FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sunday, July 29th, 2018

NOTABLE QUOTES: THE SENIOR OPEN, SUNDAY’S FINAL ROUND

NBC Sports Notable Quotes

The Senior Open presented by Rolex

Final Round, Sunday, July 29

The Old Course at St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland

 

Ratings news on The Senior Open:

**Saturday’s round 3 coverage of The Senior Open on NBC delivered a .75 overnight rating, tying 2009 as the best round 3 at this event in 11 years. Saturday’s overnight rating also was the highest-rated PGA TOUR Champions Saturday telecast in 11 years, (2007 Senior Open on ABC).

 

** Thursday final ratings: Round 1 coverage on Golf Channel (11:30 a.m.-2:08 p.m. ET) delivered 204,000 average viewers, the most-watched round 1 at this event in 9 years, and most watched round 1 of any PGA TOUR Champions major in the past 8 years (2010 U.S. Senior Open).

 

**Media can also access notable quotes via @GolfChannelPR on Twitter or by visiting www.nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com**

 

VIDEO: Runner-up Bernhard Langer speaks with Golf Channel following his round

 

Final Senior Open Leaderboard: Senior Open Final Leaderboard

Miguel Angel Jimenez            -12

Bernhard Langer                     -11

Stephen Ames                         -10

Scott McCarron.                     -10

Kirk Triplett                            -10

 

On Miguel Angel Jimenez, 2018 Senior Open winner at 12-under par (3-under 69 on Sunday)

Lanny Wadkins – “He has been a quality player for a long time. The fact that he has played such high quality golf into his 40s and 50s, just outstanding.”

Wadkins – “He conquered the second nine. He is the only person to win on the second nine this week. When you win on the second nine, you win the golf tournament.”

Rich Lerner – “Tonight is going to be a very good night for Miguel and anyone in his company.”

Lerner – “Light up the Cohibas. Break out the bottle of wine. The man who loves the finer things in life, it doesn’t get much sweeter than to win right here at the Home of Golf.”

Lerner – “The mechanic was able to finish the job.”

 

Miguel Angel Jimenez speaking with NBC’s Todd Lewis following his victory

Miguel Angel Jimenez (on his par on 17 to keep a 1-shot lead) – “It was very important to keep a 1-shot leading going into the 18…It is very important to come here with a one-shot lead going into the last hole. To say that, you have to say that I have been playing very solid all day, except for those three puts that I made on the 14th and the 15th. One, for three putts working with a par when I was two on the green. And the other one where I made a bogey on the 15th.”

Todd Lewis – “Enjoy the celebratory night. I know you will.”

Jimenez – “I will. Thank you very much.”

 

On Bernard Langer, 2nd at 11-under par (4-under 68 on Sunday)

John Mahaffey – “Bernhard Langer came to play.”

Lerner – “Langer is 60 going on 30.”

John Cook – “He has been solid and steady over that putter today.”

Wadkins – “He looks the best I’ve seen him in a long time putting today.”

Cook – “He did some work last night. From what I’ve observed, he has a wide stance, his head is out over the ball more and he is bent at the waist better. He has been putting beautifully today.”

Wadkins – “Langer can play as long as he wants to. His golf swing is maybe as good or as better than it has ever been.”

 

On Tom Watson, T21 at 1-under par (5-over 77 on Sunday)

Rich Lerner – “There is no other sport in the world where a 68-year old can compete hard with no discernable drop off, from on the same field of play where he fought as a 28-year old.”

Lerner – “This event brings life into him.”

Tom Watson speaking with NBC’s Todd Lewis following his round

Tom Watson – “This is a unique setting in golf, probably the most unique when you come into the town of St Andrews on the last hole and you finish amongst all of the buildings and the people. There is not any other place like it. This is a wonderful golf course. It can give you some opportunities, with the windy conditions, downwind you can drive the greens, but you better stay out of the bunkers. That is what caught me starting at 14 yesterday, and a few times today I hit it in the bunkers. When you do that, people who play links golf understand that is not a good place to be. My score reflected it.”

Watson – “As I mentioned earlier, there may be a little bit left in the tank. You never know. I was playing well coming in to it and I was happy about everything. I just didn’t sustain it for four rounds. I played well and I putted well the first two rounds in particular. The last two rounds I made some mistakes. Hit some wayward tee shots and caught the fairway bunkers a few too many times. When you do that, the old lady at St Andrews, the Old Course here will knock you right flat on your face.”

Watson – “There is just the feeling that I get when I play here. The crowds are wonderful to me and I respect them. It has been a good career. I am not calling it off right now, but I’m just saying, I am towards the end of my career and it is always great to play championship golf, especially at St Andrews.”

Wadkins and Mahaffey on the passing of Bruce Lietzke

Wadkins – “Bruce is one of the all-time great guys. We all enjoyed his company. He was a delight to be around. I can’t think of anyone who ever had a mean word to say about him. He was the envy of all of the players on both tours, no question. He had his priorities straight in life. His family and his kids were first. Golf was maybe in the top 10. Fishing was up there, relaxing and enjoying family and friends were big to him. He was the ultimate dad. He did exactly what he wanted to do. He played golf on his terms, which meant he wasn’t going to overwork it. He trusted his swing, something none of us ever did. He trusted with what he had and the way he played and was very, very good at it.”

Mahaffey – He was a wonderful teammate and an even better friend. Probably one of the kindest men that I ever met. He will be sorely missed. I miss his laugh and miss him saying, ‘Hey JD, what are we going to do today.’ I love that. Just a great guy.”

 

-NBC Sports Group-