THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP

June 21, 2025

Gavin Tiernan

Quick Quotes

Q. Just describe your emotions after that battle out there.

GAVIN TIERNAN: I'm tired. But yeah, obviously I'm disappointed. You have it in your -- well, not in your hands. It was touch and go the whole time. But he hit a fantastic shot in on 18. I made a couple of silly mistakes around the middle part of the back nine, and that really cost me, and then had to make up for it with birdie on 16 and 17. He hit an amazing shot in. Just great birdie. Fair play to him.

Q. You played 175 holes this week I think it is --

GAVIN TIERNAN: Is that what it is? Interesting.

Q. Describe your energy levels on that back nine there.

GAVIN TIERNAN: It was fine. You're kind of pumped up so you're not really -- wasn't really feeling the tiredness too much. But I'll definitely sleep tonight.

Q. How about standing on the 18th tee there after making back-to-back birdies to level proceedings again. You must have been pretty pumped up on 18.

GAVIN TIERNAN: Yeah, I was just thinking birdie. I was just thinking, I'm birdieing this hole and winning it. Obviously he hit a really good shot in, and I kind of didn't hit the best shot but gave my putt a really good chance. Actually I thought it was in like four foot short and then it kind of stayed high.

I'm happy with the way I fought. Two down, three to play, and birdieing 16 and 17, I was really happy with that.

Q. Starting the day, you'd obviously played a lot of holes to start the week. How were your emotions?

GAVIN TIERNAN: I was feeling pretty chill this morning. It was probably only the back nine I kind of realised, I can do this. I wasn't thinking about the prizes or the exemptions, but they obviously pass into your mind. Just them slip-ups on the back nine kind of cost me.

Q. You must be pretty well validated after a week like this, heading into the week saying you felt like you were the best player there and you just fell one putt short?

GAVIN TIERNAN: Yeah, I'm here and I still feel like I am the best player here, even though I lost. I made a lot of silly mistakes that could have been avoided. So I think if I played to my capabilities, I can beat anyone.

Obviously it's fresh; I just lost on the last hole, so that doesn't feel great. But I know in the next couple of days in reviewing it, I'll be pretty happy with it.

Q. Are there any key things you can take away from a week like this immediately afterwards?

GAVIN TIERNAN: Really just trying to maintain concentration levels. You lapse for one second and there's a bogey. That's the difference, as we seen there.

Just always trying to improve my mental game. I feel like that's where the difference is for winning and not winning. Definitely just trying to work on that.

Q. What's next for you?

GAVIN TIERNAN: Next is European Team Championships. I'm not playing European Amateur next week. Well, I don't think so. Yeah, so European Team Championships in Ireland, so that should be good fun, and we'll try and bring it home there.