Talking back - Saturday quotes
So far the worlds best players have given us some real pearls of wisdom. Discover some of the lesser known soundbites from the press centre
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![Jeremy Ellwood](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BXEoNfNHhqsZxaz5mLCSck.jpg)
Still confident?
Q: People are going to talk about you coming from behind. I know you?d rather be in front but is this a challenge you wrap your arms around?
Tiger Woods: Well I?m in the position I?ve dealt myself. I need to play well tomorrow and hopefully take the title.
Alright Ian, calm down
Q: If someone said to you that you?d be round in 70 today and the weather wasn?t going to be great this afternoon what would you have said?
Ian Poulter: I would not have taken it. No way would I have taken it. I know I can play this game pretty well. With a clear head I know I can shoot 64 round this course. I?m plenty good enough to shoot that score. I?m not here to make the numbers up ? 70 would be making the numbers up. I?m hungry to win golf tournaments, as a few people might not believe and I think I can go out there and prove a point.
Lost property
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Q: You had a bad start to the week with your clubs going missing?
Zach Johnson: I was a bit stressed to say the least. I had my clothes which are important but nowhere near as important as my sticks.
Get your facts right!
Q: Was a 68 today a good birthday present or could it have been any better?
Paul Casey: Well it was a 69. It would have been nice if it was a 68.
Scottish? Irish? Bulgarian? whatever
What?s the name of your new caddie?
Chris DiMarco: Pat O?Bryan. Good Scottish name.
Strange reasoning
Q: What?s the reason behind your distinctive headband?
Pelle Edberg: I do a lot of skiing at home and always use it, so I?d thought I?d use it here.
Silencing the doubters
Q: Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Campbell. 68 ? leading The Open Championship in the clubhouse. Your feelings after that round, very nice for a starter?
Michael Campbell: You?re probably all surprised, aren?t you (laughter). You probably are. I?m not.
That explains that then
Q: What does K.J. stand for?
K J Choi: Kyoung-Ju, K-y-o-u-n-g and J-u. The first time in 1998 at British Open, the first tee announce ?Kung Choi? ? it?s very difficult. My idea is next day Kyoung-Ju is very long ? who is that? And the K initial and J initial, everybody understand K.J. ? so very simple name and Choi. And the next day, K.J. Choi from Korea, so easy. And then started in 1999 British Open. I think it?s in my mind, yeah.
That?s not what I meant.
Q: Looking back at the experience in ?99, how much did you grow from that?
Sergio Garcia: I don?t know ? six centimetres, five centimetres from ?99 hopefully.
Did he mean that?
Q: You came over here not knowing if you were in the field?
Lucas Glover: I was going to prepare like I was in and if I got in, great. If I didn?t I was going to enjoy it anyway. But this is the icing on the gravy.
Don?t try and be clever son
Q: What?s your father?s name?
Rory McIlroy: Gerry with a G, McIlroy, obviously.
Just plain wrong
Q: This week are you more triggered by the fact that you can be the first one to win three straight Opens?
Tiger Woods: I won?t be the first one.
Mischievous Monty
Q: I was wondering about the timing of the mobile phone ban?.?
Monty: It?s the other players I feel that was brought in for (laughter), the likes of Retief and people like that ? the people that really get upset over these types of things. I?m fine.
No fun for Ernie
Q: Where does Carnoustie rate among the links courses you enjoy playing, both in terms of toughness and enjoyment?
Ernie Els: Enjoyment in a Major? You enjoy a Major afterwards (laughter). From Thursday to Sunday it?s hard work.
Stating the obvious
Q: The par-3 16th ? what?s it like into the wind compared with downwind?
Phil Mickelson: It?s a lot longer.
? and again
Q: Your record on links courses hasn?t been great. Why do you think that is?
Phil Mickelson: I haven?t been scoring as well as I need to.
? and again!
Q: Obviously it?s going to depend a lot on the weather, but what do you think a possible winning score might be?
Angel Cabrera: You have to be very careful on the first holes here because you can score high on those. The winner, you don?t know until the last day.
Not playing ball
Q: Earlier, Tiger said that the British Open was his favourite Major. I wonder if you would care to rank the Majors in terms of your favourites from one to four?
Phil Mickelson: Not really.
![Jeremy Ellwood](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BXEoNfNHhqsZxaz5mLCSck.jpg)
Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.
Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf
Jeremy is currently playing...
Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft
3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft
Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft
Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts
Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)
Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response
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