Paul Waring: Sunday at The Open
Our man gives us the inside track on just what the leaders can expect at Birkdale this afternoon and reflects his own brilliant Championship, highlighted by a 71 in the company of Phil Mickelson today
I think the winning score will be around +2 if Norman shoots 70 then I don t think anyone will catch him.
It s not as tough as yesterday out there about the same as the first two days. There are a few more crosswinds though and not many straight down wind holes. It will be tricky and it can be hard to find pins.
I am pretty happy with my Championship I would like to have been a little higher up the leaderboard and I think I really could have been had I not chipped so poorly the first two rounds. I feel like I have swung it well but to have played all four rounds and to finish well inside the top 40 that is pretty cool.
It was so good today. Playing with the world number two on the Sunday of an Open Championship was pretty special. I phoned up last night to get my tee -time and they told me I was playing with Phil Mickelson I was like YES! It was the perfect draw for me.
We got on really well, we talked about odds and sods on the way round some of the typical golf pro chat such as; where you are from, what s your schedule. But then we also had some laughs about other stuff and some of the tournaments we have both played in and shared some good stories. He is so easy to get on with, easy and approachable.
I really learnt some stuff from him as well he is such a gritty competitor, he said he wasn t putting well but he still stuck in there and finished very strongly and we shot the same score despite me being a few ahead of him for most of the round. No invite to his pad in America yet though!
I hadn t been putting that well for the first three days so to make three birdies on the front nine was really good it was great to feel that I had that spark back and could get the crowd cheering. I was very disappointed down 10 and 11 that I didn t keep it going and keep pushing forward. I then didn t finish as well as I have been doing but I can t kick myself with a 71 my best round off the week on the final day of the Open.
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I have also put a bit of money on the board which should help in the hunt to keep my card in my rookie year. I will take some confidence to Russia next week and a bit of work on the putting and chipping and I feel I am there.
Then finally after Russia I have got two weeks off and think I ll go a bit crazy for the first week probably won t pick up a golf club but I have got some work to do first!