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ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIPOctober 1, 2014David HowellCARNOUSTIE & KINGSBARNS, SCOTLAND DAVID HOWELL: Obviously did the commentary last week, didn't hit a ball for eight days and came into this week feeling dreadful, back loosened up quite nicely when I played Monday, but woke up this morning and my neck is in pieces so I wouldn't be teeing off if it was today. So fingers crossed feeling better tomorrow but feeling a bit cheesed off to say the least. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Have you had treatment? Going after this? DAVID HOWELL: I've had treatment. I'll go for treatment again and I've got a nice stash of drugs, as well, so we're trying everything to feel all right in the morning. Body is a strange thing, sometimes it goes into spasm and then eases off overnight and this came on overnight. It doesn't bode overly well. Have to wait and see. MICHAEL GIBBONS: Obviously you'd love to defend, such a big win for you last year. Take us back to that and what the win meant for you. DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, tremendous after seven years, no finer place to win as a professional golfer, so that was a dream come true. But, you know, the most fitting place I could think to end a seven‑year drought. Obviously the photos and the trophy at home. I was really looking forward to coming back. I've been in better form the last few months. The whole year, things didn't probably carry on as I thought they might; such is the way with golf but second half of the year has been much much better, culminating with the second place in Italy. I was really looking forward to getting back to links golf, all the good feelings that I had last year, try and tap into those and of course, still hoping that's going to be the case. It's going to be one step at a time this week, no doubt about that, try to nudge our way through tomorrow if possible and see how things go. Q. (Do you normally have problems with your neck)? DAVID HOWELL: My neck is not normally‑‑ I've got many other problems but neck is not normally one of them. I remember my first Dunhill, I termed up when it was still the team competition, I was very proud to represent England and I couldn't practice beforehand. That was ten or 12 years ago. I got here bright and early Monday morning and a physio lady loosened things up and was confident I would be fine and of course I was but that was Monday morning and this is Wednesday afternoon. But no, it's not a part of the body‑‑ this is a bit of a one‑off. Last week my back seized up but didn't bother me because I was sat in the chair commentating. I had a bit of physio last week when the team went in the physio bus. By the time I got here Monday, I had loosened up quite nicely and I had no problems at all playing Monday and yesterday but your body is tight and takes a strain, and I think that's what happened, a bit more strain through the neck maybe because the upper back has not taken as well as it might perhaps and this is the result. Q. (Do you think being less active was the problem) ‑‑ DAVID HOWELL: Not really, I wasn't in the commentary box last week. I was more active last week than if I had been at home watching the golf to be honest with you. It's one of those things, terrible timing, but at some stage in the next few days, it will feel normal again, but if it's going to be in time for tomorrow‑‑ certainly a race against time, no doubt about that. Just nice to bring the Tour back down‑to‑earth, lower the tone a little bit, all these celebrations and world's best players playing brilliantly. Q. (On not being on the team as a former Ryder Cup player.) DAVID HOWELL: I think whenever the lads are watching The Ryder Cup, you know, it's inspirational and you want to get your game to the level where you are part of the team when you're not. I remember the first one I didn't play in after playing two in a row was Valhalla. I struggled to watch the first day. It was the first time in 20 years I was a little bit disinterested but by the end of the week I was all over it, back to normal and highly excited and wanting us to win. I haven't felt like that since. It's very black and white, you're either playing good enough golf to be ranked one of the Top‑12 players in Europe and you get on the side and if you're not, you've got to try hard the next time. So I didn't feel sort of jealous or‑‑ although I was clearly missing out on something, but you're either good enough or you're not. Would like to be there again but it's very black and white for me. I guess you certainly leave thinking, okay, do we have to work hard or more clever or differently to try to make it next time. It still a goal for me to get back on the side. If I can win, no reason why you can't win a couple more and get on the side. Didn't work out this time but who knows, two years' time perhaps. Q. (Is there insurance to guard against if you are not able to play) ‑‑ DAVID HOWELL: I remember walking off with 487 grand, put it that way‑‑ no, not what you would get a weekly wage coming in. No, there's not many insurance policies that cover you for potential earnings this week. It's all a little bit more long term than that. Q. Does the Tour give ‑‑ DAVID HOWELL: No, the Tour don't provide anything like that. Most of the guys have got some personal of personal cover I guess to guard against long‑term injury but it's generally more long‑term injury than any given one week. You find it hard push to get paid a reasonable amount for one week off. Seeing the physio again at 3.15. I can't even sit comfortably to be honest with you. One more session of physio, pop in suitable drugs and try to get a good night's sleep and fingers crossed, see the physio tomorrow morning at Carnoustie and say a few prayers. MICHAEL GIBBONS: We'll let you go and do that. Good luck, hope you make it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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