THE 154TH OPEN

July 16, 2026

Mateo Pulcini

Mixed Zone

Q. That final putt on 18, that was a celebration?

MATEO PULCINI: Exactly.

Q. Did you watch the game last night?

MATEO PULCINI: Yeah, I can't believe. I didn't miss a single second. We had a barbecue. We watched it all.

Q. When you did your Enzo celebration, were you expecting a few boos for that?

MATEO PULCINI: Yeah, I was expecting a few boos on the 1st tee, and they came, some of them.

Q. Did you get some boos on the 1st tee?

MATEO PULCINI: Yeah, but there were almost none. I love it. I really don't mind. It's part of the fun part.

Q. Did you get any abuse? Anyone make any comments when you were on the grounds?

MATEO PULCINI: No, not at all. People are being great. Fans are being spectacular. They were cheering for me as well.

I wasn't having a good -- the score wasn't good at all. I wasn't having a good day, but this on 18 make it a little bit better.

Q. Are you somewhat surprised and maybe a little bit disappointed you didn't get any booing? Your football team tends to react very well to it.

MATEO PULCINI: Yeah. No, I didn't want to do anything like trying to -- what's the word? Making fun of like the match that you guys lost because the tournament here has been unbelievable, and that celebration came from a 40-foot putt. I was pretty excited, and that came to my mind, and I did it.

I wasn't thinking of doing anything.

Q. Have you played golf with any of the Argentinean players ever?

MATEO PULCINI: No. I wish I could play with them, but not yet.

Q. Which felt better, holing that 40-foot putt or Enzo's goal going in?

MATEO PULCINI: Enzo's goal, for sure. Today wasn't being the best, so I'll take those two also.

Q. Are you watching the World Cup Sunday, the final?

MATEO PULCINI: For sure.

Q. What are your plans? Assuming you're not here.

MATEO PULCINI: I'm saying, like I played Augusta, U.S. Open, didn't make the cut in both, and I stayed. I love seeing these guys, how good they are. They're unbelievable people as well. Everyone is treating me really well.

I really have fun watching them, like seeing how good they are and what I need to get debt better and that stuff.

Q. Have you had any conversations with any of the English players when you've been here?

MATEO PULCINI: With Matt Wallace I had, yes, sir. I told him we were winning 2-1. I need to cross paths with him. I was right.

Q. What did you make of the match last night when you watched it, the football match?

MATEO PULCINI: It was a great game. At the beginning it was like England was having a good game. Argentina was doing -- I don't know his part, but England was having the ball. Once England made the goal, they become -- like Argentina was doing the same thing last match. They were doing goal, and then they started defending, but you cannot defend against Messi. He's unbelievable.

Q. Are you wearing the colours of Argentina? Have you got a cap with the flag on the back?

MATEO PULCINI: I wear it the first day of every major. So it was planned from long ago. I love my country.

Q. At the end of the match, there was one moment of controversy where the players held up the banner about Las Malvinas. Did you see that?

MATEO PULCINI: I saw it. I don't want to talk politics, just golf and football. I wasn't even going to put football with golf, but then I made a 40-footer. So I was excited.

(Laughter)

Q. Can Argentina beat Spain?

MATEO PULCINI: Yeah, of course. It's going to be a really tough game. I thought France was going to win this, and then Spain controlled all the game. It was unbelievable how they played. They're insanely good.

Q. Obviously Argentina looked down and out but came back to win? Do you think you can do an Argentinean comeback and come back and make the cut?

MATEO PULCINI: Hopefully.

Q. Talking about the process this year. Your first Open. You came from the LAAC. You look back at this year, what are your feelings?

MATEO PULCINI: I'm really grateful for this year. What LAAC has given to the winner, it's the best gift any golfer can ever have. I enjoy every moment of it, which I think was very positive. I'm taking a lot of good stuff from this year to being -- I haven't been playing like how I wanted this tournament.

We have one more round -- well, hopefully three. I'm taking everything positive from this week, the Masters, the U.S. Open. I met a lot of new people. Like a lot of manufacturing companies, equipment companies, they've been treating me as well really, really nice.

That gets me excited for the future, practice a little more -- no, a lot more. Yeah, excited.

Q. I notice your patch. How hot is that sauce?

MATEO PULCINI: I love that patch.

Q. How hot is it?

MATEO PULCINI: The highest level is hot. I don't need that. The highest level we need in Argentina is level 2.

Q. How many levels are there?

MATEO PULCINI: I think there's 5. I never went to that one.

Q. I'm going to try to talk about golf again. Were you impressed coming here? Was it what you expected coming to The Open, coming to Birkdale?

MATEO PULCINI: Yes. It was everything what I was expecting and more. The treatment is the one that stands out the more, like how the people in the locker room, like the grill room, players lounge, everything, it's been unbelievable. The organisation of this tournament is unbelievable again.

And the players, of course, I played with a bunch of them, and they were all nice. They were all helping. Yeah, it's good.