What he said: All the quotes from Tuesday at the Open

Tiger Woods

“It feels great to come back to Hoylake and to this venue. It meant a lot to me in my life at the time. To come back out here and obviously there are a couple of changes they’ve made. But overall the golf course is a little bit softer than what it was in ’06. 

“I’ve played three practice rounds now and have had three different winds. So that’s been helpful to be able to see the golf course in different conditions.”

Rory McIlroy

“I think the par-5s are a big key this week. If you look back at ’06, I think Tiger played the par-5s in 14-under par. So the majority of his scoring was done on the par-5s. 

“There are four really good opportunities to make birdies out here. Par-5s are going to be crucial. 

“And then there’s a couple of tough holes on the back nine, if you can just sort of make par there you’re going to do well. 

“I think, there’s a few birdie opportunities on this course, and you want to try to make as many birdies as you can on those holes.”

Justin Rose

“I think had I not won in Aberdeen, I think this week would be a realistic opportunity, and I don’t feel it any less realistic because I won last week. I think the odds go more in my favor just through confidence and the experience of having done that the last couple of weeks. 

“Winning a Major championship is never easy, no matter what circumstances are. So for me the goal is to trust my game, to get a good game plan going, to not get ahead of myself, to get on the first tee Thursday fresh and ready to play. 

“If I commit to all the things I know I have to do, all my skills, let them all come out this week, then I’m going to give myself an opportunity.”
I think I’m playing some of the best golf of my life at the moment" Adam Scott

“I think I’ve got it. I think Lytham was the proving to me that I’ve got what it takes to win. It was obviously not the finish there. 

“But that gave me a lot of confidence not just about playing well in Majors, but also had the game to win an Open Championship, which is big for the confidence. 

“And I think I’m playing some of the best golf of my life at the moment, so I should really be taking advantage of it and stepping up this week and putting myself in with a good chance.”

Ian Poulter

“I like the golf course. I think my golf game has changed a lot in eight years. And I feel more equipped. I’ve had good results in The Open since then to know that I can really play links golf pretty well.

“I think my game plan on links golf has been better over the last few years. Trying to stay away from trouble is a good thing. And there’s plenty of that around this golf course. So I think it is going to play very different to 2006. 

“There’s not as many probably iron shots off the tees. There will be a couple more drivers, but literally only a couple more drivers. So, yeah, I feel that I know the course better than I did in ’06. 

“It was new to me in ’06 and it’s not new to me today. Albeit a few tee boxes have been moved farther back, but it feels familiar.”

Graeme McDowell

“I feel like I’m ready to kick on to the next sort of chapter in my career now, and compete and win more Major championships. I certainly don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. 

“This is my kind of golf course this week. And I want to give myself as many opportunities as I can to win Majors. It’s hard to win. Week in, week out, there’s so many great players in the world. 

“Winning regular tournaments is hard enough, winning the majors is something different, something special. 

“I’d love a Claret Jug. Probably that and the Green Jacket are probably neck and neck. The Claret Jug is probably the one that I feel like I have the game to win as opposed to the Masters.”

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