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PGA TOUR MEDIA CONFERENCE

February 13, 2007

David Howell

THE MODERATOR: Can you tell us a little bit about your thoughts on the World Golf Championships, and your visit last year to Doral and the elevation of this event to the CA Championship?
DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, well, certainly I enjoyed my first visit to Doral last year. Obviously a course that we've heard so much about over the years, and it was nice to finally get there.
The news that the World Golf Championships has moved there this year I thought was a great move. Obviously elevates the CA Championship onto a really high platform and, you know, it's played at a course that everyone knows and is very familiar with. And I think with maybe a few little changes to the course and to how it may be played a little bit tougher than it has in previous years would probably be to everyone's advantage, and it should make for a great tournament.

Q. What are some of your thoughts on how this golf course plays compared to other championship venues?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, as I say with my experience just from last year, I know it played almost like a long-hitter's paradise last year and Tiger came out on top. However, that being said, he beat David Toms by one stroke, so it goes to show anyone can play the course. I think the greens were fairly soft last year and it was basically for the top players quite a sedate test of golf.
With the World Golf Championship events and the majors, it's nice if the course can play slightly more difficult than a regular TOUR event. It always seems like the bigger event, the tougher the course plays, obviously with the majors being a great sign on that front. But that being said, there's a balance to be got and with all of the water in play at Doral, you know, if they can just get that balance right, and I believe they have changed the grass on the greens this year to get the greens slightly firmer and faster, that would make a vast difference to the way Doral can play.

Q. Just a question, Tiger has had an amazing run, seven consecutive PGA TOUR victories, he's won the last two majors, he's going to be a two-time defending champion here. As a fellow competitor in this era, does it get annoying watching him hoist trophies every week? Just talk about being in his era.
DAVID HOWELL: I think it's a wonderful opportunity and fantastic opportunity to try and beat Tiger. Obviously, I wouldn't say it gets frustrating, most of the guys, we have so much respect for what Tiger has done for the game, what he continues to do. He's on march to being the greatest player the world has ever seen, and obviously if he can beat Jack's record, then obviously he will become that.
And you know, certainly for me, I've been one of the lucky ones, I've managed to take Tiger on in the last round of the tournament and fortunate to come out on top, and that was a great thrill for me. You know, Tiger gives us a great opportunity for us all to do something really special when it does -- when you do get the opportunity to try and beat him.
So I don't think there's any downside. Obviously we're trying all our best to compete with him. He seems one-up on most of us at the moment, and he's having a great run, and I guess that makes the challenge all the more exciting when you do get the opportunity to try and take him on.

Q. If you could just talk a little about your injuries and how you're feeling right now.
DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, I'm feeling really good actually. Obviously it was quite well documented towards the end of last year, I probably played too much and was sort of going from week-to-week with different ailments that held me back a little bit. I took six weeks off, I didn't manage to hit a shot six weeks over the winter. Came back at Dubai; I was a little rusty there but my body felt quite well. Overall my body is feeling, for me, good. I have no excuses this week here in L.A.
And it's up to me to sort of manage my year well and try and stay away from the problems that I've had in previous years to allow me to play at the level that I know I can. All in all, things are going well, and I'm sure it's going to be a continuous battle for me. But as we speak now, I'm feeling pretty good, thanks.

Q. Can you just talk a little about your schedule over the next few weeks and coming to Florida and which courses you think suit you the best on the Florida Swing?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, as it happens, my first one will be the CA Championship at Doral. So I'm going to play there, Houston and then The Masters.
So I'm not going to spend an awful lot of time in Florida unfortunately, but, you know, I had a modicum of success last year. It was one of my better finishes on the PGA TOUR eventually in a regular TOUR event at Doral. So that's nice for me to almost start my little Florida Swing there.
You know, World Golf Championships events, I've had quite a bit of success in as well. As I say, it's a nice place for me to start and I'm looking forward to it.

Q. A lot of talk has been made about the international, even the great international players that this event is going to have, and I was curious your thoughts on maybe the difference between a World Golf Championships event and a normal TOUR event out here, and also if you could just kind of talk about the great number of international players that do come on the PGA TOUR, whether it's from Europe or Australia or wherever.
DAVID HOWELL: Certainly the golf world has changed its face a little bit. The U.S. Tour, pretty much most weeks there are more international players than U.S. players, which obviously would have been unheard of 10, 15 years ago. I would imagine that's good for golf, definitely, the opportunities. I guess the way the World Rankings have been so much more involved with the qualification process for the majors and stuff, has really brought the golf world together, and as I say I think that's a good thing.
Interestingly, it will be interesting to see how the golf fans at Doral this year -- it's always a very well-attended event, I'm sure; what their take is on the slightly smaller field with it being so full of international players, whether they take to that or whether that turns them off a little bit. I'm sure that it should add to the event. There will be lots of faces that they don't know much about. But as I say, that's no bad thing obviously, and then probably even more of the top names you'll be seeing, so that should be a really good mix.
And interestingly, when the World Golf Championships event went to The Grove last year, the British public really sort of turned up. And for them, that was like experiencing a U.S. Tour event, obviously with some more familiar names. But the way the stands and the hospitality was set up, definitely the World Golf Championships events, they have got a feel of a U.S. Tour event to them from that side of things. It's just the field is much more international.
So I think there's a really good mix, and hopefully, you know, as I say, everybody comes out to watch, and those watching it on TV should find it a really, really exciting tournament.

Q. Question about Tiger's streak. The seven in a row where it stands right now, there's a school of thought being advanced on the Eastern side of the Atlantic that it would be tougher to win seven in a row on The European Tour because of the excellence on that Tour at the highest level than it would be on the PGA TOUR. Would you agree with that?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, I'm not sure that it's quite that simple. However, when Tiger has come and played in Europe the last couple of times and hasn't won, I guess there's a few people from The European Tour that are sort of fairly pleased and smug about that fact. I think the U.S. Tour, the courses at times probably suit Tiger's game that bit more than they do in Europe, and I think that's probably the main factor.
We have slightly narrow fairways in general on The European Tour, slightly more diverse conditions from week-to-week, and maybe that's just the difference between Tiger being as dominant as he is in America as when he comes to play in Europe. I think that's the main difference. We've obviously got a very strong Tour in Europe, as well, and we'd like to think we can hold our own with anybody when we have a strong field in place.
Like I said, there's lots of aspects with the travel, and I think the conditions is the main thing, though. We're certainly happy that Tiger is not on an eight or nine winning streak in Europe as well.

Q. You've played a lot over here last year, what was your decision-making process as far as deciding how much you played over here, and how did that work out for you?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, I think, you know, I've come to a point in my career where I wasn't ready five or six years ago to come and take my card over here. I just wasn't that good to try to play on both sides of the Atlantic.
But the time had come when I thought I was in that sort of general arena where I could probably hold my own. And to be honest, I took my card last year primarily to guarantee having it for this year with the start of the FedExCup. I wanted to make sure I could be involved and see what this was all going to be about.
I didn't play as well as I would have liked in general over here last year. I did keep my card obviously which was pleasing, but my position in the world is not about making cuts; it's about threatening and winning tournaments. I never really came close to that last year. But there was enough signs that I could compete over here, and I'm just obviously looking forward to taking that step this year and really contending down the stretch and hopefully picking up an event or two.

Q. You're talking about being ready to compete in the majors. Augusta is a place where local knowledge is so valuable, you've only played there twice, but people seem to mention you prominently whenever they talk about contenders. What is it about your game that you think puts you in that category, and are you ready to contend at Augusta?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, I certainly feel that if I'm going to, my best chance of contending for a major is probably Augusta, the way I feel at the moment with my game.
You know, my first years there, I was 11th and 19th, and I had some moments where I was sort of in the lead and in third place after a couple of rounds my first year, was unchartered territory for me in a major; the daunting experience of playing with Tiger in that delayed third round, which threw me just a little bit.
But yeah, I certainly get a great feeling when I go to Augusta. I think my short game is certainly my strength and Augusta traditionally gives you a little space off the tee and generally, unless you hit a really poor tee shot, you are attacking the green with your second shots. In essence, I guess for me, it's a course that gives me lots of opportunity to use my short game. I guess that's what suits me about the place.
You know, as I say, I get a great feeling every year so far that I've gone there that I can play well, and I've had sort of fleeting moments of excellence during the week. It's a case of being able to continue that all four rounds obviously and, you know, hopefully this year we can do that.
THE MODERATOR: Put your hands together for David Howell for joining us today via teleconference. David, any parting shots for us down here in sunny, South Florida?
DAVID HOWELL: Enjoy your day there and I'm looking forward to coming over in a month or two, whenever this is; I lose track of time on TOUR. But looking forward to getting there and I'm sure we'll have a great time when we do arrive.
THE MODERATOR: Best wishes and good luck.

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