	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ABERDEEN ASSET MANAGEMENT SCOTTISH OPEN

July 5, 2016

Luke Donald

Inverness, Scotland

NEIL AHERN: Luke, thank you for joining us. Fantastic record at this golf course and also you won here in 2011, so this must be one you're looking forward to for awhile.

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it's always nice to come back to an event that you have previous and past success in, and especially on this course. I had a great run here in 2011. Even though it was shortened to 54 holes, it was a great win for me I remember back then. Always nice to come back to a familiar place where you've had success. Gives you a little bit of a boost coming into the week.

NEIL AHERN: You mentioned at Wentworth a few weeks ago that your game isn't too far away from how it was in 2011. Do you feel you're due a big week?

LUKE DONALD: I feel my ball-striking has been very close to the levels I was in 2011. My scoring clubs haven't been quite as good, which was obviously a big part in my success when I was No. 1 in the world.

Last week in France, I think I hit close to 70 per cent of greens in regulation on a pretty tough setup of a golf course. But I just didn't score well enough. I didn't hole enough putts, and yeah, I wasn't quite good enough from a hundred yards and in.

That will be the focus this week, to try and sharpen that up, and hopefully that will relate to some more success.

Q. This is a golf course which over the years has perhaps divided opinion among your fellow professionals and one you clearly love. What is it about Castle Stuart you like and you would say its strengths are?
LUKE DONALD: Well, I like it because I've won around here (smiles). I think design-wise, it feels like a links course. Doesn't often -- doesn't always play like a links course. The fairways are a little bit more generous than you would see probably on a typical, traditional links course.

I think there's a little bit less pressure off the tee because of that, and I think I enjoy that. But it's a little bit more of a second-shot golf course. I think there's enough undulations around the greens to make it -- you don't want to miss it in the wrong spots. If you do, it's going to really test your short game.

You know, obviously links golf, the greens are always slightly different to what we putt on week-in and week-out. You have to have a little bit more instinct, a little bit more feel. In the past, that's certainly played into my hands.

Q. Talking about your game going into this year's tournament, can you put your finger on maybe why you haven't been playing at the level you were just a few years ago, and do you feel it could just be a case of getting one win and that could just turn everything around to be onwards and upwards?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, certainly from a mental standpoint, I'm looking for a run of good events, maybe a break-out win just to get, not the belief, but a little bit of the confidence back. Obviously I certainly lost some of that confidence when I went through a swing change that didn't really pan out the way I had hoped.

But I feel like I'm working on the right things. I'm working hard. It's a only a matter of time before the results start turning around. And again, lately, I haven't been quite as proficient on the greens and around the greens as I would have liked. That's been a hallmark of my strength of my career, and I just need to get that back to similar levels to what I was experiencing when I was at the top of the world.

Q. Are you still first reserve for next week? Is that where you stand on that?
LUKE DONALD: I believe so. Someone in player dining told me Jaco Van Zyl was a possible WD for The Open, so if that's the case, I'll be in. But I haven't confirmed that.

Q. Keep checking your e-mails.
LUKE DONALD: Exactly.

Q. In that respect, this is obviously the fortnight of the year where it's a different kind of game for everybody. I'm assuming you get in next week, maybe you'll get the spot before the end of the week, or if you qualify or next week, do you feel you're playing well enough, and the fact that you've got the links experience to maybe challenge over the next two weeks and really get a chance for a win?
LUKE DONALD: I've had some good success obviously at this tournament and hopefully that will continue and hopefully that will set me up for The Open.

Again, it's funny, usually when I'm feeling quite confident with my long game, that usually transpires to me having good weeks, and that hasn't necessarily been the case the last few events which is strange for me. Hopefully me not holing enough putts is just a small glitch and that will turn around.

My game is kind of built around 150 yards and in, and when I do that really well, then good things happen. My coach is in town this week; hopefully he can tighten me up a little bit and I can have some good success the next couple of weeks.

Q. Do you feel playing the week before The Open is beneficial; is that where the winner is going to come from, a guy that's going to play this week?
LUKE DONALD: That's a very hard thing to figure out. I've obviously tried very different approaches before majors, playing before majors, taking a few weeks off before majors.

Usually for The Open, I like playing Scotland just because I think links golf is something we're not very accustomed to throughout the year. We only play it once or twice a year, and obviously to get in a tournament where you're playing links golf, experiencing that different turf, different kind of weather conditions that you don't usually get week-in, week-out, I think that is a big bonus for my preparation before an Open for sure.

Q. If you get in next week, do you feel that yourself, as well, the more experienced guys in the field, will maybe have an advantage because Troon has not been on the rota since 2004?
LUKE DONALD: I feel like I need to be American to have a chance at Troon. Produced a lot of American winners, hasn't it, the last few times.

Again, you try and prepare the best you can. For me, playing this week has been good preparation in the past, and for me, it's been the right choice. It's not everyone's way. Not everyone is going to do that but I certainly feel like that helps me be as prepared as I can be.

Q. Less than three months to go until The Ryder Cup; is that an aim that you feel confident about?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it's certainly an aim of mine. I certainly want to be part of that team. I'm going to have to start playing a lot better, producing some results and throw in a win or two.

Obviously I've not given up hope but I certainly need to start churning out some better results than I have.

Q. The team at the minute, it's looking like it's going to have quite a few rookies. Do you think that could maybe work in your favour with Darren if you weren't to qualify for the team automatically?
LUKE DONALD: Perhaps. I'm sure Darren would love to have as many experienced players on the team as possible. I'm sure he would love for them to qualify automatically. That might be the case. I think it's always a tough decision to choose rookies as picks, especially if you have quite a few on the team already. Maybe that helps.

But again, I'm going to have to play better and really I'd rather just earn my way on than having to rely on a pick.

Q. What do you remember of being a rookie at The Ryder Cup? What is it that unsettled them so much?
LUKE DONALD: I think it's just the moment; the enormity of the event; the pressure that you feel. I've never felt so much pressure on a first tee than I have at Ryder Cups. Even my fourth one was just as much as Medinah as it was at Detroit in 2004.

I think the fact that you're kind of thrown into this atmosphere and pressure situation where you not only have to perform for yourself, but you have to perform for your teammates. That's an added pressure in itself.

Q. Can I ask you, you've been at the top of the game in the World Rankings. How difficult is it when you drop down the rankings to try and claw your way back up there again with so many young players now coming through the game --
LUKE DONALD: It is difficult. There are a lot of very hungry, very talented young players coming up. The rankings right now are dominated by some really young guys. It's not easy to get yourself back but hopefully I can get there.

I really, truly believe that I'm still good enough to be one of the best players in the world and compete like I did a few years back. You've got to keep preparing the way you feel that will that happen, and just hope it does happen.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297