Who said what on the second practice day at the 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake
Here's what Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Justin Rose had to say ahead of the start of the 2014 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Rory McIlroy:
- "I feel as prepared as I ever have coming into an Open Championship. the game feels in good shape. I feel like I got a lot of good links practice last week, which will hopefully help this week."
- "I think the par-5s are a big key this week. If you look back at '06, I think Tiger played the par-5s in 14-under par. So the majority of his scoring was done on the par-5s. There are four really good opportunities to make birdies out here. Par-5s are going to be crucial."
- "I don't think I've evolved that much as a links player, but I've been trying, especially the last few weeks, to play some shots, really practice hard on some of the shots that I might need this week."
- "I think with the course conditions, I don't think it's going to be an option to hit iron off every tee box. I think you're going to have to be slightly aggressive off the tee, and take some things on."
Tiger Woods:
- "It feels great to come back to Hoylake and to this venue. Winning The Open meant a lot to me in my life at the time."
- "The golf course is a little bit softer than what it was in 2006. I've played three practice rounds now and have had three different winds. So that's been helpful to be able to see the golf course in different conditions."
- "In 2006, it was hot, ball was flying. It was very dusty. Now, we're making ball marks on the greens."
- "You can have emotional turmoil and still play well. Physically when you're hurt, you're hurt. It's tough to really play well, especially over a long period of time."
- "Playing at Congressional was a big boost to me. The fact that I was able to go at it that hard and hit it like that with no pain. I've gotten stronger since then, I've gotten more explosive, I've gotten faster since then. That's going to be the case, I'm only going to get stronger and faster, which is great."
- "It's just getting deeper. It's getting harder to win. The margin is so much smaller. It's only going to continue to be the case. Guys are going to get longer, they're going to get faster. Guys who are coming out here are bigger, stronger, faster, more athletic."
- "This particular injury with my back, I didn't want to do anything. I couldn't get out of bed. I couldn't move around the house. I couldn't do anything. That made me appreciate just how fortunate I was to be able to play at that level for such a long period of time."
Justin Rose:
- "Had I not won in Aberdeen, I think this week would be a realistic opportunity, and I don't feel it any less realistic because I won last week. I think the odds go more in my favor just through confidence and the experience of having done that the last couple of weeks."
- "This is the one that I holed the putt as a junior to win on the putting green through years of practice. Thousands of time I've won The Open Championship in my mind. This is probably the one I've dreamed about the most. I think when you're chasing Major championships, any of them will do. But if you're lucky enough to win this one, I think it would be incredibly special."
- "In 2010 I was probably playing just as well as I was now. But four or five years on, I'm probably a little bit more equipped to deal with the big situation, and I have a lot more positives now under my belt, Ryder Cups and Major championships. And I've been at the top end of the game now for a couple of years, I suppose. So that brings a lot of confidence."
- "There comes a point when you've got to stop learning and start doing."
- "The greens are relatively flat, yet the trouble is there, the rough is relatively thick, but nothing is extreme. So I think it offers shot-making. It offers something for everybody. Just the guy who goes out there and plays great golf this week is going to win."
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