GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 9, 2022

Rafa Cabrera-Bello

The Renaissance Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Well-played, particularly the back nine, eagle, birdie, birdie start, and the two saves on 17 and 18 had to culminate your round. What was going right out there?

RAFA CABRERA-BELLO: I feel like the front nine, it's harder to core. There's a couple holes maybe where you can give yourself some birdie chances and you can always birdie any hole but the rest it's a bit trickier. I do feel like especially the start of the back nine, if you can take advantage of the wind the way it has been blowing, you can leave yourself shorter shots in and the dream start on the back nine with eagle, birdie, birdie. I don't expect that every day but then you have to close in.

Made a bogey on 15, but I told myself, okay, I'll switch this bogey for a three-par finish, and my short game has been good for several years now. I've been really trusting my short game. Yeah, the bunker shot on 17 was beautiful and the tricky chip shot, many times we finish with a bitter taste. This course can do that to you, because 17 and 18 are not easy holes, but today, to be able to save par the way I did that, for sure, dinner is going to taste sweeter.

Q. What is it with links golf that gives you somewhat of an advantage?

RAFA CABRERA-BELLO: Maybe an advantage compared to Americans. Not so much an advantage to guys that are born here. I also grew up in the Canary Islands, they are windy. I love links course. I think it brings the most imagination out of every player. Normally, I tend to hit it fairly straight. If I miss, I tend to hit it thin and on links courses, if you hit it thin, it will bounce and reach anyway. Those are a few things that can help me, and hey, you always need to putt good.

Q. Great playing this week. Three rounds in the 60s. How would you assess how things have gone after 54 holes?

RAFA CABRERA-BELLO: Obviously very happy now. Actually didn't know we had three rounds in the 60s but hopefully can make it four.

I mean, I've been working on the long game a lot this year. I got off to a beautiful start in Abu Dhabi, but since, I haven't really got any finishes that I want to. Didn't feel that I deserved it in the fact that I wasn't hitting the ball as good as I wanted. I felt a few good things at the JP McManus Pro-Am and a lot of balls have been hit on the range.

So happy to feel more in control and to be understanding in my golf like that.

Q. Talk about the momentum on that back nine. Obviously it's one of the key aspects of links golf, taking advantage when the opportunities come. Talk to us through that little stretch of holes?

RAFA CABRERA-BELLO: Yeah, obviously I shot 1-over on the front nine, which I didn't feel it was bad. I birdied 10 to get back to level par. I hit a really good shot in and then made the putt or eagle. So I'm like, okay, that was a bonus. And then, I don't know, I just really ripped the next drive and hit an amazing shot and then rolled two really good putts after.

It is great. You always try to generate momentum. It's not always possible. You for sure need a couple putts to drop, and that happened. Maybe that putt on 10 doesn't drop, but today it did and I'm very pleased that I put myself in contention for tomorrow.

Q. I know winning this tournament, one of your career highlights. How good would it be to do it again here at The Scottish Open in such a prestigious field, too?

RAFA CABRERA-BELLO: It would be double good, I guess. I mean, of course always winning is a dream. I've been lucky enough to have won here before I always want to win, if not the Home of Golf, the country where golf was invented playing links golf and with beautiful, sunny and windy conditions, it just makes it even more fun.

But Xander, he's been playing really, really good lately and he has quite a lead. So I'm just going to focus on my ball and one shot at a time and see what happens.