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THE 147TH OPENJuly 21, 2018Keir McNicollAngus, Scotland, United Kingdom KEIR McNICOLL: Yeah, just from the 1st tee coming out, and people started applauding. It was pretty cool. Q. Of all the hundreds of rounds that you must have played around here, is that the hardest one? KEIR McNICOLL: Yeah. Just not playing that well and just to make sure you get contact. To get airborne off the first is impressive. Q. So how did it go? KEIR McNICOLL: Yeah, we just kind of -- I played okay. Birdie at 3rd to kind of just settle me a wee bit. Bad swing. (Inaudible). Just standing on different tees and stuff. You don't realise how it is off those back tees, even though I've played probably a dozen rounds off the back tees. Just wouldn't carry some bunkers, which today with the setup it makes it so much more difficult for someone with my length. Q. When did you kind of know this was going to happen? KEIR McNICOLL: Kind of knew prior to today I would get the nod. Colin, my boss, said, "You'll play if there's an odd number." So I knew it might happen, and I was waiting for it last night. Gavin, who I played with today, he was the last group in, and he was the last to get in. Q. So were you straight to the range then at 9:00 at night? KEIR McNICOLL: Well, I worked yesterday morning at 4:30 yesterday. Q. 4:00 in the morning? KEIR McNICOLL: Yesterday, yeah. Q. What were you doing at 4:30 in the morning? KEIR McNICOLL: At the shop. Had to hop at 4:30 Thursday and Friday. Working after this as well. Q. Until when? KEIR McNICOLL: I'll go out about 3:00 and work until 10:00. Q. So what are you going to be doing in the shop? KEIR McNICOLL: Just looking after the families and stuff that are there. Just be in the shop with the rest of the shop staff. Q. This was your first time? KEIR McNICOLL: I've caddied before. 2005, I caddied for Eric Ramsay at St. Andrews. That was amazing in itself. It was Jack Nicklaus' last Open, caddieing for Eric, my best friend. Q. Must have been something you dreamed about as a kid? KEIR McNICOLL: Yeah. It was probably -- I got emotional on the 1st tee. It was obviously too much. Had I qualified here, I don't know what that would have been. Q. Did you have people here? KEIR McNICOLL: There was a few supporters here. They were cheering on Gavin as well, but there were definitely a few that I knew their faces. Q. Were you expecting your name to be announced? KEIR McNICOLL: Yes, at the start. He was very kind to me. He said, "Here's what I'm going to do. Here's what's going to happen." The funny thing is we did -- before the Open, we had the school kids come down, and we did like a mock ceremony, a mock Open ceremony. So we had three were caddies, three were players, and the rest were all the crowd. So it was pretty surreal having to do it myself and run through the whole thing with the school kids. Q. You had your sister on the bag as well? KEIR McNICOLL: She's home. A few days off and gone. Her boss gave her a few days off to come and watch the Open. Kelsey McDonald has played a lot, and she's been on the bag a couple times. It was a great experience as well. Q. It was good? KEIR McNICOLL: Yeah, definitely. She liked it too. She's grown up here as well. Q. Do you normally play much competitive golf? KEIR McNICOLL: Generally, yeah, I do -- just -- I've got, obviously, in the shop, coaching juniors here. But I've got to drive to Birmingham Monday morning for a PGA club piece to qualify for that. So we'll see how that goes. It will be a different experience, I'm sure. Q. How many times did you try to qualify for the Open? KEIR McNICOLL: I tried -- not as many as -- sometimes I -- last year I got to the second stage of qualifying, but I've probably done it half a dozen times that I've tried before. Q. It will be you again tomorrow if they're odd? KEIR McNICOLL: It will be me. Unless someone throws me out, I'll get another crack at it. Q. Was Gavin picking your brain as you were going out? KEIR McNICOLL: The thing is I've never played the course this firm and fast. It was so different from anything. I was standing here thinking, I don't know where it's going to end up. It's a wee bit greener, so I'll be able to control the ball off the tee. (Inaudible) we were just chatting. This is only the second time he's gone. He played Gullane last week and played Carnoustie this week. He's coming back for the Dunhill. So we were discussing that. Q. (Inaudible). KEIR McNICOLL: Yes, I worked at Gullane for five years and came back to Carnoustie just last year. Q. How old are you now? KEIR McNICOLL: 34. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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