Here’s the usual drill: A reporter attends a press conference with an angle for a story, planning to ask a question to gather material for said story. This, or a reporter has no particular angle in mind but wants to write some sort of a piece around a quote or quotes from a player’s presser and attends a conference or reads a transcript later. These are the two most common paths to the news articles on professional golf events and golfers you see here and have seen in golf media since time immemorial.

But what about everything else a player says in a press conference? What about all that stuff that isn’t “article-worthy?” Well, we think some of it is worth presenting. In that spirit, we’ve compiled some interesting quotes from players following The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, and we hope you enjoy.

Scottie Scheffler on the winning moment

Q. Speaking of the focus you just talked about, obviously you’re pretty stone faced through four straight rounds. When it was over, you let out a pretty good yelp. Can you describe that release of emotion? Is it a blackout moment? Do you know in that moment what you’re doing? Just from then to seeing your family and knowing it’s done, what that emotion is like.

SCOTTIE SCHEFFLER: Yeah, I think — like I said, it takes a high level of focus. I had a good-sized lead most of the day today, but it’s a major championship; you don’t know what’s going to happen. The golf course is challenging.

I made a double on a hole where I felt like I was going to have a good chance to make a birdie. You just don’t know what’s going to happen. So it doesn’t ever really feel like the tournament’s won sometimes until the ball is in the hole.

Golf is a funny game. You’ve got to stay focused for the entire tournament. I did a good job of that.

When I see my family afterwards, that’s a pretty special feeling. It’s one that’s very hard to describe. It’s something I’m very grateful for and something that I’ll hold onto for a long time.

John Rahm on chasing Scottie Scheffler

Q. How hungry are you to close in on Scottie? The stats show that No. 2 in the world is closer to No. 16 in the world than No. 2 in the world is to Scottie. It seems like he’s on his own playing at the moment. How hungry are you to close that gap? I’m not talking about World Rankings, but just in terms of what you’re putting out on the course, because at the moment it seems, when he’s on, he’s unbeatable at times.

JON RAHM: Very few players have been able to do what he’s done. He’s won three majors in three years — or four years. No, three years. Won nine times last season, and he keeps going on. He’s doing what everybody wants to do.

What I keep reminding myself is he was able to turn things around drastically. From not being able to close out early on some of the chances he had to getting it done often. If he’s been able to do it, all of us are able to do it.

I’ve definitely played really high, and I’ve had my battles against him head to head, and it’s always been a lot of fun. I’m optimistic that I can get to that level as well. Obviously it’s not easy, but I’m optimistic it can be done.

Rory McIlroy on Scottie Scheffler

Q. Scottie unstoppable today. Can you just give us your reflections on that and your week here?

RORY McILROY: Yeah, none of us could hang with Scottie this week. He’s an incredible player. He’s been dominant this week. Honestly, he’s been dominant for the last couple years. He is the bar that we’re all trying to get to.

In a historical context, you could argue that there’s only maybe two or three players in the history of the game that have been on a run, the one that Scottie’s been on here for the last 24 to 36 months. Incredibly impressive.

Yeah, he’s a very worthy winner. Also, he’s a great person, and I think he’s a wonderful ambassador for our game as well. I’m really happy for him and Meredith and his family.

Spieth on Open fans

Q. On the fans, both inside and outside, how have you enjoyed the fans on the course?

JORDAN SPIETH: They’re the best in the world. Yeah, The Open always has the best fans in the world. Most knowledgeable. We have these giant grandstands. This is one of the better viewing, I think, Open courses because of the dramatic topography, so you get — some Opens would be very hard for a spectator to view if you’re not in a grandstand, but here you had all the par-3s, you had some great spots for people to see, and all the par-3s were really awesome this week.

This is one of my favourite Open venues, but in general, the crowds at any Open are typically the best in the world.

…on Scottie Scheffler

Q. Shane said that if he had a swing like Adam Scott, more people would be comparing him to Tiger the way he’s played over these last two or three years in terms of his dominance.

JORDAN SPIETH: Yeah, I think it’s also — I think more so maybe it’s less the golf swing and maybe more of his personality. He doesn’t care to be a superstar. He’s not transcending the game like Tiger did. He’s not bringing it to a non-golf audience necessarily. He doesn’t want to go do the stuff that a lot of us go do, corporately, anything like that.

He just wants to get away from the game and separate the two because I know that he — at one time, he felt it was too much, that he was taking it with him, and whenever he made that switch, I don’t know what it was, but he has hobbies. He’s always with his family. They’re always doing stuff.

I think it’s more so the difference in personality from any other superstar that you’ve seen in the modern era and maybe in any sport. I don’t think anybody is like him.

Robert MacIntyre on his performance in majors

Q. You’re backing up a big major result with another big major result, what does that mean to you, another step forward?

ROBERT MacINTYRE: Yeah, I know I’ve got the game. I said it yesterday, I feel like it’s a matter of time, if I just keep piecing it all together. This place is statistically a golf course that I should have been sharper. My wedge play was really poor this week.

There’s certain holes this week that were vital, and I played them poorly. To really top 10. But to contend was — just wasn’t sharp enough, and then tough holes, that’s where the dropped shots came and ultimately cost me a real chance.

After U.S. Open, it was important for me to come back here, and obviously coming from last week I changed my kind of preparation to feel more comfortable in what I was doing, and literally this week I’ve done everything exact same as I would do in the States. The week before was a bit more kind of hustle and bustle, there was two pro-ams, a lot going on. This week I felt comfortable.

Shane Lowry on the atmosphere at the upcoming Ryder Cup

Q. The reception you get in New York will be slightly different than this week. Have you thought about how you handle that, how all the people handle that?

SHANE LOWRY: We’ve talked about it. There’s no doubt we’ve talked about it. It’s still ongoing, and you have to figure out ways to deal with certain stuff. It might not be as bad as people say. People say it will be bad, but we’ll see. I think, if you’re prepared for something, you’ll deal with it okay. When something happens and you’re not prepared for it, that’s when it gets hard.

We’ll be prepared. Luke Donald will prepare his team very well, and we’ll be ready to go.

Bryson DeChambeau on his links golf play

Q. Bryson, when you look back at these three rounds, do you think this might be a turning point in your career in terms of links golf?

BRYSON DeCHAMBEAU: Yeah, look, it was fair conditions the past few days. I always told you guys I like it when it’s fair conditions. I can play well. I still have to crack the code when it’s raining and windy. But I feel like we’re getting close to some opportunities and solutions for that. It just takes a long time to develop stuff, I’m starting to learn.

It was a fun three days. I was really proud of the way I turned it around and gave myself actually some hope on the third round, after I was 3-under. That first nine I thought, okay, if I go shoot 4- or 5-under on the back and give myself a chance on Sunday, throw myself up there and go out and play just as good as I did, like I did today, I could be right up there and giving Scottie a run.

Scottie’s in a league of his own right now. I played with him a lot in college, and he was not that good, so he’s figured out a lot of stuff since then. It’s really impressive to see and something we can all learn from for sure.

Sergio Garcia on possible Ryder Cup status

Q. Just add to that, he said ahead of the PGA that he was going to prioritise experience in his picks over younger rookies. Have you had that same conversation with him? Has that given you a little bit of extra hope?

SERGIO GARCIA: We’ve had a few conversations. At the end of the day, yes. Obviously going into the U.S., going into New York, experience is always good, mostly because you’re still going to have some rookies there, and I think those experienced guys have a great job to do there to make sure that those rookies know what they’re getting into, even though Luke has been doing a great job of bringing a lot of information to the potential players that are going to be there.

At the end of the day, when you’re out there on the course, it’s nice to have one of those experienced guys to put their arm around you and make you feel like don’t worry, I’ve got you, when people are shouting at you and screaming and wishing you all the bad things that you can think of.

Yeah, it’s easy to kind of go get in a little shell and kind of get smaller. I was very fortunate to play with Jesper in ’99 as a rookie. He made it so easy for me. Obviously we played great, but he made it so much fun and so easy for me to really enjoy the moment and enjoy the Ryder Cup, even being away as tough as the crowds might be.

Q. Regardless of what happens in September, is captaincy back on the table for you in the future?

SERGIO GARCIA: Yes, obviously that’s something that — I don’t want to think about it yet, but it’s something that obviously would be a nice thing, a nice honour to have. I really don’t want to think about that right now. I’ve got my mind on other things.

JT on joggers

Q. You’ve kind of bounced between cardigan and tie to hoodie and joggers. Do you prefer one style or the other or just like mixing it up?

JUSTIN THOMAS: I’d prefer more of kind of normal — I’m not all in on the joggers just yet. There’s a time and a place, and I prefer normal pants over joggers I’d say the majority of the time, but every once in a while I’ll throw them in there.