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VALSPAR CHAMPIONSHIP

March 21, 2019

Luke Donald

Palm Harbor, Florida

Q. Playing on a medical extension, Luke Donald just your second start of 2019. How rewarding is it to not only to play well but just to finally be back out here?
LUKE DONALD: It is, it's nice to be back out here. It's been a bit of a struggle the last year. Obviously struggling with some back stuff and working hard at it, but backs are tricky and they take a little bit of time and, yeah, it's nice to shoot a good round today. Honestly my goal this week is to play four rounds and feel pretty good at the end of four rounds and then keep going. But to play well is a nice bonus.

Q. What are the challenges of trying to get healthy but keeping your game sharp so when you do come back out here you feel like have you a chance?
LUKE DONALD: I'm still limited reps, I'm not just going out there and beating balls for six hours a day like I used to and playing every day. So I'm having to be a little bit more efficient with my practice and just be very diligent about the stuff I'm doing with my back. So two to three hours a day I'm working on exercises for my back and working out and all that kind of stuff and then add ago little bit of practice in.

Q. How would you describe the range of emotions when you're at this point of career and looking to have another five or ten good years ahead of you?
LUKE DONALD: You know, people go through injuries, it's just part of sport. I've been really pretty lucky, this is my 18th season I only had six months off for a wrist injury throughout those 18 seasons, so this is going to happen, 40 years old, they say things start breaking down a little bit, but hopefully this is pretty short-term and now I can go on for a few more years and enjoy some good golf.

Q. I know that wasn't the finish you were looking for obviously at 18, but you played well enough to shoot 67 in this first round.
LUKE DONALD: Well you're going to make some bogeys around this course, this is a tricky place. So, yeah, it just happened to me on 18. But I got off to a nice start, pretty hot putter for the first five holes, made some putts and just really steady the rest of the round. So very happy to shoot a good score. Again, the goal this week is just to play four rounds and feel pretty good at the end of it. So to play well is a nice bonus.

Q. 11th appearance at this championship, you won it back in 2012, is there that built-in comfort factor when you step on this property?
LUKE DONALD: This course is, it's hard to be very comfortable. I think we got the better conditions this morning, first 12, 13 holes there was really very little wind. So that helps. But with the wind whipping up the last few holes it makes it a lot more trickier. The afternoon players are going to have a little tougher time of it than we did. But it's just some good shots there. You really have to stand up and hit some good tee shots to some of these holes. It's a narrow course in spots, so I was pleased the way I hit the ball today.

Q. Welcome back. Nice solid start.
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, very solid golf today. Happy to get off to a good start, score-wise. Somewhat unexpected, I suppose. I haven't played since Sony, still working very hard and diligently on my back and my strength and it's still a little bit limited with some reps, I'm not going full bore, so but I have been working as much as I can on my game and it's nice to come to a familiar place that I've played some good rounds around and shoot a good score. It's very pleasing.

Q. Was there a setback for you physically at Sony or was that a tournament that you left knowing that you would be out for the next two months or is that something that just kind of happened?
LUKE DONALD: The physios I've been working, there were a few things they didn't really like and they thought if I went off a little bit too hard too early that I could run into some issues, so they're very cautious and I think better to be cautious than to run into another problem and be out for a long time. So again, backs are tricky, I've gone through a lot of different types of treatments and some have worked, some haven't, but I feel like I'm on the right path now.

Q. Rounds like this are helpful, aren't they, just to see them.
LUKE DONALD: Very helpful, yeah. Yeah, it makes your back feel better, actually, when you make a few birdies and hole a few putts, yeah, it's good for the soul. And it's been awhile since I had a really good round like that and it does feel good. I felt very relaxed out there, which is somewhat unusual, the last year or two hasn't really been that way, I've struggled a bit with my game and sometimes that's hard to be, to have that feeling of uncertainty, it's tough when it leads to some indecision and some anxiety out there at times. But no, today I felt very relaxed and it was nice to shoot a good score.

Q. 10 starts over two year, how much do you miss this when you're out of it?
LUKE DONALD: I do miss it. I love to compete, it's hard sitting at home, but in another way to frame it is my kids are at such a great age and if I'm spending some time with them it's not the worst thing in the world. And obviously I've had a pretty good career, I would like that to continue, but, yeah, it's not end of the world stuff, certainly. To be able to -- my kids are nine, seven, nearly five now and it's great ages to watch them and be around them a lot, so I've tried to frame it that way. It's just a good opportunity to spend some time with them and have some time at home. But, yeah, I'm ready to get back out here.

Q. Health aside, what are your goals in terms of this stage of your career?
LUKE DONALD: Well I still think I'm good enough to compete and win and be one of the better players in the world. I've done it before so there's no reason why not. We have seen lots of players around my age have been very successful, even Justin Rose is only a couple years younger than me and still playing great golf. It's a little bit of a different style of golf that I play because there's certain courses that I'm just going to struggle on just because I don't hit it quite far enough these days. But there are courses out there I can compete and do well at and win, hopefully.

Q. Where did you dig up Squirrel from?
LUKE DONALD: Where did I dig him? I found him scratching around looking for some nuts and just dragged him in. I've known Squirrel since day one, really, always known him since his time when he was with Geoff Ogilvy out here and we have always been friends and threatened to work together in the past and, yeah, Gary, when I was, Gary Matthews, who was working for me had an opportunity to work for Schwartzel when I was injured and I said you got to, you can't hold someone back, because you don't know how long you're going to go out, so I just thought it was a good fit, good time, and, yeah, he's been around a bit, Squirrel.

Q. What did being in the team room in Paris do to whet your appetite to want to get back out here?
LUKE DONALD: It was really good to just be around it and watch good golf. I think just kind of soak that in and I played the next two weeks afterwards in Europe, I actually played okay, I didn't putt very well and I missed the cuts, but just to be around that atmosphere and be around the guys again, it's good. It's a good remembrance of what I used to be able to do or what I used to do.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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