GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 13, 2023

Ewen Ferguson

The Renaissance Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Obviously disappointed dropping a shot at the last but overall how pleased with your round?

EWEN FERGUSON: I think I did very well. I think coming out in your home Open and birdieing the first two holes is quite impressive with the front nine I had, which was the back nine.

I knew at some point in links golf in a round you're going to have a wee point where you need to stick in and really grind, and it came, and I knew this was the point. I said to my caddie, it's not going to be free flowing. It's going to fly, the round and there are no mistakes.

We came to that point of the round, middle of the front nine, and I battled hard, managed to get a wee birdie in there and bogey at the last. But it's four rounds of golf and see how I go the rest of the week.

Q. Some Scottish players feel the pressure playing on home soil.

EWEN FERGUSON: I love playing in the UK. I love playing in Scotland. I love playing in front of my family and stuff like that. I just feel when I'm playing here, I just feel like the people know who I am and stuff like that as well. I want to showcase my talent and what I'm good at.

Q. How does today's play set you up for tomorrow?

EWEN FERGUSON: Links golf, the conditions are going to change and you'll deal with different elements. It doesn't set me up in any way. I just start my new round and have a new game plan and new everything what I need to do.

This round is done now. I'm happy with it. I'll go in, have my lunch, get back on the range and caddie, coach can start preparing for what I need to do the next day.

Q. Do you get an extra boost or incentive given the stellar names that are here this year?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, like I said, I play golf a lot of weeks of the year in Europe and as soon as I'm done with my round, I go in, I have my food and have lunch and dinner with my pals and all that, and I go to my room and watch the PGA TOUR. So I watch them all the time and try to learn what I need to get better at to their level.

So see them is really cool, and also, I know some of them from playing Walker Cups and U.S. Amateurs, and things like that. To see some of them excel and be world superstars is really cool, but at the same time it kid of tells me that it's a small margin and I could get there one day.

Q. You kind of took the question from me there. I suppose it's about believing you are almost at that level.

EWEN FERGUSON: Well, I think, like I've won twice on The European Tour, and I finished seconds and thirds and I know that I'm good enough. I think that gives me the confidence to like just be relaxed, knowing when I get a we hot streak, I know I can make putts and I know I can make birdies. That's what makes me a little bit calmer in general.

Q. You said before the tournament, you were jokingly being referred to as a knock-off Rickie Fowler. This shows that you're the real deal, doesn't it, this performance today?

EWEN FERGUSON: Yeah, I don't think they were saying that thinking I'm not the real deal. I think they are just -- it's so funny the things I was hearing today walking around the course, "Rickie! Rickie!" I'm like, I need to break that guy's heart; I'm not him.

Even when I pulled up on the last here to the recording, they were shouting Rickie. I'm like, not Rickie, mate. I'm just a wee guy from Glasgow. I don't think it's that bad. He's some golfer, isn't he.