England’s Matthew Southgate, a member of Carnoustie Golf Club since he was 16, used his knowledge of the links to good effect, carding a 69 in the first round of the 147th Open Championship.
Matthew Southgate draws on second home advantage
Matthew Southgate carded a two-under par 69 in the first round of The Open Championship at Carnoustie. The 28-year-old is no stranger to the links here though, he’s been a member since he was 16.
“I must have played 50-odd rounds there or thereabouts and watched a couple of Opens here, every day of them,” he said. “I don't think you can know the course much better than I do. Still I don't know the greens by heart. I'd be lying if I knew every break on every putt, but I'm not far off it.”
“I think the whole town know me and my dad. I think it's lovely. It's like a home away from home,” he said.
“It doesn't matter if you're the milkman or a lawyer, as soon as your golf clubs come out, you're all just equal and you're all square on the 1st tee, let's play golf. And I think they deserve a huge amount of credit for that, the lads up here, because they've kept the true etiquette of the game and the true spirit of the game.”
“I think it's very easy for spectators to watch and just take for granted how tough this golf course is,” he said “We're hitting irons off the tee to miss bunkers, and people think, oh, it's only an iron. But if you get it slightly wrong, you're right in the face of the bunker or in the rough with no second shot. It demands a lot out of your game. So anything in the 60s is fantastic, I think.”
