THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 20, 2013

Padraig Harrington

Q. Were you happy with how you played today?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Got off to a bad start, obviously. I haven't been making a lot of birdies, so it's a long way back.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I just hit it a little easy and then didn't hit a great. I was trying to hit it short of the green, obviously, or just to the front edge and I didn't hit it great.

Q. The conditions of the course?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It's great, yeah. It's playing very well. It's just got a little bit more -- it's exactly where they'd like it. It certainly wasn't too fast out there, at all. If anything, I left a few good putts short. I assume they'll get quicker this afternoon, but they were certainly at a very playable pace this morning.

Q. What does it require to accept all the bad bounces?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I didn't get too many bad bounces. You've just got to play well.

Q. For the leaders -- (inaudible.)
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It can catch you all right. There's no way you're standing out there, just trying to think -- the only two holes to play really into the wind in that wind is -- straight into the wind are the two par-5s. It's not like it's the toughest direction. It's not playing long. So there's no hole you're trying to come into and you're thinking, oh, this is going to be difficult, to be honest. You can catch it out, there's no doubt about it.

Q. How would you characterize your feeling today, in your experience of links courses at this level?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: It was playing lovely now for us today, as I said. There was only -- realistically there's only two holes, as I said, and they were both par 5s into the wind. It's not playing long, that's for sure. Again, there was only a couple of drivers. It's testing, for sure. The greens are the protection out there. And they certainly -- with trying to judge how much release and that, it's a tough challenge.

Q. Is it hard to judge how aggressive to be? Sergio at times seemed to be quite aggressive in the choices, shots he made, the driver on the 10th, and gave himself a birdie chance there. Or is it a question of being patient?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, not really. It's hitting the club you'd like to hit on any particular hole. It's not a situation of -- plenty of guys have hit iron off the 10th hole. It's a personal choice how you feel. Some guys would be very happy hitting in a right-to-left wind on 10, another guy would be uncomfortable. It's really up to the individual player to make strategy. But for sure on a links golf course there is a lot of variation in strategy.

Q. Did you enjoy playing today?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yeah, it was a good day. I didn't play very well, so that wasn't so much fun. He played very well. You've got to think was quite unlucky to only shoot 3-under par.

Q. How do you feel at the moment in general?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I just shot 77.

Q. I understand that today, but in general?
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Well, obviously it's frustrating at the moment with my game, no doubt about it. It always is when you're not having a good round. That's the nature of this game. So just got to keep going with it and wait for it to turn. And that will happen.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: I don't think I've made enough birdies in the last -- I'd say my last six weeks to count for one week at tournaments. None today, two yesterday. I don't know how many I had the first day, three. They were all two-putts. If I hit it close, I missed the putt. If I hit a nice iron shot, it doesn't seem to go close. It's just the nature of the game. Wait until it turns. When it turns, it will seem easy. I won't look back, and I won't remember this run, for sure. It will be long forgotten when it does turn around and that's the nature of the game. Momentum is a big thing in the game, and you've got to wait for your turn to come around.

Q. (Inaudible.)
PADRAIG HARRINGTON: Yes, that's right. I actually focus on tomorrow first, get through tomorrow and then look ahead.