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THE HONDA CLASSICFebruary 29, 2020Luke DonaldPalm Beach Gardens, Florida Q. Luke, to keep that round going the way you did the first few holes really made this possible. LUKE DONALD: Yeah, I struggled a little bit off the tee today and was playing good defense really. But it's a tough golf course, and you have to kind of stay patient out there. I knew just grinding out some pars and trying to pick up a couple birdies, I still would be there or thereabouts, and that's how it panned out. Q. You know this tournament there's never going to be separation out there. How do you stay in it when the wind is out there gusting? LUKE DONALD: Well, it's the old cliché, kind of one shot at a time. You can't think ahead too much. But I have aggressive swings to conservative targets a lot of times out here. It's hard to chase pins all the time. You've just got to pick your spots. Q. Something you take from the first three days into tomorrow that you're really proud of so far this week? LUKE DONALD: Well, proud I'm in contention. It's been a little bit of a while out here on the PGA TOUR. I'm grateful for the opportunity tomorrow to have a chance. Q. Can you just talk about keeping your round on the rails there? LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it was a tough day out there, kind of what we expected from this golf course. History shows that it's hard to really go low and kind of separate yourself from the chasing pack. I didn't drive it my best and had to play a little bit of defense out there at times, but nice to make a birdie on the last, and I feel like I'm right there where I want to be. Q. Does this kind of course and challenge require a number of conversations with yourself, so to speak, as the day goes along? LUKE DONALD: Well, I think any time the course is very difficult like this, you just know you have to be very patient. You can't really chase flags, and there's not going to be someone that's going to come out of the blocks and shoot 62 tomorrow, unless the wind dies down for some reason. Even then, there's just such a lot of nerve-racking and daunting shots out there that you're playing to good, safe targets, not always chasing pins. That's why it's very hard to go low. You know, that's kind of the mindset. It always has been this week. Oftentimes I finish up four rounds here and just kick myself, if only I'd play a little bit more safer in spots and had holed a putt here or there and I would have been right there. It's one of those tournaments that nobody ever really seems to get too far ahead, and you've just kind of got to stick around. Q. You had the lead for a little bit; that's been a while since you were right at the top of the leaderboard. LUKE DONALD: Yeah, you know, it was nice to go bogey-free on the front nine. Felt like after a little bit of a couple poor drives early on, I hit some really nice shots, a great birdie on 6. I birdied that hole two days in a row now, which is obviously one of the tougher holes out here. I felt very good, felt calm, felt like I was swinging decently. Made a couple mistakes on 10 and 11, but overall, it was a round that could have got away from you quite easily. Could have got away, and it did get away from a lot of people, but I stuck in there and still have a great chance tomorrow. Q. As a guy who plays both tours, is there something different than winning over here versus winning around the world? LUKE DONALD: Well, I'd say overall it's a little harder. I think the fields are deeper here. I feel like someone ranked 200 could win any time out here. I just feel like because the setups are usually a little bit more challenging week in and week out, it hardens the players and makes them a little bit stronger. I think overall that's always good for the players. It's obviously good to travel, too, and I think that's always helped me. I love to play both tours. But playing slightly tougher setups usually makes you a better player, and I think World Rankings will show that notoriously the fields are stronger here on the PGA TOUR, and it's harder to win. Q. There was a point on the leaderboard where it was like one, two, three Englishmen. Does that add a little something -- LUKE DONALD: Not really. We're all trying to beat each other, whether we're English, American, whatever. It doesn't make any difference. I saw the leaderboard on 8, and I'm not sure I saw a leaderboard again until 17. I knew I was there or thereabouts. I knew 4-under was leading. I saw that on 13 actually. But I didn't see a physical leaderboard and the position I was in until 17. Q. Coming into today, your family, your brother, what was that like today? LUKE DONALD: Yeah, my brother is obviously carrying for Brendan Steele, and I'm not sure if he birdied the last or not, but I think he'll be in the final group tomorrow again, and he's staying with me this week, so it's been a happy household so far. Q. What's it like knowing that you're chasing him today? LUKE DONALD: Well, I'm chasing Brendan more than Chris, but I'd be happy for Chris if he won and had a good finish. Of course I would. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports   |
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