Q. Your first DP World Tour victory since 2018. Describe your emotions?
Extremely happy. It was unbelievable week for me. I haven’t played like this for a long time. Kind of struggled — I didn’t struggle the first two days but I scored really well from maybe not the best of play. Then the last three days, I don’t think I’ve played like this for a long time.
So super happy and super happy to do it here in Britain. I seem to love British people and British courses. So it’s wonderful here.
Q. 2-under through the first three. How much was that the perfect start to settle any nerves you had going into today?
Especially on 2, everybody thinks I can’t hook the ball, but I hooked a little pitch in there stiff and I felt pretty proud of myself. It was a good start, and same on 3 with a birdie. It’s so much easier to start like that on a Sunday than to kind of fight and fight from behind.
Q. Obviously the bogey at 9, what did you say to yourself as you made the turn?
It was a mental mistake on the putt. Kind of like the drive on 18, wasn’t really focused enough, and you know, I didn’t trust my line on 9. Didn’t trust my line on 18. Then it’s easier, almost, to take the mistake, if it’s only technical mistake or a bad swing or something like that.
So I said to myself on 9, like, you know, you just have to keep working on it. That’s what I did every day on the putting green. You can’t be upset after. So just kind of acknowledge what’s wrong, and then work on that, yeah.
Q. Obviously you mentioned there a misalignment on 18. You had a two-shot lead coming down the last and not the drive you wanted into the trees. How nervous were you or what was your thought process on the final hole?
I was a little bit nervous. More tense than nervous, maybe. But also, there was no, I couldn’t see if I was two ahead or one ahead.
Then the wind — right now, there’s no wind. But it was kind of ten miles an hour into, and we’ve had always that downwind this whole week, and so the line kind of changes. I don’t know, it should have been a bit more aggressive line than I tried to take. Because if I just missed it a little, I was in the bunker. Sort of a mental mistake. I’m happy to get the job done, anyway.
25th in The Race to Dubai now and obviously exemptions that come with this win. How does this change your goals or your outlook for the rest of the season?
Yeah, I still have to play some over in the States after Wentworth. But I think it was great to do it. Also, my kids are coming to an age when they actually love golf and they watch me on TV. I try to say “hi” to Iris and Roy and my wife, Jennifer. It’s lovely that they can be a part of it and maybe they can — my boy wants to come out and watch me play, and it’s great.
Q. You missed seven months of Ryder Cup qualification through injury. Yesterday I suggested to you if you win here or next week or both, Luke Donald is going to be considering you and you dismissed me. What do you think now?
I still think it’s dismissed (laughs). Yeah, it would be great. But I’m more just happy to get this win. Like you said, first time in seven years, it feels great.
Q. After two rounds, you said you weren’t happy with your ball-striking. You got in touch with your coach and he gave you some advice. That vice obviously led to this victory. You owe him a very large dinner, don’t you?
I do. I’ve owed him for like 13 years. It was great just to get a little bit better setup. Just overall, a little bit cleaner swing, and it really paid off. I didn’t have to do my crazy practise swing, and it felt good.
