Tag: The Open

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PGA Tour

The 151st Open Championship in Royal Liverpool brings £187m in economic benefit

The 151st Open provided strong economic benefits to the Liverpool area, according to the R&A. (Photo: Getty)
The 151st Open provided strong economic benefits to the Liverpool area, according to the R&A. (Photo: Getty)

Between July 18 and 21, the 152nd Open Championship will take place at Royal Troon. The R&A has now published a study on last year’s tournament in Royal Liverpool, which shows the overall economic benefit for the Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region of the event.

Royal Liverpool: Second highest attended Open Championship in history

The 151st Open attracted 261,180 fans to Hoylake, surpassing the previous attendance of 202,917 at Royal Liverpool in 2014. This made it the second highest attended Open Championship in history, behind only The 150th Open in St Andrews in 2022. So it is not surprising that the event generated an impressive overall economic benefit for the Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region. A study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC) speaks of a total economic impact of £43.19 million. In addition there are £144 million of destination marketing benefit as a result of the worldwide broadcast of The 151st Open as shown by independent research led by YouGov Sport. These numbers are the result of engagement on linear television and digital platforms during the week of The Championship. A little reminder: By the way, Brian Harman is the reigning champion at Royal Troon this year.

Compared to the last staging of The Open in Royal Liverpool in 2014, the economic impact has increased by as much as 35%. One in four spectators at the tournament even came from outside England, which further underlines the popularity of the event. This summer, the 152nd Open in Royal Troon is sure to attract a lot of spectators from all over the world once again.

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Apparel Equipment Highlights Tours

Team Galvin Green Four-Ball heads to Hoylake in style

Galvin Green, the premium hi-tech apparel brand, has scripted striking outfits for four of its leading Tour ambassadors taking part in The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool this week, including three players on the cusp of making Europe’s Ryder Cup team in September.
They are led by Englishman Jordan Smith – fresh from a strong showing at the Genesis Scottish Open where he finished in a tie for 12 th. Two-time DP World Tour winner Jordan currently occupies 12 th place in the European Ryder Cup standings, followed by former Ryder Cup star Dane Thorbjørn Olesen in 15 th and Sweden’s Alexander Björk in 20 th spot. They will be joined by England’s Laurie Canter, one of the LIV Golf trailblazers.
Here are the colourful, high-performance garments that the four are set to wear as they take on the challenging Hoylake links, in addition to the market-leading Galvin Green outerwear and mid-layers they might need.

The Open Championship 2023: The looks of Galvin Green

Jordan Smith will step on the first tee on Thursday wearing the bold MADDEN short-sleeve shirt featuring a free-flowing wave print in the Navy/White colourway along with the matching NOAH trousers in Navy. Smith’s full-line up of performance-driven designs include:
The MAXIMUS shirt inspired by a still, calm ocean in Sharkskin and NOAH pants in Black; the tri-tone MO shirt offering a contemporary look in the Cool Grey/White/Navy colourway and navy NOAH trousers; MADDEN shirt in the refreshing Cool Grey/White colourway with matching NOAH trousers in Sharkskin.

(Photo: Galvin Green)


Thorbjørn Olesen, winner of the Thailand Classic earlier this year, will be looking to elevate his season with a strong showing at Royal Liverpool wearing the following outfits:
The distinctive MARKOS shirt in a gleaming water-themed print to deliver a supremely eye-catching look paired with the NOAH trousers in the Ensign Blue/Navy and Navy colourways respectively; MADDEN design in the bright Blue/White option and NOAH in White; the MAXIMUS in Sharkskin and NOAH pants in Black; plus the MO shirt in the vibrant Cool Grey/White/Sunny Lime colour and NOAH in Sharkskin.

(Photo: Galvin Green)

Alexander Björk, who has played in Galvin Green apparel since turning Professional in 2009, will sport a selection of athletic looks that include:
The MARKOS shirt in a mesmerising Navy/Orange colourway paired with the NOAH trousers in Navy for a super stylish appearance; vivid MO shirt in Black/White/Sharkskin and black NOAH trousers; distinctively bright MANOLO shirt in a fun print of small lighthouses and tee pegs, along with the NOAH trousers in Sharkskin; plus the MADDEN style in a super vibrant Orange/White colour complemented by the contrasting NOAH trousers in Navy.

(Photo: Galvin Green)

Laurie Canter, who successfully booked his place at the 151 st Open through winning the Final Qualifying event at Royal Porthcawl in challenging conditions, will wear the following outfits:
The MARKOS shirt in Blue/Navy and matching NOAH pants in Navy; MALCOLM shirt in a stylish Black/Sharkskin/Red colour combination that is inspired by the natural beauty of coastal golfing venues and NIXON trousers in Black; trendy MICO shirt designed to project a bird’s eye view of the ocean from above and NIXON pants in Sharkskin; as well as the MADDEN in Navy/White and matching NOAH trousers in Navy.

(Photo: Galvin Green)


“We’ve assembled these top-quality outfits to ensure our Tour Ambassadors look the part and perform at their best on the biggest stage,” said Conor Petters, Marketing Manager UK & Ireland. “Wearing our hi-tech clothes will hopefully give our players the edge to play at their peak and help secure a Ryder Cup spot further down the line in some cases,” he added.
All VENTIL8 PLUS shirts and trousers provide excellent moisture transportation properties and breathability to keep the body dry, while offering UV 20+ protection in warmer temperatures. Easy to maintain, the garments also dry quickly and without the need to iron. To explore the Galvin Green looks that will be worn at Hoylake, visit www.galvingreen.com.

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Panorama

The 150th Open at St Andrews generates over £300 million in economic benefit

Spectator records at the 150th Open. (Photo: Getty)
Spectator records at the 150th Open. (Photo: Getty)

The historic Championship provided a total economic impact of £106 million to Scotland – new money entering the economy – according to the study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre (SIRC).

Independent research led by YouGov Sport also shows that £201 million of destination marketing benefit was delivered for Scotland, the Home of Golf, as a result of The 150th Open being broadcast worldwide through linear television and digital platforms.

The total economic benefit delivered last year is the highest in the history of the Championship.

Martin Slumbers is proud of the “world-class event”

Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said, “The 150th Open was a historic occasion for golf which has generated a substantial economic benefit for Scotland thanks to a record-breaking attendance at St Andrews and tens of millions of fans worldwide who watched the Championship broadcast.

“We enjoyed a hugely memorable week in which we welcomed tens of thousands of visitors to the home of golf for perhaps the most eagerly anticipated Open of all time that certainly lived up to its billing. We would like to thank all of our partners for their support and commitment to staging a world-class event.”

Culture Minister Christina McKelvie said, “Scotland is the Home of Golf and this independent report confirms the significant benefit The 150th Open brought to our economy.

“The Scottish Government has a long-standing track record of supporting golf events, including direct support for the annual men’s and women’s Scottish Open. Last year was an unprecedented success for golf events in Scotland, headlined by The 150th Open at St Andrews.”

Spectator influx from all over the world

The 150th Open attracted a Championship record 290,000 fans to St Andrews, surpassing the previous high mark of 239,000 set at the same venue in 2000. The study concluded that Fife alone had received a £61 million injection of new money as tens of thousands of visitors travelled to the region to attend the Championship.

Over half of the spectators who attended The Open (62.3%) travelled from outside of Scotland, including visitors from elsewhere in the UK (31%), the United States of America (19.2%), Canada (2.6%) and Republic of Ireland (2.3%). Around 48% of spectators stated that this was their first visit to The Open and 76% of visitors from overseas were making their inaugural trip to the Championship.

More than half (52%) of all spectators expressed an intention to attend at least one of the next three editions of The Open being played at Royal Liverpool (2023), Royal Troon (2024) and Royal Portrush (2025).

Economic benefit for the entire region

Paul Bush OBE, Director of Events at VisitScotland, said, “2022 marked a momentous year for golf in Scotland with a number of the world’s biggest and most prestigious golf championships returning home to be played over an action packed five weeks. Hosting the historic 150th Open last year in St Andrews, a venue synonymous with the greatest names and most memorable moments in golf, once again underlines the quality, scale and capability which Scotland has when it comes to showcasing major events to both domestic and global audiences.

“Today’s impact figures emphasise the importance of the Championships to both Fife and Scotland, and to the wider post-pandemic recovery with the scale of benefits strengthening another significant chapter in Scotland’s rich golfing history.”

Councillor Altany Craik, Fife Council, said, “We were delighted to welcome record-breaking numbers of visitors to Fife in 2022 for The Open. The past three years have been a very difficult time for tourism, and this provided a very welcome boost to our accommodation providers, restaurants and other tourism-related businesses. The Open is an ideal way to showcase Fife to an international audience, many of whom are visiting for the first time, and I hope that the positive experiences they had mean that many will come back again either for golf or for a holiday. The economic benefit to the area is clear to see, and we congratulate The R&A and partners on hosting such a successful event.”

(Text: The R&A)

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Top Tours

The Open – the very first staging in Prestwick

The 5th hole of Prestwick Golf Club, one of the first venues of the British Open. (Photo: Getty)

The history of the British Open dates back to 1860, at a time when America is on the verge of a drastic civil war and makes Abraham Lincoln its president in November, things are much more leisurely in Great Britain. In Scotland, a society of golfers comes together to play the first Open Championship on a twelve-hole round on the grounds of Prestwick Golf Club on October 17, 1860.

The Open Tournament Page | News, Leaderboard & Tee Times

First venue of the British Open: Built by a genius
The course at Prestwick Golf Club had been designed by golf’s all-round genius Old Tom Morris, the host club’s greenkeeper at the time, whose son managed the first hole-in-one at the tournament just seven years later. Both dominated the tournament for several years in the beginning.

Later, the competition was held on three different courses, always in alternation, after Young Tom Morris had won the tournament on his father’s course three times in a row. Because the early contests were played on a twelve-hole course, the round was played three times in just one day to reach a total of 36 holes.

Golf on the move
When the first British Open took place, golf was in the midst of a flurry of change. Outside of Great Britain, golf was still barely established at the time – the first German golf club (the Royal Homburger Golf Club and the Wiesbadener Golf-Club are in dispute over the designation of the first German golf club) did not open its doors until the end of the century.

The first ladies’ golf club was founded seven years after the Open premiere, although half a century had passed since the first ladies’ golf tournament at the time of the first Open Championship. Played at Musselburgh – a course that would also host the British Open on a few occasions – it was the first documented ladies’ tournament in the history of golf.

Dynamic period of golf technology
But the sport also underwent some technological changes in the period before and after the first British Open. While hickory shafts were still common at the first Open, by the end of the century experiments would be made with the steel shaft that would later revolutionize the game. Similarly, in 1898, the Haskell ball with a wrapped hard rubber core replaced the gutta-percha ball established in 1848, which had been common at the first and subsequent tournaments.

In 1894, the USGA was founded, which meant that for the first time there was also a regulating institution in golf in the United States. Four years later, the Stableford method of counting was invented and the wooden tee was patented the following year. At the first British Open, moreover, professional golfers were still rare, but participation by amateurs was nevertheless prohibited – so it came about that the first field of participants consisted of only eight golfers.

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Top Tours

The Open Rota, the venues of the British Open

2012 at Royal Lytham & St Anne's, Lytham: The Open Rota is a selection of nine links courses that alternate in hosting the British Open. (Photo: Getty)

The British Open is traditionally played on links courses, alternating between Scotland, England and Northern Ireland. The venues are selected according to a fixed Open Rota principle, in which nine fixed courses (all links courses) alternate.

The Open Rota includes the following courses:

  • The Old Course at St Andrews
  • Carnoustie
  • Royal St George’s
  • Royal Lytham & St Annes
  • Royal Birkdale
  • Turnberry
  • Royal Liverpool
  • Royal Portrush
  • Royal Troon


The only constant in this constant change is: The Old Course. The golf course is part of the British Open every five years. It’s easy to remember: All years ending in 0 and 5 like 2000, 2005, 2010 lead the participants to the course in St Andrews.

Open Rota without clear order or rhythm
The organizer, Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews (R&A), selects the Open Rota to fit together as harmoniously as possible – without any clear order or rhythm. In doing so, they coordinate their selections with the clubs’ schedules and construction or renovation plans, for example, or pay attention to the course’s requirements for players.

For example, Royal Birkdale was the venue in 1983, then eight years later in 1991, again seven years later in 1998, and then not again for another ten years in 2008. Royal Liverpool, on the other hand, was the venue for the British Open in 1967 and then not again until almost 40 years later in 2006. With the next venue in 2014, the break was not even close to that long. In 2017, it’s Royal Birkdale’s turn for the tenth time.

Back to The Open Golf – Everything you need to know

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Highlights Tours

The Open – Everything you need to know

The claret jug is the trophy for the Championship Golfer of the year (Photo: Getty)

Every year in July, the world’s golfing elite gather in Great Britain for the The Open. The Open Championship is the oldest of the four major tournaments and the only one held in Europe. The Open was first played in 1860, and today the Claret Jug is one of the most coveted trophies in golf. All the special features, the long history and all the facts about the tournament can be found in this overview.

From the history of the British Open

The special features of the tournament

  • British Open – Cut rule
  • British Open – Qualifying criteria
  • British Open – “Claret Jug” victory award
  • Historic British Open – The most important events
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Highlights Tours

Louis Oosthuizen: “You can’t be thinking about bad rounds when you start the next one. You’ve got to shake that off quickly”

Louis Oosthuizen during his first round of the British Open 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)

MIKE WOODCOCK: We’d like to welcome clubhouse leader and former Open Champion, Louis Oosthuizen into the interview room. Louis, great round of 64 today, 6-under par. You got into a great rhythm there in seemed, obviously played very well. What are your thoughts on today’s round?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, probably in my mind the perfect round I could have played. I didn’t make many mistakes. When I had good opportunities for birdie, I made the putts. So yeah, just a very good solid round.

Q. Since you won The Open in 2010 you’ve had a remarkable record of nearly winning other majors. Except when a person like me mentioned it, does that play on your mind at all?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: It gives me confidence going into majors knowing that I’m still competing in them and I’ve still got chances of winning. But yeah, once the week starts, I need to get that out of my mind and just focus on every round and every shot.

But it definitely puts me in a better frame of mind going into the week.

Q. Given that, how long does it take you to get past a near miss like you had at the PGA a couple months ago?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, it depends if you lost it or someone else beat you. I think in both of those I was beaten by better golf at the end there. It takes a little while, but it’s sort of — you have to get over it quickly, otherwise it’s going to hold you back to perform again.

But yeah, I tried to take a few days and just try and forget about it and see if I can get myself ready for the next one.

Q. You’ve got an uncanny ability to bounce back, whether it’s bouncing back from a bogey with a birdie afterwards or whether it’s bouncing back from a tough loss at a tournament with another excellent showing and another run at the title. What do you feel is the secret to your resiliency and your ability to not let those prior things frustrate you?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I don’t know. No, I don’t know. I feel if you do the work that you feel you should have done to get ready for a tournament and you left everything sort of out on the course, then there’s not much more that you can do.

I always try and — I do get upset on shots if I hit bad shots and things like that, but I try and always be at the best mindset for the next golf shot and the next tournament or the next round.

I try and not think too much of mistakes that you make on the golf course. I try and focus on every time hitting the best shot that I can hit, and I feel that’s the only way you can sort of go forward in this game.

Louis Oosthuizen is questioned on the strategy of the course and how his experienced caddie can be beneficial.

Q. Just wondering, can you talk a little bit about the strategy of playing this golf course? Obviously there’s quite a lot of strategy involved in playing it well, and the role your caddie is playing in formulating that strategy, being the experienced man there in Colin Byrne.

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I think number one, on this golf course it’s hit the fairway. You’re not going to be able to do much from the rough here or the fairway bunkers. Coming into this week driving the ball good is key. If you aren’t comfortable with a driver around this golf course, then don’t be scared laying further back, as long as you can get in the fairway.

Colin has been great on the bag. He’s got so much experience and helps me to be focused on what I want to do and take the shot on, the shot that I see.

I think out here in windy conditions like this, you need to be — you need to go on what you feel the whole time. It is difficult for the caddie to see what you think you want to do, so it’s great that he gives me a lot of confidence in trying to play the shot I want to play.

Q. I know it’s a tough start there, but you had seven straight pars to begin your round. How were you feeling at that point standing on the eighth tee and did you feel like there was any chance you were going to shoot 64?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, seven pars, I think I probably would have taken seven pars again. I’ve learnt over the years playing major championships that patience is the key thing, and even if you make bogeys, know that a lot of people are going to make bogeys.

I was just very patient. I was trying to just hit my shots and didn’t really hit anything close enough to make birdies those first few holes, and then all of a sudden just made two good putts on 8 and 9 and got the ball rolling. It happened quickly, but you still need to put yourself in those positions, and I felt definitely the last 10, 11 holes I gave myself a lot of opportunities.

Q. You said earlier in the season how you’ve been working on your putting game, that that’s something you wanted to sharpen up and obviously it’s been paying huge dividends. We’ve seen you make some insanely great putts over the past few months. I was wondering what specifically you worked on or what you did to get that game up to the level that it’s at right now.

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, most of the work I’ve done was on routine, going back to a few things that I’ve done early in my career. I think the main thing is sticking to the putter — I’ve been with that putter for a long time now, and just try and — every time I go out and do a bit of work on the putting green to just do the same work and the same drills and the same things and get into a really good routine on practice and when I get on the golf course.

You know, it’s paid off for me.

Q. You had two guys that are well known playing links golf in your pairing and they didn’t really have a very good day. Does that distract in any way, shape or form from how you’re trying to get around your 18 holes?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, it didn’t. Playing with them, I didn’t really feel like they played poorly. They just — again, around this golf course, if you’re just out of position off the tee, you’re going to find it difficult to give yourself opportunities for birdies.

I just think it’s so marginal to be good off the tee and have opportunities to try and get close to the holes for your second shots. But no, it doesn’t distract me at all.

Looking at their score afterwards, I didn’t feel like they played — I thought they both were maybe level or 1-under par, and I saw they were just over par, but I didn’t really feel like they played poorly.

Q. You mentioned that you’ve stuck with the same putter now for a while. Were you previously changing every week, and if so, what happens to the naughty putters? Where do they go?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Yeah, I’ve got a bag there at home that I might just throw in a river someday.

Yeah, I went through a stage where I changed a lot of putters. Every week we were trying something. I realised quickly that there’s no way to find any consistency in putting if you do that.

Yeah, I found one that I really like the look of, and I sort of worked on it. There were tournaments where I felt my stroke wasn’t great, and I felt like I was working on a few things, and I would actually change that putter then for just on the round. I didn’t want to have any bad memories of that putter being not good on the day.

You know, going through all of that and sticking with it has really helped me a lot.

Q. Going back to when you say you take a few days off after something has gone wrong and you forget about it, what is your secret to forgetting a bad round?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: I don’t know. Just forget about it. You can’t be thinking about bad rounds when you start the next one. You’ve got to shake that off quickly.

I think anyone playing professional sport can tell you that you’ve got to have a really short memory. You’ve got to just go on and work hard again and see if you can do better the next time you go out.

Q. Do you go fishing?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, just spend time on the farm with the family, with the kids, and just get my head away from golf completely.

Q. Do you get on your tractor?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Always. I’m always on the tractor, don’t worry. I don’t need to play good or bad to be on the tractor.

Q. Do you try to remember good rounds tomorrow, or do you try to put that aside, as well?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No, good rounds you always try and remember. I mean, I think when you’re going through a spell where you want to try and figure a few things out, I would always go back and look at videos of when I played really well, look at good rounds I’ve played or when I know I’ve done good things on the golf course. That really helps you to see yourself play well again and to look at a few certain things, whether it’s a movement in your swing on something you were doing on the greens.

But I love going back and watching good rounds and just get some confidence from that.

Q. What model putter is it that you’re so in love with right now?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: Man, I hope I don’t get this wrong. I think it’s the Voss — it’s the Ping. Obviously Ping, and it’s the Voss. Yeah.

Q. If you were to win a second major title, do you think that would accelerate your decision to retire and head back to the farm, or do you think it would push you to try to get a third and fourth and maybe keep playing for much longer?

LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN: No. While I’m playing, while I’m competing in the game of golf, I will be playing.

MIKE WOODCOCK: Louis, very well played today and best of luck the rest of the week.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

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Highlights Tours

Rory Mcllory: “Yeah, it was a tricky afternoon”

Rory McIlroy during his first round of the British Open 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)

Q. Rory, thanks for joining us. Birdie at the last there. You must be happy with that finish.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, really happy with that finish. Yeah, it was a tricky afternoon. The conditions got pretty rough there in the middle of the round. The wind got up and I made a few bogeys in a row, so sort of said to myself at the turn if I could get back to even par for the day I would be happy.

To birdie the last hole and get back to even par, yeah, it’s nice to finish like that. Looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow.

Q. Well played. Nice birdie at the last. What was the biggest challenge out there today? The pace of the greens seemed to be something that troubled quite a few players. I know you left quite a few putts out there short today. Maybe that was something that troubled you.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, the greens have been slow. The whole transition of coming back to Europe and putting on these greens, I felt they were slow in Ireland, slow last week in Scotland, and they’re slow this week again.

It was Patrick left a lot short, so did Cam, I so did. I put extra weight in my putter this week to try to help that, to try to counteract the slow greens. My pace was a bit better than in practice. I was leaving some woefully short the last couple days.

The extra weight in the putter helped a little bit. Yeah, it’s just so hard. The wind was so strong and you get a putt that’s back into the wind, you really have to give it a belt to get it to the hole.

Q. And just the final birdie, how much does that mean to you? Obviously big difference being level par mentally to 1-over.

RORY McILROY: Yeah, more mentally than anything else. Obviously one shot closer to the lead. Yeah, just to battle back — I was 2-over through 7 after getting off to a good start. To battle back and shoot even par, play the last, whatever it is, 11 holes in 2-under, I was pretty pleased with that in those conditions.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

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Highlights Tours

Bryson DeChambeau: “The driver sucks”

Bryson DeChambeau during his first round of the British Open 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)

Q. +1 for the opening round, but you only hit four fairways from 14. Despite that obviously not looking great, you must take a lot of heart that you’re still +1 and still in with a shout despite kind of wayward drives. If you straightened those up, you certainly must think you must be contending by the end of the week.

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: Yeah, and that’s what I said yesterday or a couple days ago. If I can hit it down the middle of the fairway, that’s great, but with the driver right now, the driver sucks.

It’s not a good face for me and we’re still trying to figure out how to make it good on the mis-hits. I’m living on the razor’s edge like I’ve told people for a long time. When I did get it outside of the fairway, like in the first cut and whatnot, I catch jumpers out of there and I couldn’t control my wedges.

It’s quite finicky for me because it’s a golf course that’s pretty short, and so when I hit driver and it doesn’t go in the fairway, it’s first cut or whatever, or it’s in the hay, it’s tough for me to get it out on to the green and control that.

but when it’s in the middle of the fairway like I had it on 18, I was able to hit a nice shot to 11 feet and almost made birdie. It’s kind of living on the razor’s edge, and if I can figure out how to make that driver how to go straight and figure out the jumpers out of the rough, it would be awesome. I just can’t figure it out. It’s forever.

Q. When you’re dealing with that kind of thing with the driver, are you going to be having somebody working on that now? Did you not realise that during the practice round? What’s the dynamic of that, and how difficult is that to change in mid-stream during a tournament?

BRYSON DECHAMBEAU: I’ve realised this for years now. This has happened since 2016-17 when players stopped drawing it. There’s not very many golfers that draw it anymore. It’s not because of spin rate. Everybody thinks it’s — we’re at 2000, 1800 spin or whatever. It’s not.

It’s literally the physics and the way that they build heads now. It’s not the right design, unfortunately, and we’ve been trying to fix it and Cobra has been working their butt off to fix it, we just haven’t had any results yet.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com

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Highlights Tours

Dustin Johnson: “The Open…, you want to hit greens. Where you get in trouble is when you miss greens”

Dustin Johnson during his first round at the British Open 2021. (Photo: Getty Images)

Q. Joined by Dustin Johnson. Dustin, how would you rate your performance today?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: I thought I played very solid. Got off to a nice start. Struggled a little bit on 7, 8, and 9. Kind of gave a few shots away there. Other than that, played really well.

Didn’t get up and down on 7 and made bogey on 8 and 9 from the fairway, which you just can’t do. Other than that, I think it was a really solid day and I’m pleased with my performance.

Q. Important to build that momentum going into the latter part of The Championship?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I mean, obviously you want to get off to a good start. The course is fairly receptive. You can drive it in the fairway and definitely make some birdies. Obviously there is a few holes where you’ll take par every single time and keep on going.

There is definitely opportunities out there, and I just need to — if I keep driving it well I’m going to play well.

Q. You had 14 greens in regulation today over the 18. How important was that for such a solid round?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah, I mean, out here especially playing The Open, you want to hit greens. Where you get in trouble is when you miss greens.

So I feel like especially — it’s definitely a bit of wind out there today. It didn’t play easy, but it was scorable if you were in the fairway. That’s what I feel like I did a good job of, is hitting it in the fairway and after that hitting the greens.

Q. With the weather conditions relatively consistent over the weekend, do you feel that it suits you and maybe you have a strong chance of contending?

DUSTIN JOHNSON: Yeah. I mean, if I keep playing the way I am, absolutely. I feel like obviously I want to — need to go out and shoot another solid score tomorrow. If we keep these conditions obviously the course will continue to get a little bit firmer, play a little bit more tricky.

But like I said, if you can drive it in the fairway the course — you can attack the golf course. The rough is pretty penal and obviously the bunkers are always penal.

Interview transcript by asapsports.com