ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 3, 2024

Darren Fichardt

Quick Quotes (2)

Q. What a round of golf you put together, 11-under par 61. What was the secret to success today.

DARREN FICHARDT: Obviously the putter was really, really hot today. You know, I started today, the weather was amazing, and we were second out. I had a good warmup.

But you know, you can never get too excited. So when I got out there, I birdied the first hole and made a long putt for birdie and thought, here we go and three-putted the next hole and thought, geez, here we go.

Made a good putt for eagle on the 12th hole, which is my third hole and then just kept on going from there. It was crazy. If I was on the green, it was either going in or just missing. But pretty much went in quite a bit.

But yeah, the putter was really, really hot, and the driver was exceptional. So I was never really in trouble.

Q. Just one of those good days. One shot off the course record. Were you aware of that at any point?

DARREN FICHARDT: Well, as I was going, I mean, I think I was 9-under at the time, and I thought to myself, geez, I wonder what the par for the course is. But I try to stay in the present, not look at the scorecard or check.

When I got it to 11-under, I felt good. I said, well, let's just keep going. Keep going. And just read the wind wrong on my second-to-last hole, the eighth hole. Unfortunately three-putted there. Because I thought I could make an eagle on the last, and hit a great second shot and just caught the back. I was happy with birdie.

Q. With Kingsbarns out of the way, you've got Carnoustie, St Andrews obviously yet to play. How are you going to replicate this form on those two courses and the challenge that they pose?

DARREN FICHARDT: It's going to be difficult to replicate today. But the driver is good. So on links golf, especially these courses, you hit it pretty straight, avoid the bunkers.

The putter is working pretty good. Just so out there and try to do the same what I'm doing, and funny enough, I didn't really attack today. I didn't take on the flags or anything. I played to the open sides, and I was just making those putts. So hopefully can carry on over the next couple of days.