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HSBC CHAMPIONS TOURNAMENT

November 11, 2005

Nick Dougherty

SHANGHAI, CHINA

GORDON SIMPSON: Nick, that was a fairly miraculous par you made at the last there to get in at 12 under, and of course it looks like you're going to be in the last group. Just a question of whether you're with Tiger or not, isn't it?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Yeah, I don't think so. I think it's going to be David and I. It's good to keep him behind me.

GORDON SIMPSON: Threeballs.

NICK DOUGHERTY: Oh, come on, Tiger. (Laughter). No, I'm pleased with that today. It meant a lot to me to try and stay, go out tied for the lead after today because I didn't really play that well to be honest. I scrambled well, I didn't play terribly, but certainly didn't play that well, certainly not near as good as yesterday.

So I'm going to do a bit of work now and sort myself out, but all in all I'm very pleased with that. Course management was good. I made one bogey in 36 holes which is obviously really good, as well, and if I can keep that kind of consistency up, who knows.

Q. In the worst fog and gloom, did you think the play might be called off?

NICK DOUGHERTY: When we were on 18th tee, I was second up, I got through the first tee shot and just as it peaked, it was quite unclear, it was really, really dark. It was like being at home. It was quite difficult. It's really a tough course when the wind blows here, and of course when you've got the wind and rain together, it's fairly defenseless yesterday, if you look at the scoring, anyway.

And today I think it was quite a bit tougher and you have to play smart the way you went about it. You had to thrash it up there and knock it on what wedge. The rough is really penal when it gets wet here. It's very difficult to get any distance on it. It was certainly a lot tougher than how it's been in practice and certainly yesterday.

Q. Do you enjoy leading a tournament, or would you rather be on someone's shoulder and watching where they are at this stage?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Would I rather be in this position?

Q. Do you like leading?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Oh, yes. I love it. That's why I play. I think I've said this before, I love to be in this position, and you're in a position, it's a wink and blink kind of mentality isn't it? You laugh at the people at the start when you get voted off, but the real champions are the people that actually get on the show. The fact that I'm there, everyone would see me screw up if I did do it; I think that's the butt of it. I certainly enjoy being in this position. I like having Tiger Woods behind me at the moment. I just think it's a good sign of how I've improved over the last couple of years. Certainly, I'm looking forward to the next two days. I'm really excited to go and play.

Q. What was miraculous about the par on 9?

NICK DOUGHERTY: I hit it left off the tee, not really in trouble but it sat right down in the rough and there was a little bump about sort of four yards in front of me and was too dangerous to try and do anything from there. I had to hack it out with a lob wedge in the fairway and then hit 9 iron just on the fringe, still about 15, 20 feet away and made it. I wouldn't say it was that miraculous, but it was a good save.

Q. Are you looking at the Ryder Cup already?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Absolutely. I think I would be naive in thinking I've got a really good chance of making that team. I think last year, I made the Top 15 in Europe. Even though I had quite a few bad tournaments as well as good ones last year, I think it's a sign that if I played really, really well this year, I can make that team and it's something I'm gunning for.

Certainly, a great week here would make a massive difference. I think to do that, you look at the guys that get near the top of the Order of Merit, my friend, Kenny Ferrie, is a great example. You play well at the right places, you know, it's a lot easier to climb those Order of Merit and Ryder Cup standings. I think I'm just scraping in at last spot at the moment. It's a long, long way off and I'm not thinking about it while I'm playing, but certainly I've love to try and do and something I will keep an eye on.

Q. So you think you are naive or you don't think you are?

NICK DOUGHERTY: No, I think I'm naive for thinking that. I don't think it's a dumb thing for me to think I can make that team. I think if you ask my peers, they would think I have a chance; obviously because of my golf game. I'm very confident about the fact that I think if I play well, I'll make that team. I'm obviously desperate to play on that Ryder Cup.

Q. You have made quite a bit of changes in the last year when you mentioned regarding how you approach the game and especially you broke up with your girlfriend and you get back together again. I would like to ask you exactly what has really helped regarding the people around you and your girlfriend?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Yeah, I have a really good team around me. I'm very fortunate, I think I work with, if not the best, certainly one of the best in each of the areas with Jamil Quresi, my mind specialist, mind guru, whatever you want to call him. Ron Cuthbert, my fitness guy, and obviously David Leadbetter is earn certainly in my opinion the best coach in the world. And most of the people around me, they have guided me extremely well. On the personal, obviously I've got my family, but more than anything, like I said yesterday, is my girlfriend, Vicki.

Q. Yesterday you were very funky and very, very relaxed, today you are smiling all the way, you enjoyed some good chips and good putts. What was the difference compared to yesterday and today?

NICK DOUGHERTY: I just didn't really I didn't hit the ball quite as well. When my confidence gets knocked a bit, in my swing, I'm a bit more tentative with my swing. The swing is always there. I've learned to swing now, what I need to do with David; I produce it, and when I produce it, it's great. It's just that sometimes, that's what I work with Jamil is to have the faith and trust in it, having confidence in what I'm doing and I can commit to it. It's like the guy that sees the water off the tee or sees the water in the par 5 off the tee. Your mind is drawn towards it and you can't differentiate between don't hit it in the water and do hit it in the water and constantly it draws you right towards it.

Sometimes when my confidence gets a bit knocked and I'm swinging my swing, I kind of feel like battening down the hatches a bit and working the ball around, like I did today. 4 under is a really good score, and considering I didn't feel like I played that well, that is what the great thing is about it being each individual day. I got through this relatively pain free and I've got an opportunity now to get myself some good confidence again going into tomorrow.

Q. Did you really find it fun today or are you doing as your father said, which is to smile at all times?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Of course, I mean, it is fun. I mean, everyone who is at home and is going to be watching this after they come in from the office from a long day's work would give anything to be out in the rain, or even if it was 30 degrees colder than this, they would give anything to be playing in this field with everyone watching around the world with Tiger Woods, the best player in the game playing.

You know, very often professionals, in every sport, forget how fortunate we are. Albeit they work hard, everyone works hard to be in this position, I think it's nice to keep in check with myself that we're all very, very fortunate. Even on a day like today, as well, we have to have play everyone will have played 18 holes today. So how you choose to play the holes and what frame of mind will dictate how well you play. So you could be miserable for four hours, then come off the course, having shot a bad score and go be miserable again for the rest of night, or you can try and make the most of it and enjoy the time out there and enjoy the challenges it throws at you, and at least when you come off you can be pleased with whatever you've done. Certainly it's the best you could have achieved on the day.

Q. And that is your father's philosophy?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Absolutely. That's the one that, I think I've told that you before, and I do enjoy it. It's nice. I feel the same, I have flashbacks, but I do lose touch with it. At times I feel maybe a bad break, maybe a really stupid mistake I've made like say my only bogey so far this week, I dealt with it good. Today it was one of those things, you move on and I did that. It makes a massive, massive difference off the tee sometimes.

Q. What news do you think I would bring you?

NICK DOUGHERTY: That Tiger he's albatrossed a hole or he's made another bogey?

Q. He's in the water.

NICK DOUGHERTY: He's hit it in the water on 18? I'm on the range if you need me.

GORDON SIMPSON: Nick, well done and well played.

End of FastScripts.

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