Talking back - Saturday quotes

Still confident?

Q: People are going to talk about you coming from behind. I know you?d rather be in front but is this a challenge you wrap your arms around?

Tiger Woods: Well I?m in the position I?ve dealt myself. I need to play well tomorrow and hopefully take the title.

Alright Ian, calm down

Q: If someone said to you that you?d be round in 70 today and the weather wasn?t going to be great this afternoon what would you have said?

Ian Poulter: I would not have taken it. No way would I have taken it. I know I can play this game pretty well. With a clear head I know I can shoot 64 round this course. I?m plenty good enough to shoot that score. I?m not here to make the numbers up ? 70 would be making the numbers up. I?m hungry to win golf tournaments, as a few people might not believe and I think I can go out there and prove a point.

Lost property

Q: You had a bad start to the week with your clubs going missing?

Zach Johnson: I was a bit stressed to say the least. I had my clothes which are important but nowhere near as important as my sticks.

Get your facts right!

Q: Was a 68 today a good birthday present or could it have been any better?

Paul Casey: Well it was a 69. It would have been nice if it was a 68.

Scottish? Irish? Bulgarian? whatever

What?s the name of your new caddie?

Chris DiMarco: Pat O?Bryan. Good Scottish name.

Strange reasoning

Q: What?s the reason behind your distinctive headband?

Pelle Edberg: I do a lot of skiing at home and always use it, so I?d thought I?d use it here.

Silencing the doubters

Q: Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Campbell. 68 ? leading The Open Championship in the clubhouse. Your feelings after that round, very nice for a starter?

Michael Campbell: You?re probably all surprised, aren?t you (laughter). You probably are. I?m not.

That explains that then

Q: What does K.J. stand for?

K J Choi: Kyoung-Ju, K-y-o-u-n-g and J-u. The first time in 1998 at British Open, the first tee announce ?Kung Choi? ? it?s very difficult. My idea is next day Kyoung-Ju is very long ? who is that? And the K initial and J initial, everybody understand K.J. ? so very simple name and Choi. And the next day, K.J. Choi from Korea, so easy. And then started in 1999 British Open. I think it?s in my mind, yeah.

That?s not what I meant.

Q: Looking back at the experience in ?99, how much did you grow from that?

Sergio Garcia: I don?t know ? six centimetres, five centimetres from ?99 hopefully.

Did he mean that?

Q: You came over here not knowing if you were in the field?

Lucas Glover: I was going to prepare like I was in and if I got in, great. If I didn?t I was going to enjoy it anyway. But this is the icing on the gravy.

Don?t try and be clever son

Q: What?s your father?s name?

Rory McIlroy: Gerry with a G, McIlroy, obviously.

Just plain wrong

Q: This week are you more triggered by the fact that you can be the first one to win three straight Opens?

Tiger Woods: I won?t be the first one.

Mischievous Monty

Q: I was wondering about the timing of the mobile phone ban?.?

Monty: It?s the other players I feel that was brought in for (laughter), the likes of Retief and people like that ? the people that really get upset over these types of things. I?m fine.

No fun for Ernie

Q: Where does Carnoustie rate among the links courses you enjoy playing, both in terms of toughness and enjoyment?

Ernie Els: Enjoyment in a Major? You enjoy a Major afterwards (laughter). From Thursday to Sunday it?s hard work.

Stating the obvious

Q: The par-3 16th ? what?s it like into the wind compared with downwind?

Phil Mickelson: It?s a lot longer.

? and again

Q: Your record on links courses hasn?t been great. Why do you think that is?

Phil Mickelson: I haven?t been scoring as well as I need to.

? and again!

Q: Obviously it?s going to depend a lot on the weather, but what do you think a possible winning score might be?

Angel Cabrera: You have to be very careful on the first holes here because you can score high on those. The winner, you don?t know until the last day.

Not playing ball

Q: Earlier, Tiger said that the British Open was his favourite Major. I wonder if you would care to rank the Majors in terms of your favourites from one to four?

Phil Mickelson: Not really.