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THE SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROLEXJuly 25, 2013Sandy LyleSOUTHPORT, ENGLAND SANDY LYLE: If the wedge play had been a bit sharper and the putting, there's no telling, 5‑ , 6‑under was well on the cards. The first blemish, really, came at No. 13, when I got my drive out to the right which was not really a disaster. The grass is not bad out there and the lie seemed okay but it tugged on the 7‑iron, and I put it in a bunker and about 80 yards short of the green and all I could do was chip it out, so that was a double. Q. Missed a short one on 17. SANDY LYLE: That was the only short one I missed all day, about 2 1/2, three feet for birdie with a blemish there, a bit annoying after hit nice shots. And then the 18th, I had a lovely second shot and landed in probably the only spot where it couldn't release to the pin, a little two‑foot rise to the right corner of the green. It came back, actually stopped and came backwards. Should have been an easy chip from there. I thought, just land it on the edge of the green and let it just go. Went six feet short and missed the putt. Q. Different putter? SANDY LYLE: It's a little smaller, yeah. Q. Where was it ditched, the Black Swan? SANDY LYLE: It was ditched after the Open. I took it out, the short one‑‑ the small one, anyway, on Sunday. Putted okay. Nothing exceptional. But I like the big, Black Swan. Gets you lined up better. I just putt well after I've not used it, and I thought, make a change. Q. Quite differing fortunes from the last time you were at Birkdale. SANDY LYLE: I played nine holes further. I know what they look like now. Q. Were you surprised at the outcry at the time and the criticism you got; do you feel it was over the top when you were basically just being honest? SANDY LYLE: Yeah, there was other guys that did the same thing after nine holes, whatever, and walked in and never got any coverage at all. But I made what I thought it at the time a as good a decision as I could, because my right hand was not in good spirit, and when I had had trouble with the hand for over ten years, and touch wood now, I've changed the swing and I don't have any irritation with the right hand at all, so there's no problem. Q. When you look at Rory McIlroy earlier on this year, he got criticised for lying about why he pulled out. Do you think golfers just can't win? You're telling the truth; he's caught telling a white lie. SANDY LYLE: Well, I can sleep at night, that's the main thing. I think that's better than trying to be up front and trying to make excuses. You can speak to previous caddies that I've had over the years that I've been struggling for many years with the right hand, and it wasn't arthritis, just something that in the swing was irritating it. And the weather and the cold and a couple of skanky shots in the first five holes, six holes‑‑ Q. You said that was the reason‑‑ SANDY LYLE: I said to Hazel‑‑ I didn't say ‑‑ I had trouble with my right hand, it was sore, I think 11‑over after nine holes, I think that was more than enough and I didn't want to spoil any chances for the following week, which was my first British Open Seniors at Troon. I didn't want to irritate it even more. Q. You didn't think about it at the 13th today? SANDY LYLE: No. Q. The greens look quite strange, or the holes look similar to Muirfield and they are so green‑‑ SANDY LYLE: Well, they have had quite a bit of rain in the last few days. They have got some rain at night, as well, and another dosing last night. Taken some of the bounce out of it. They were not quite as bouncy at the front part of the greens as what Muirfield was. The greens are good. Q. Looks as if more than just rain if they are as green as that? SANDY LYLE: I think No.2 fairway, I think it was, looked very green in that one little area. Q. The way you played, to get the ball in position on this golf course is crucial, isn't it? SANDY LYLE: Probably the best I've been in a long time as far as positional play. All the drives came off. I played the par 3s all well. I was in pretty good company. I thought, well, I've got to do well to tag along with these guys, the way they have been scoring. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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