FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 14th, 2016

NOTABLE QUOTES: GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE OPEN, THURSDAY (3:20-5 P.M. ET)

Golf Channel Notable Quotes
Golf Central Live From The Open
Thursday, July 14 (3:20-5 p.m. ET)
Royal Troon Golf Club, Troon, Scotland

** Live Round 2 coverage of The 145TH Open begins Friday at 1:30 a.m. ET (10:30 p.m. PT).**

On opening round leader Phil Mickelson’s 8-under-par 63 (tying the major championship scoring record that ended with a lip-out on 18 for a 62)
Rich Lerner – “I was on the call for Mickelson’s 60 in Scottsdale. That was the most crushing, heartbreaking round of 60 I had ever seen. I think today was a slightly depressing 63.”
Billy Kratzert – “Tough putt to read and a tough pill to swallow.”
Lerner – “We’re deflated, like he just shot an 80 today instead of a 63.”
Kratzert – “He played flawless golf. His balance was so good today.”
Brandel Chamblee – “It was a combination of a lack of wind, a greener golf course and a re-invigorated Phil Mickelson, in particular, on the greens.”
Chamblee – “We could fill up a show with his highlights, and about half a second with his heartbreaks.”

On day one at The Open and the ideal scoring conditions
Lerner – “Well as Thursdays go at a major championship, this one had an awful lot to chew on. It was fun from start to finish.”
Chamblee – “Conditions couldn’t have been a whole lot better. It was a historic day.”
Kratzert – “This is why I like the R&A. They give you a golf course, and if you get great conditions you can go out and shoot that score. Tomorrow we are going to see a different story. I think that is where the R&A gets it. When they set up a links golf course, they understand that if you have perfect weather these guys can go out and shot the grass off of it. But if they have inclement weather, like we are going to have tomorrow, these guys are going to struggle. That is what makes The Open so intriguing.”

On Rory McIlroy, T22 at 2-under par after Thursday and his post-round comments clarifying his Olympics comments earlier in the week
Tim Rosaforte – “We always appreciate athletes who come in and are honest and not afraid of sharing their opinions and taking criticism as a byproduct of that. I think personally that he was speaking for more than himself, even if he was just referring to himself.”

-NBC Sports Group-