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THE SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROLEX


July 27, 2013


Sandy Lyle


SOUTHPORT, ENGLAND

Q.  69, how well did you play today?
SANDY LYLE:  I started off hitting the ball really good, had an opportunity on the first hole for ten feet for eagle but didn't make it, but the consistency‑‑ drove the ball in the fairway to avoid the bunkers which is crucial on your tee shots.  The opportunities were available but I didn't take them all.

Q.  With 12 starts on the Champions Tour this year and 22nd the best finish, did you feel this sort of form coming?
SANDY LYLE:  I sort of had a little inclination that things were starting to make the turn, I had a little change with my posture and a couple months ago, decided to see what happened with this position.
The range stuff has been going pretty good, just taking it out on the golf course is not quite so easy.  I feel that the golf game is going the right direction and hit some good shot at the right time.

Q.  Obviously you're in position here, Top‑5, but a little bit behind the leaders.  How do you approach tomorrow?
SANDY LYLE:  Well, depends what the weather is going to be like.  Could get a bit of rain.  It could be cold.  It be could be windy.  It if it's like this, Langer is going to be a hard one to beat.  I spent two days playing with him‑‑ you just have to stick to your same plan and if the opportunities arise, make birdies and get in early with a lot of birdies, and maybe a 65 tomorrow.

Q.  Give us your thoughts on what seems a very solid day today.
SANDY LYLE:  It was.  You could blow your whole tournament in every round on this course, and today was a good solid start.  That first hole was playing more like a five because of the distance involved and the crosswind, so got off to a good start, a really good 5‑iron in there about ten feet and that gives you a good feeling for the rest of the day and a good tee shot on the next hole and nice second shot, birdie.
Those are the sort of things, what you dream of doing.  I had a dream start and got under par right away the first two holes, and just stayed around par, 1‑under, most of the way.

Q.  You called this course 'mean'; presumably it's all the more mean when the wind is up?
SANDY LYLE:  I've played it in a lot worse conditions than this, and yes, it's a mean course.  There's not a lot of opportunities.  Your first par 5 is not until 15, I think it is.  There's a lot of strong par 4 holes, crosswinds and bunkers everywhere.  So compared to Muirfield, it's right up there.

Q.  Are you excited?  Because you're amongst the elite; you're one of those very few.
SANDY LYLE:  It's the sort of thing that you're hoping you're going to get one of those weeks where you're right up there.  I've had a miserable time for quite a few years on the Champions Tour and playing over in Europe, as well.  Just not playing the game that I know I can play.  But you put that doubt in your mind and you think, yes, maybe I'm getting older and things are not quite the same.
But the last few months has been a little bit of daylight in the tunnel and hitting the ball a lot better and keeping the ball in play.  On the range, it's been pretty good stuff.  I think that we are getting closer, getting it closer.
It's just bringing it on the golf course and you have mental hazards to get over and certain shots that maybe send the wrong message to the muscles or the brain, and you just get on with it.  You know, today has been one of those days where you keep fearing certain shots might happen but doesn't happen and you keep doing that every so often, you get some good momentum, confidence, the scores start plummeting.
I feel like I can give Langer a bit of a fright now; I said before, well, I'll just ignore him.  I think now, if he just let's one or two slip on a few holes‑‑ which I don't think he will, but you never know in this game, it's a very open tournament right now.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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