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THE MEMORIAL TOURNAMENT PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDEJune 4, 2015Ken DukeDUBLIN, OHIO Q. You have knowledge here, you've played here a number of times, just talk about how good it feels to come in here, and now you're a leader? KEN DUKE: Yeah, this golf course is first class. You have to be patient around here for me. I'm not a long hitter, so I have to hit a lot of fairways and just pick my poison and try to hit the slopes and get it go to the holes instead of flying it to the holes. So it's a golf course you have to respect, and today I've hit some really good shots. Q. When you look at what you were able to do, obviously you were struggling a bit coming in here. Are you a little surprised? KEN DUKE: Not really. I've been hurt most of the year. I had plantar fasciitis and a bone spur on my left heel and been really fighting hard with it since January. I've seen a few doctors and got a few shots. And last month‑‑ about the last month, it's getting better. And to be honest with you, I talked to the Tour about taking a medical, kind of seeing my options. It just wasn't getting any better. And now about the last month, it's getting better. Now I can practice more, I can get to my left side and hit through the shots. That's kind of been the problem to me. I just enjoy playing the game, and taking a medical was not an option. I was glad it got better. Q. You can't win on the first round, but you certainly put yourself in position. Just talk about how you go from here on. KEN DUKE: Yeah, it's always‑‑ my caddie and I were talking, we were hoping we'd get a morning time here this week, just because if you can get no wind, like we did today, and maybe hit some good shots and make some putts, you can get a pretty good score in. But it gets so windy out here sometimes and it gets circling on the back nine around that water and stuff. It's great just to have a good score. I didn't know where I was, if I was leading or not at the end of the day. But just making some good shots and having some good numbers and making a few putts and finishing the round, that was the key, instead of giving a couple back down the stretch. Q. Not many people know your personal story. When you were a young boy, you had scoliosis, I think? KEN DUKE: Yes, I have scoliosis. I was diagnosed in the 7th grade. I had back surgery in 1985 in Little Rock, Arkansas, at Children's Hospital. So for me to play this game is amazing. To walk is awesome. But to play this game at this level, I've done what I've done. I've dealt with it. But I've been lucky. I've been really lucky. I only had one surgery. I've met a bunch of kids that have had four or five different surgeries and their body doesn't accept what is going in their body. I've been lucky the whole however many years it's been since 1985. I got a trainer a few years ago, and she's really worked hard on strengthening my lower back and my core to help me out with that. Everyone has their stories out here and mine's the scoliosis. I'm just lucky to play the game and enjoy it and to be out here. Q. And you really haven't had many complications? KEN DUKE: I've been lucky. I've been really lucky. Obviously sitting for a long period of time on a plane, riding in a car for a long period of time, it really tightens up. But I do a lot of stretching, a lot of core work to loosen it up. And probably could do more, to be honest with you. But it's really helped out. And like I said, I've been lucky. Q. Have you dealt with the plantar before? KEN DUKE: I've had some Achilles problems before, but I think that a lot of it is dealing with my back and everything and with my legs, one leg is shorter than the other because of my back. But I've got some insoles now that really helps out. And the Lions group, that's really helped me out with fitting it forward. Just doing a lot of stretching, stretching it out a lot and rolling on tennis balls and frozen water bottles. You guys know all that stuff, anyway. But you just never know when something like that pops up and you just have to deal with it when it does. Q. When did you really start hurting? KEN DUKE: It started hurting in the fall. And luckily I had a couple of top‑10s in the fall and was kind of going through pain pills really just to get through. But I really do a lot of therapy in the off‑season, and come January it just wasn't ready. And I tried to get my ability to keep on going, and it just wasn't working. I've seen a couple more doctors, and got some stem cells shot in there back in February to grow more tissue. I've been around the block, let me tell you. I've been really concerned about it. And it's getting better. A lot of it, too, is your mind. If you think it's hurt, it's hurt. If you don't think it's hurt, it's not. I'm trying to stay positive and go down the road and just keep fighting and hopefully it doesn't pop back up. Q. Have you talked to other guys that have this? Because it's not common, but‑‑ KEN DUKE: A lot of guys ask me why I'm shooting the scores I am, and I told them. They said I've had that at times. But it's kind of like anything else, like I told you about the water bottles and the tennis ball, we've all done that and they've all done that, too. Everyone has their home remedy, the cure, which it doesn't work for everyone. I'm doing the right thing and just working hard with that and trying to stretch it out as much as possible. Q. You must be thrilled today? KEN DUKE: Yeah, it was great today. Obviously coming here to play here at Mr. Nicklaus' tournament and the golf course is first class, it always is when we get here. Mr. Nicklaus might not think it is, but we all think it's just awesome, and we all enjoy playing here. Q. Was it soft at all? KEN DUKE: No, it wasn't soft. The ball is rolling out. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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