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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 15, 2010

Steven Tiley

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

STEVEN TILEY: It was a fantastic start today, played really nice. You know, as strange thoughts go for a first round at the Open, and that's it. Very pleased with everything I did with respect to all my routines, and very pleased with what happened today.

Q. Any sort of sense that something good was coming?
STEVEN TILEY: I don't know. If I did sense that, I would be very -- I wouldn't be here, I'd be a very rich man if I could sense the future. You know, I've been playing pretty nice as of late, and a few changes with my coach, David Llewellyn yesterday and the day before, and I took his word, and it paid off today, so it was good.

Q. What were those changes?
STEVEN TILEY: I tend to get a little strong in my left hand on my grip. I weakened that up a little bit and made sure that I got my right hand on the grip, as well. It tends to get a little bit round and a bit strong, so I've weakened that up a little bit and just trusted it today, so that was good.

Q. You qualified to get in here, can you talk about that.
STEVEN TILEY: Well, it went well. Yeah, it was a three-round playoff, and there was two spots, myself and Gary Clark made par on the first playoff hole, and we got the first two spots to here. Yeah, that's it.

Q. It's not your first trip here?
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, I played in '04 here as an amateur, but it's my first Open as a professional. Yeah, that was a great experience. It was sort of the experience and stuff back then, it was like trying to do everything in one week, you know, and sort of -- it was just nice to be there, whereas this week I wanted to concentrate on the golf a bit more and not everything that's going round.

Q. (Inaudible.)
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, I missed three weeks in a row for Challenge Tour, and I haven't had the best start on that Tour. Three weeks in a row to miss out there is quite a lot, you know. It's almost a lottery getting in the Open. I mean, 94 people, and there's only three spots. So the percentages there were to not play and carry on on the Challenge Tour, and sort of later down the line get exempt for tournaments like this.
But my manager, Chubby Chandler, he said go and play in the Open and go and do it. I'm pleased I took his advice.

Q. You won the Egypt Open?
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, I won the Egypt Open last October.

Q. Was that your biggest win?
STEVEN TILEY: So far, yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)
STEVEN TILEY: Well, it's just a different league, really. I was interviewed on local Egyptian TV with a translator next to me, but it's just a different league, really.

Q. So you have quite a following in Egypt?
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, massive, on all the billboards and everything. (Laughter).

Q. (Inaudible.)
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, I played for a year on the Asian Tour two years ago and lost my card by maybe $3,000. And we went to India -- I'm trying to think where else that was quite -- they were all good places, don't get me wrong. We went to nice places, as well, in Thailand and stuff. It was very hot, and it's very difficult to beat those guys out there with those greens and those conditions. Just not used to the heat and stuff like that. I much prefer this type of golf setting.

Q. When you lost your card, did you think (inaudible)?
STEVEN TILEY: No, not really. It was where to go next, really. I knew I'd get some starts the following year, but I was talking to my coach yesterday, and he said it was probably -- I finished bogey-bogey in the Singapore Open on the fourth round there, and I mean, that cost me I think it was $15,000 US at the time, and it seemed like the end of the world really. And then we spoke yesterday, and he said that I think they were two of the best bogeys you've made sort of so far.
It's not my home out there, and my home is back in Europe. Yeah, I found it very difficult to play out there with the heat and stuff.

Q. Do you have to sort of watch the pennies as you go around the Tour?
STEVEN TILEY: I don't stay at 5-star. I'm living it up this week with a rented bungalow. But yeah, you do obviously have to watch what you spend and stuff like that. You know, so it's a bit different to the big guys here. I'm not sure where they're all staying or where they've rented houses or stuff like that.

Q. Who is in the bungalow with you?
STEVEN TILEY: I'm with two friends of mine in a bungalow, and my girlfriend is coming up tonight. There will be four of us in there, a three-bedroom. It's nice, actually, quite nice.

Q. Do you have to economize?
STEVEN TILEY: I mean, not really, no.

Q. What sort of car do you drive?
STEVEN TILEY: I've got a Volvo C30 at the moment. It's nice.

Q. Links golf, is that your thing?
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, I grew up at Royal Cinque ports, and it just suits my eye. Yeah, I do like it obviously.

Q. Do you get a chance to play anywhere else other than the Open?
STEVEN TILEY: No, you don't. The only one they play is Dunhill Links at the end of the year, and I'm not in that sort of position.

Q. How do you mind your expectations on a day like today?
STEVEN TILEY: My expectations or everyone's expectations?

Q. Well, yours.
STEVEN TILEY: I mean, I played well today, and it was just do the same as I can tomorrow. I mean, there's obviously going to be a little bit more pressure and a little bit more people watching to see what happens. But I mean, if it's predetermined, if you're meant to play well here, you play well. Just keep doing the same thing.

Q. Have you envisioned yourself being in this position?
STEVEN TILEY: Not yet, no. Not yet.

Q. Do you sort of dream of a cold, wet, windy day?
STEVEN TILEY: Like today?

Q. No, when you were playing in Asia and it was so hot and uncomfortable, did you dream of cold, wet days?
STEVEN TILEY: No, not really. I mean, you always think the grass is greener on the other side. You're playing out there, and you think, oh, it's much better somewhere else. And then when you get back home and it's wet and windy, you wish you was back out there. Europe has always been my home, so --

Q. (Inaudible.)
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, I did, yeah, a couple of times. Definitely, yes.

Q. Everyone in India seems to get --
STEVEN TILEY: Yeah, Delhi belly? I mean, I could have been sponsored by Imodium at the time. It was nearly every week taking those tablets. But after a while your belly gets used to it.

Q. What were you thinking during the practise rounds? Did you feel anything like this might happen?
STEVEN TILEY: I mean, you just never know when you're going to play well. You just do the same things that you've been doing sort of all the time. It just happened that a couple of putts dropped and hit some lovely shots, and you don't go out thinking that you're going to play well, you just do the same things every day and see what happens.

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