Open Championship 2017: Player reaction from day four at Royal Birkdale

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Jordan Spieth (69 and 12 under total)

On what winning the Open Championship means: "This is absolutely a dream come true for me.

"I was able to drink a bit of wine out of this when Zach Johnson won it a couple of years ago and a lot of people told me it was bad luck and I started to believe them through nine holes today. It feels good to have this in my hands."

On Matt Kuchar's performance: "Matt, I really enjoyed battling with you. It could have gone to either of us and I got the good breaks today.

"What a great champion Matt is and what a class act. I took 20 minutes to play one of my shots and Matt took it in his stride. It speaks to the kind of man you are and it sets a great example."

On the opportunity to win a career Grand Slam: "It's incredible. It's a life goal of mine, it's a career goal. Growing up playing golf, I just wanted to be able to play in major championships and compete with the best in the world, and things have happened very quickly.

"I look back on '15 and thought 'yes, I enjoyed it', but I never realised the significance until you kind of hit a low, hit a pitfall, to appreciate the high so much.

"This is as much of a high as I've ever experienced in my golfing life and I'm going to enjoy it more than I've enjoyed anything that I've accomplished in the past."

On his caddie Michael Greller: "I was getting down on myself, as anybody I think would, and this is as much mine as it is his at this moment."

Matt Kuchar (69 and nine under total)

On finishing runner-up: "It's crushing. It hurts.

"You work so hard to get to this position and to have a chance to make history and win a championship... you don't get that many opportunities.

"To be this close, to taste it with five holes to go, it's a hard one to sit back and take.

"There is an excitement and a thrill to have played well, put up a battle, put up a fight, but it's impressive stuff when a guy does something like that.

On Jordan Spieth's performance: "All you can really do is sit back, tip your cap and say 'Well done' and it was certainly a show that he put on.

"I played well. I had four good rounds of golf. I was close and so I think everybody around me is doing the best to put the most positive spin on this this week as possible."

On the pivotal 13th hole for Spieth: "We all get our breaks. (There's) nothing I can do about what happens to him.

"I certainly muttered under my breath a few times as I'm out there competing and wanting to win.

"But I understand the game. I know that during this week I would have gotten several breaks myself.

"I feel like you play long enough, these things even out. I'm very clear in understanding that, sure, he got some breaks but that's golf."

On a surprise visit from his family to greet him on the 18th: "Seeing the family, that was a surprise. I talked to them last night on the phone and I thought they were in Colorado.

"It was a teary surprise. It's great to have people to share things with, have loved ones here."

Rory McIlroy (67 and five under total)

Reflecting on the four days at Royal Birkdale: "It's a lost opportunity. I felt like I had a chance to get in a few shots better than I did yesterday and I didn't.

"That would have put me a bit closer to the lead going out today and maybe I would have been able to put a bit of pressure on the guys in front of me.

"I was within four (of the lead) at one point, playing 13 or 14 and I thought with the two par fives coming up I had the chance to post a number and at least scare them a little bit.

"But that's how it goes. It's tough out there, it really is. It is tough coming in."

On on a three-year span since his last major title: "One year feels like too long but these things happen.

"You look at Jack Nicklaus, he went through a stretch where he didn't win a major in three years.

"I'm not comparing myself to Jack but it's hard to win them, very hard. It's the reason why in this generation, excluding Tiger, no one's got above five.

"I feel like three years has been too long but at the same time I'm not going to rush it, I'm not going to stay impatient.

"It is a step in the right direction. Looking at what happened in the last few weeks, this is a lot better."

Henrik Stenson (70 and three under total)

On how he has been greeted by the galleries: "It's been great. The crowds have been amazing. The reception over the last couple of days, walking up basically to every green and down every fairway has been amazing.

"They certainly didn't forget what we did last year so, for me, together with the Ryder Cup, it's the best feeling to play golf in front of these fans and get their appreciation.

"There have been some highlights throughout the week, I'd say, and especially the way I played and putted yesterday.

"There's certainly some positives to bring, even though I didn't feel like overall I played my best, but I haven't done that for a while."

On his plans over the next few weeks: "I'm going to enjoy the last week of summer back in Sweden and then I'm heading into Akron (WGC-Bridgstone Invitational) and I've got some work to do there as I'm changing my set-up with irons and wedges.

"I'm going to four wedges. I only tried it briefly once before, but I feel like I want to give it a proper go and it's obviously going to give me a little bigger gaps between the other irons, so I've got some work to do on the TrackMan there.

"So it's going to be a week of trying to get into that before the (US) PGA. It's a work in progress."

Ian Poulter (70 and two under total)

On his week overall: "The two tough days I played well and I found myself in a position where I was right in contention to win. And I took myself out of contention yesterday.

"So there's nothing about this weekend that I've enjoyed from a personal performance (perspective). It's been disappointing. I expect more from myself than I've performed this weekend.

"I performed amazing in the wet and wind and then yesterday was terrible. I've had a lousy weekend - nothing to be happy about or proud about.

"I'm walking away from this tournament feeling extremely disappointed, from a great start."

Branden Grace (70 and four under total)

On finishing in a tie for sixth place: "Saturday was such a roller coaster. I've been trying to put the phone down as much as I can, but it's been pretty much impossible.

"I'm happy with the finish. If you told me after making the cut you're going to finish tied sixth I would have taken it, but with being in the history books - it's awesome. Today was just a bonus day really."

"I'm stoked. It's the best finish I've had at an Open Championship, so for me there's a lot of positives to take from this week."

Matthew Southgate (65 and four under total)

On playing at Carnoustie in 2018: "My dad played in an open matchplay tournament years and years ago and ended up becoming a member, making some long-term friends.

"My present for my 16th birthday for getting to scratch was membership of the Carnoustie club. The support I get from there and the opportunities I have had to play there have been unbelievable.

"It's something I'm very lucky to have and I think it's going to be an incredible turnout. I think the whole of Carnoustie will be rooting for me. Carnoustie has got a very special place in my heart and my family's heart.

"I think it is the best golf course in the world. I can't wait to go and try to make them all proud."

On his final round this year at Royal Birkdale: "I played some really special golf today. You can't choose when you play well but to do it on a day like this is an incredible feeling. I'm thrilled to bits.

"I felt like I achieved a huge goal to finish 12th at Troon and we're going to beat that. With all sportsmen, you set a bar and you try to raise it. If you keep making the improvements I am making, then sooner or later someone will give you a big old trophy.

"To qualify for Troon was really special and to play well was a bonus but this was a more professional performance, a lot less sentimental.

"I was amazingly lucky with the health stuff. I was healthy as quickly as anyone who's had testicular cancer. I didn't lose any form and it just gave me that little extra passion and desire to mature a bit and get to where we are now."

Alfie Plant (73 and six over total)

On his plans for the future: "I'll be turning pro in September. Hopefully I'm going to be picked for the Walker Cup in September, but then I'll try out for tour school after that.

"You have to go when you're ready and go when you've got some good results behind you. At 25 we've taken our time and I've enjoyed the journey along the way, but I think it's definitely going to be a good journey going forward."

On the support he has had this week: "As a son at first you get a bit embarrassed, but it's absolutely taken off this week, and hats off to my dad. It's been great. I've been getting so much support and I think it's really made the tournament great for me.

"High of the week has definitely got to be walking down the last. It sent shivers down my spine."

On  some post-tournament celebrations: "It's going to be great tonight - but we've all got a drive home. Unless you can give a heads-up to the police, I think we all have to be pretty sensible."

Danny Willett (71 and nine over total) 

On playing with his persistent back issue: "It is still painful. You obviously know what you can do and what you can achieve when you are fully fit and swinging well. 

"And when you are not fully fit and swinging well, you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

"When the swing is a bit dodgy the back starts to hurt and you make compensations: it's just a bit of a vicious cycle."

On whether he is close to regaining his best form: "F****** miles, a long way away.

"Golf shots are a long way away. Mental is a long way away. Scoring is a long way away.

"Golfing-wise it is obviously not quite there and feelings are changing day-to-day with what I am trying to do.

"I'm going to work with Pete (Cowen, his coach) and see if we can get a few things ironed out.

"I have got a week off before Akron and the US PGA, so I have got two really big tournaments before a two-week break coming up. I have really got to have a look and see what we can do next week and make sure we get more out of it."

Andrew Johnston (71 and one over total)

On criticism of him on soacial media: "I got in after my round yesterday and then (I was) showed a poll saying am I an inspiration or a clown and I kind of went off a little bit. It annoyed me," said crowd-favourite Johnston, who received messages of support on Twitter from the likes of six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo and Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn.

"I had a few people message me and say 'Maybe you should listen to the show' - and it was actually worse listening to it.

"I don't mind being criticised, I think it's good taking people's opinions to see what I can do better, and if they had put a poll out saying maybe I spend too much time with the fans or I don't concentrate, would he play better, I'd understand that.

"But when he's taking the p*** out of my face, my teeth and stuff like that, I think it's bang out of order.

"You've got to stand up. Would you take it if someone said your beard looks s*** and you've got f***** up teeth? Exactly. I stand up for myself."

On his final round: "So I was disappointed the way I hit it for the first few holes because I had a really good feeling on the range but it had nothing to do with it (the row).

"It's out of my head. I just find it bad. What I said, that's it. It's done now. They won't hear another word out of me from it. That's it.

"Everywhere I go the fans have been brilliant and I absolutely love it. I never dreamt of being able to walk down 18 on a Sunday at an Open so it means the world to me. It's the best thing."