FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, July 20th, 2018

NOTABLE QUOTES: GOLF CENTRAL LIVE FROM THE OPEN (FRIDAY)

Carnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie, Scotland

Friday, July 20

 

*Live Third Round coverage of The Open begins Saturday at 4:30 a.m. ET on Golf Channel, and continues at 7 a.m. ET on NBC. Media also can access notable quotes via @GolfChannelPR on Twitter or by visiting www.nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com*

 

The 147TH Open Leaderboard

T-1      Kevin Kisner               -6

T-1      Zach Johnson              -6

T-3      Tommy Fleetwood       -5

T-3      Pat Perez                     -5

T-3      Xander Schauffele        -5

 

On Zach Johnson (6-under, T-1st)
Brandel Chamblee – “This power prejudice era and the solid core golf ball really has hobbled the shortest of hitters… Maybe he doesn’t hit it as close as a Dustin Johnson or a Rory McIlroy. But nobody has better touch. And nobody I would argue takes better advantage of the opportunities that he gets, even though he doesn’t get that many of them.”

On Kevin Kisner (6-under, T-1st)
Frank Nobilo – “It is a Ray Floyd-like quality that makes him so good.”
Chamblee – “Obviously the putter is right where he wants it. But this is basically going to be won out of the rough. Most of the leaders are basically hitting less than 50 percent of the fairways. It is a scrambling Championship.”

On Tommy Fleetwood (5-under, T- 3rd)
Chamblee – “We’ve seen a few players in the past with sort of punchy, short golf swings. I liken him to a more powerful Doug Sanders… It’s a short golf swing, no question. You’d think it’s ideally suited for major championships.”

On Rory McIlroy (4-under T-6th)
Chamblee – “It seems like this year Rory has been on that teetering edge between momentum and meltdowns… He’s had plenty of adversity… At the end of the day when you talk about Rory McIlroy the talent is obvious. But what is equally obvious is that he’s just been missing some sort of spark. And that spark appears to be there this week.”
Nobilo – “We saw shots today that had been lacking. This was a McIlroy that all of a sudden you say, “well, where’s he been?”

-NBC Sports Group-