THE 149TH OPEN

July 15, 2021

Richard Bland

Mixed Zone

Q. Can you just take us through that opening tee shot and what you were feeling?

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, it was very special, very nerve-racking. I was just saying to the other sort of media outlets, yeah, I was okay when I got on to the tee. A little bit nervous because you're just about to start a major championship, but then, yeah, once sort of the announcer said right, it's 30 seconds guys, you're like, right, this is it. This is what it's all about. The nerves definitely sort of cranked up a little bit and was glad to hit one in the fairway.

Q. You mentioned the honour of having the opening tee shot. How nervous were you, and how difficult was that opening tee shot? We saw quite a few people go into the rough on the right there.

RICHARD BLAND: Yeah, as I just said, it was a tremendous honour. Great for the R&A to put that on me. It's something that I wasn't expecting at all. Yeah, when Martin called me on Sunday and set about it, yeah, it was a special moment. Yeah, of course very nervous once the announcer sort of started. I was glad to get one down the fairway.