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ALSTOM OPEN DE FRANCEJuly 3, 2014David HowellPARIS, FRANCE Q. What are your thoughts on reaching this lovely milestone of 500? DAVID HOWELL: Well, it's very satisfying I guess really. There's not too many people have played as many tournaments as me in the history of The European Tour, and have as many years to go as well, hopefully. It's no great thing but obviously it's a target worth getting to. You get this nice little award to put on the mantelpiece and I guess you feel firmly part of the furniture of The European Tour if you reach 500. Yeah, probably feeling a little bit like a raggedy old sofa perhaps, but yeah, it's nice to be part of a great sporting tour and organisation for few going on 20 years now. Q. I think you've showed that you are more than part of the furniture with that victory at the end of last year? DAVID HOWELL: Hopefully when you start getting around this number of events, I'm 39 now, it all comes down to desire and health; can you keep the body moving well enough. I've had my injuries along the way, my niggles and they are still there. However, I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, so, you know, there's no reason‑‑ when you reach 40‑‑ Clarke, he's won 14 events after the age of 40, and so he's the kind of guy that you look towards and you think, if he can do it, who knows, maybe I can, as well. Q. It says something when you've managed to achieve this with all the health problems you've had. DAVID HOWELL: I've always kept my desire and I want to be out here, I love my job and I love being out and part of European Tour, and obviously the world's best tournaments beyond that, the Majors. Yeah, I can't think of anything else I'd rather do. It's not a lot fun when you're struggling. I've had my struggles along the way. It's been a bit of a roller coaster, I would say more ups than downs but I've had my tough times out there, as well, which are obviously character building and question your commitment to the game and how much you enjoy it. I've come through those periods, come out the other side still realising that I love the game and love trying to get better. It's a bit of a cliché but here I am 39 years old and been playing the game for 32 years, and I wouldn't say I've been learning something every day because that would be special but certainly there is room for improvement and I think I can do that. So whilst that will is still there, we'll keep going. Q. Tell us about the first one in '94. DAVID HOWELL: I was an amateur, I had won the British Boys and that was a thrill itself and got the call up from Benson and Hedges to play as an amateur. I played with José Maria Olazábal in the Pro‑Am, I think just two weeks after he had won his first Masters. So that was a real thrill. I remember I played certainly with Martin and Santiago Luna, Peter Senior, a couple more in there as well, but I made the cut. I think it was the first time for Benson and Hedges anybody had made the cut as an amateur. I was quite young. Gives you an inkling, hang on, I've done it once, maybe I can do it a few more times. A couple of years before I turned pro but that was a big boost for me. Q. You've won Wentworth, out in Shanghai. DAVID HOWELL: I've turned up at many a small tournament and hoping to add more silverware and it has not really worked out. Yeah, my victories have all been lovely one. My first one came in the Australian PGA in New South Wales on a great course there, obviously an old and prestigious championship and that was a thrill. And then Dubai, one of our better events obviously and to win that as your first event really was a dream come true. You're under really sure if you're going to be good enough to win. Obviously you knock on the door and you realise one or two shots is neither here nor there really but getting over the winning line is a different matter and to do that in Dubai on those closing holes at the Creek, as it was, proved a lot to myself that I could stand up to the pressure when needed and yeah, kicked on from there. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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