THE 154TH OPEN

July 17, 2026

Stuart Grehan

Mixed Zone

Q. Stuart, better today. Not what you came for, but at the same time, you had a good experience today on an Open Championship links?

STUART GREHAN: Yeah, certainly played better today than yesterday. Yeah, I suppose I probably enjoyed it a little bit more today. Probably didn't get my own way as much. But yeah, there was too much work to do today. But look, I played very well, and it was a good experience.

Q. You had three birdies in the last six holes. I think you hit it to five feet on one of the toughest holes on the course on 13 and rolled in an 18-footer on 14 and hit it to four feet on 16. You got it going.

STUART GREHAN: Yeah, I started to find my swing a little bit. Took a while. I think probably the best shot I hit was the 13th. It was probably the only good shot I hit in the 30 holes I'd played up to that point. Yeah, I played nice coming in. On 18th there, I was kind of fancying that one, as well. It would have been nice to finish with a 3 there, but I'll certainly take 4 on that hole all day.

Q. Your overall experience of the two days; you actually came in here with a little bit of confidence behind you as Amateur champion and playing well, but your experience here the two days, a first-round 77 must have been pretty crushing?

STUART GREHAN: Yeah, exactly. That's exactly what it was. I was very dejected last night actually, fairly disappointed in how I played, all aspects of my game to be perfectly honest. They just weren't there.

A little bit better today, but I thought it was a lot easier today. There was no real crosswinds. Yeah, even today I felt like I left a few out there, but it's just one of those things; I just didn't have my game yesterday, and that was it.

Q. There's a touch of "that's golf" about it. You win the Amateur Championship, just last weekend you win the European Team Championship with Ireland. There are other opportunities based on what you've done here because obviously you're going to get the invitation to the Masters and the U.S. Open next year. You got a taste of a major. You must be salivating almost because you finished here with a 69 and you know you can score in major championship conditions?

STUART GREHAN: Yeah, yeah, kind of gives me a little bit of confidence. Obviously 69, anything under par on this golf course regardless if the weather is good, but to be able to do it under pressure as well as the crowds and everything, I actually really enjoyed it today. Just felt like I left a few out there. Yeah, the experience was incredible, and having some hometown support was pretty cool, as well.

Q. Finally, leaving Royal Birkdale, what will you take from this? In terms of the big decisions you've made in your career to go from pro to amateur, to become Amateur champion, and all these fine things that have happened to you, what will you take from this week?

STUART GREHAN: That my game is well able to stand up to a pretty high level. I feel like I probably need to get better at certain areas. Certainly putting anyway. That's one things I've learned over the past couple of days; I need to become a better putter. But yeah, anything more than that I probably need a couple more days to really truly reflect, but that was the first thing that stood out to me. But yeah, I just enjoyed the whole experience.

As you say, there's a couple more majors next year that I'll get into, so just try and get ready for them then.

Q. Did you do anything specifically to kind of reset after yesterday? Did you have to clear the mind and start again, and how did you do that?

STUART GREHAN: Yeah, as I said, I was just very dejected last night going to bed. I did a little bit of work with my coach this morning, but nothing crazy. Same stuff, just kind of trust it a little bit more. As I said, though, the conditions were a lot easier today than they were yesterday afternoon. It was pretty tough yesterday afternoon.

I think a little bit of -- I hit the ball probably a little bit better, but all in all, I think the conditions just were easier.

Q. Aside from identifying putting as one of the points, what else can you take from this week that you can use at Augusta or use at the U.S. Open next year in terms of dealing with a major championship?

STUART GREHAN: Well, I thought I dealt with the crowds and everything. I quite enjoyed that, relished that, so I can take a little bit of confidence from that, that I'm able to take it all in and hit some nice shots.

Yeah, I suppose I was just -- obviously putting, but a few wedge shots, as well, I didn't really hit any close. Took me a long time to hit a ball close. I think 13 today. So you're 30 holes into the tournament to hit a ball close. That's not good enough, especially at this level. Yeah, a little bit of short irons and putting especially.