THE 150TH OPEN

July 16, 2022

Richard Mansell

Mixed Zone

Q. Richard, how do you reflect on the round?

RICHARD MANSELL: Like I said to you yesterday I felt like I found something on the back nine. And happy to make the cut on the number with a couple of good putts coming in and got off -- I played some really good golf on the front nine. Could have been 5 or 6 quite easily.

Missed a couple of putts, just shy of speed. But then, yeah, managed to keep it going. There's some really tough pins out there.

Q. Whereabouts?

RICHARD MANSELL: 17, behind the bunker, and I don't think you're going to see many pars there today. 12 is unbelievably tough. 11's behind the bunker. So there's just -- 10 is on like these little domes.

There's little things you've got to get right and there's birdies to be made, but it's quite easy to get it wrong as well. Obviously to shoot a good score, it could have been better. But I'm happy with how the day's gone.

Q. Was the highlight 9?

RICHARD MANSELL: Yeah, like I say, I missed a couple of seven, eight-footers for birdie couple holes before that. So to hole a 40-footer for eagle capped off a good solid front nine. Like I say, to carry on was good.

Q. What score do you think is out there, for somebody who is hot with the driver?

RICHARD MANSELL: You look at Kisner behind. He was 7-under quite early, through 10 and 11. That's what I felt I could have been. He's obviously knocked the putts in, but then there's still some tough pins coming in. And it's still there, but you've still got to go and do it.

I think a little bit of wind might get up now. I don't know. I'm hoping it does. But I think if you shoot 6, 7 today, you're going to be pretty happy.

Q. I know you're focusing on what you're doing on the course, but do you try to take in the occasion and savor here being on a Saturday here in The Open?

RICHARD MANSELL: Absolutely. That's why knocking in the putt on 17 meant so much yesterday. I've never reacted like that when I've made a cut before. It's just you want to be here.

It's not even the fact -- it's not about money. It's nothing like that. It's just you want to play two more rounds in the 150th Open at St Andrews. That's what you dream of as a kid. Obviously to do that and get that chance, I'm really grateful for. And I'm happy that I've been able to play good today and move forward.

Q. How do you feel where you are in your career?

RICHARD MANSELL: I feel like it's very much on the up. It's been quite a whirlwind few years for me. Obviously I was playing EuroPro three years ago, four years ago, I don't know. COVID has kind of made me forget time. Then Challenge Tour and then second year on Tour now. Last year I've played three majors.

Like I say, I haven't won on Tour yet but I don't feel too far away from doing it. Like I say I'm playing the weekend in a major, and on Saturday I will have gone forward. I'm happy that I'm progressing, and that's what I plan to keep doing.

Q. COVID time a difficult one for you?

RICHARD MANSELL: I think it was more just came at a point in my career when I was really playing some good stuff, and it just halted it a little bit.

I got a bit unlucky playing Challenge Tour and finishing where I did, but getting in the category I did on the main tour did screw me over a little bit with some of the starts I would have gotten, and it made me finish further down the list last year than I probably deserved to be.

So like I say, I was happy this year that I've come out and played better, and now I'm just hoping to kick on.

Q. (Indiscernible)?

RICHARD MANSELL: Absolutely, yeah. There's no point dwelling on it. There was worse things going on in the world at the time. That was my attitude towards it all. We were grateful to be playing golf, which is the main thing. Like I say, it's now just really focus on staying in the present and keep going forward.