGUSON: Definitely I was nervous actually coming in the last few holes because they're tough, like 17, 18 into the wind, with the rain. I was thinking, like, I'm bogey free on a day at The Open; not many people can say that. Just little things to get -- hard hurdles to get over, just like skirting the cut and shooting that under-par round in a major, little things like that. I think in the big picture it shows kind of stability in my game, my mind and maturity a little bit.

Q. Is that a hard thing to find the flat because the highs of Munich, then you were disappointed last week, then the cut changes, then you go bogey-free.

EWEN FERGUSON: So hard, so hard, because that's this game. That's mental. That's why my psychologist is here with me somewhere. I just talk to him and just keep myself in a decent kind of mind because I think I'm quite an excitable guy, and when I'm doing well I'm happy and everything is great, but then when things aren't, I'm like, slow down, but the margins are so bloody small in this game. You never know when it's going to go your way.

I had a bit of fortune with the draw; all things, you still need to go and do it, but all the little things, they can go a long way, and you need the wee break here and there, don't you.

Q. You touched on it yesterday, obviously the long-term goals, PGA Tour card. So many ranking points available here this week. A big Sunday could have a huge effect.

EWEN FERGUSON: Absolutely. It all adds up, like skating the cut, what is it, 10,000 points? I don't know how many points are up for grabs compared to the regular events, which is 3,000. It's, like, so big. It's in the back of my mind I'm playing for them, I'm trying, can I get up there. If I know who's just ahead of me, I know who I need to beat, and I'm always thinking about it.

Yeah, PGA Tour card is my ultimate goal and I'd love to be there. Not that I don't enjoy playing on the DP World Tour; I do love that, too, but I want to -- I know all the courses -- exactly, steps. Just trying to push and get better all the time.

Q. It was a good round for you. How important is it to harness the positives and go for a real grandstand finish tomorrow? That would just round off the week.

EWEN FERGUSON: It would just be unbelievable, yeah. That's the plan, like I was thinking today a couple times, I was, like, missed a couple putts for birdie, and I was thinking, it's not that bad, it's not that big a deal at the moment. My turn will come. At the start John was canning them from everywhere, and I'm thinking, why aren't I doing that. But just stay patient, your time will -- you'll make them up tomorrow and you have a wee five-hole spell where you just make them all and that's your time. So I'm not too disheartened.

Q. You said your body was broken. Is there any improvement? What have you been doing to get yourself right?

EWEN FERGUSON: Ice bath last night, physio, had Therabody on my legs, trying to squeeze out all the lactic acid, and the one break was quite nice and key yesterday. Don't think I'll be practising much in that this afternoon, so straight back to Glasgow and see him again.