THE 150TH OPEN

July 16, 2022

Brad Kennedy

Mixed Zone

Q. I was pleased you made the cut in the end anyway because you told me last year that was your ambition. It's not the round you're looking for, but obviously it's decent.

BRAD KENNEDY: Yeah, it was a tricky start today. I felt like I played okay. I just hit two drives that were just a bit off and hit it in a pot bunker, made bogey, then three-putted 4 and then didn't birdie 5.

So didn't get off to the start I wanted but managed to sort of dig deep through the middle of the round. I had a great birdie on 7 and 9. Yeah, awesome up-and-down on 11 from in front of the pot bunker.

From then on in, hit a lot of good golf shots. I just seemed not to get the reward that I was chasing. They didn't quite bounce up on the greens to try to get the run-up. Especially on 7 and 8, I thought I hit a great shot in there. Hit the front of the green, and it stopped.

I felt like I didn't get much out of my game, especially on the back nine. I was hitting it really nicely and hitting it in the targets that I wanted to. So to birdie the last, even-par, it's definitely some positives I can take away for tomorrow. Again, just really having to show sort of what I can do when I need to.

Q. Were those unlucky breaks because the course is dried out a little bit again today with the warmer weather?

BRAD KENNEDY: Actually, they didn't run. They just stopped. So I don't know what happened today. Yeah, there's a couple of shots coming in I tried to hit the front edge and just let it release up, and they just took one bounce and just didn't -- a natural bounce. I guess, if I landed it 30 metres shorter, they would have run up. I just didn't quite get the run of the course today.

Q. What's the target for tomorrow?

BRAD KENNEDY: Tomorrow really for me is if I can hit the shapes, hit the targets that I need to, I know there's a good score out there. Whatever that is, I don't know. I'm starting to get comfortable with the course, with my targets. The pins are so tough to get to. You've just got to be on the same plateau. Otherwise it's a 30-foot putt all day.

I think I had 300 foot of putts the last four holes. It's just playing to the great way that links is built.

If I can get some close, start to make a few putts earlier -- I haven't really made too many putts this week. I've been putting okay, but a couple of three-putts today didn't help.

It's all up for me. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. I'm going to go out there and really try to jump on what I can and make the most of it.

Q. A lot of guys coming in have said that under par this afternoon for the round would be a fantastic effort. Did it really feel that tougher out there today?

BRAD KENNEDY: To be honest, there was only a couple of really -- it just depends on how you -- your course management and how your sort of targets into the green has to be perfect. You've only probably got a 3-foot window to hit it into, and that's if you've got a really good club selection.

Other than that, you're really just battling the elements and battling the contours of the greens to try and give yourself a chance to not be too far away.

The breeze is sort of straight across most of the holes coming in the back nine, which I feel helps me particularly. I can take some more aggressive lines that I wouldn't, like, if the breeze like yesterday afternoon was into and out of the left. I think the course probably plays a touch easier on the back nine.

But in saying that, the greens are firm, the pins are tucked. So it's just a patience game unfortunately with links golf and just trying to -- if you do hit the shots, trying to capitalise.

Q. (Indiscernible) early tee time tomorrow. How do you fill the time?

BRAD KENNEDY: Trying to not wake up until 7:00, 8:00 has been pretty tough. Just been waking up at 6:00. Coffee shop opens at 7:00. Walk down and grab a few coffees. Staying in St Andrews, which is a magic place. Have some breakfast, chill out. My wife's with me, which is great, and Zane, my caddie. So we're all in the house and having a good time.

Yeah, 1:00 tee time is not too bad, but definitely a 3:30, 4:00 tee time gets a bit hard.

Q. You've been going out at night as well?

BRAD KENNEDY: No, there hasn't been any time. We didn't leave until 9:30 last night. The only real time we had was after Thursday's round, which, by the time we got back there, I was pretty fried. So we just walked down the street, got some takeaway, and came back.

It's nice to relax, get back in the house, and try to do some normality. My daughter is there on the Sunshine Coast at a dance competition this weekend. It's bittersweet that they're sort of fulfilling their dreams, and I'm doing mine as well.

Q. You get videos of them?

BRAD KENNEDY: Yeah, I watched some this morning. They've been fantastic. I'm proud of them. It's just something they love. So that's a shame I couldn't be there to see them as well.