Carey targets big finish after moving day doubts prove costly
David Carey speaks to the media
Open Championship revelation David Carey admitted he doubted himself too many times and must stick to his guns on Sunday to finish his Major debut on a high.
The world number 912 soared into a tie for 18th at halfway after a brilliant 67 on Friday, but he mixed five birdies with four bogeys and a double-bogey six at the Road Hole 17th in a third round 73 alongside former world number one Lee Westwood to slip back into the pack on four-under on moving day.
“It’s very disappointing —not what I wanted at all,” Carey said. “I had five birdies, which is not bad, but I made way too many mistakes today. Unfortunately, I doubted myself a few times instead of just sticking to my own thoughts, and that cost me a few shots at the end.”
The Alps Tour regular, who came through Final Qualifying to make his Major debut having never played a full European Tour event, turned in one-under par as he cancelled out bogeys at the first and fourth (three putts) with birdies at the third, fifth and ninth.
But while he would birdie the 14th and 18th coming home, he was left to rue a three-putt par at the sixth and bogeys at the 11th, 12th (three putts) and 16th and a double-bogey six at the 17th, where he had to play out sideways from the Road Hole bunker after misclubbing.
“I just doubted myself towards the end in terms of clubs and stuff, and that cost me, particularly on 17,” the Dubliner (26) said. “I came up a club short there with a decent shot. I had eight in my hand, and I should have stuck with it. I went back to the nine and it came up probably a yard short and then I had to play out nearly backwards from the bunker. It was a disappointing finish.”
A 353-yard drive to the heart of the 18th set up a closing birdie three and he hopes to carry that momentum forward into Sunday.
“I will just go out and try and shoot as low a score as I can,” he said. “I think I can shoot quite a low one, but we will have to wait and see. Things didn’t really go my way today.
“Just generally, I didn’t get a whole lot of momentum. So I will try to fix that tomorrow and not have any three-putts and not as many mistakes. It could be a lot better quite quickly.”
He denied he felt more pressure in the cauldron of the third round, adding: “Not really. It was probably my best warm-up of the week. I drove it quite well today. I hit one bad one off 10, but I drove it quite well and got in quite a few good positions, but I didn’t really take advantage of it.”
While the Alps Tour heads for Rome next week, Carey has made no plans.
“I am going to sit down and figure all that out after tomorrow,” he said. “I will do my best tomorrow and see where I end up.”
