	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

WGC AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 9, 2005

John Daly

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: John Daly, thanks for joining us. We'll go straight into questions.

Q. Nerves or a touch putt there at the end? What kept the last one out of the hole?

JOHN DALY: I mean, playing earlier in the round with Sergio, he had about the same one that broke like a foot right, and I hit a putt there and I thought I made it. It went left and I just played that second putt straight and it went dead left. It just wasn't meant to be.

Q. Right before that your lie and your shot on 16, it seemed to be almost impossible and you got it so close.

JOHN DALY: I know, I hit a great shot there. I really thought I was going to make the putt. You know, what do you do? I know Tiger didn't want to win that way and I certainly didn't want to lose that way.

Q. Is this the toughest match you've had in your career, or where does it rate in the Top 5 matches of your career?

JOHN DALY: Well, it's always great when you're in a playoff with Tiger. I three putted 17 before the 72 holes was up, and the green on 17 was a lot quicker than any green all day. Otherwise I think I probably would have won. It's been a horrible putting year, and when you don't have a lot of confidence in your putter, especially when you have a chance to win, instead of feeling like you're going to make them, I didn't feel like I was going to make them. I think there are a lot of people watching NFL football right now (laughter). I know Tiger didn't want to win that way. He probably would have rather have won with a chip in or a birdie. Like I said, I didn't want to lose that way. It's very disappointing.

Q. You changed strategy from originally on 16 you hit an iron, second time around the driver. Can you explain that?

JOHN DALY: Well, we thought we could get to the green. It was blowing a little bit more left to right down, and if I hit the shots that I hit three days there, we would have knocked it on, and I just heeled it a little bit.

Q. Obviously you've got 14 feet for the win. Are you concerned about the next one at all? Are you thinking I've got to make three here because he's not going to make bogey? What's your mindset?

JOHN DALY: I was just trying to do what I do, putt. The first one, for it to break left was just really weird. Like I said, the second one, coming down the hill it broke left, so I thought if anything it would have gone right. I may have pulled it, I don't know.

Q. Have you ever dueled with Tiger coming down the stretch like that? Can you talk about sort of the electric atmosphere because it was you and him?

JOHN DALY: It was great. I mean, you know, he's a champion and he's won so many golf tournaments. I was probably feeling a lit bit more heat than he was. Like I said, you just hate to lose that way and I know he hated to win that way.

Q. Could you just talk about that chip shot you knocked in? How tough of a shot was it and were you thinking about making it?

JOHN DALY: On 13, I was just trying to get it on the green. But when I hit it, I caught it and it was going pretty fast. That kept me in the golf tournament. That got my momentum back. It was a good shot for me.

Q. Talk about the shot before that. What was the club and how bad of a lie?

JOHN DALY: I had 134 and the ball was pretty much buried. I had a 9 iron out and I decided to hit a wedge and maybe draw it in there and it flew a lot further than I thought it would.

Q. Any regrets about how you played down the stretch, 15 through 18, when you had the lead?

JOHN DALY: No, I played solid golf, I just didn't make any putts. I had a great opportunity on 15, a ten footer there.

16, I had a ten footer there, missed it.

17 I missed a four footer, so it was all putting. This whole year, for me to be where I am on the Money List after this is remarkable, because I have had the worst putting year of my life. I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to have to change or do something.

Q. With the finish of this tournament, still encouraging or discouraging after what happened the last hole?

JOHN DALY: No, it's discouraging to lose that way, to fight like I did and I really didn't hit the ball that great today, just to give myself an opportunity to win or be in the playoff, like I said, it's disappointing to lose that way, but I don't think I threw it away. I did on the second putt, but in regulation play I really didn't. I played my heart out.

Q. Sergio and Monty couldn't buy a putt today, either. Would that have helped you a little bit, seeing something go in for 18 holes?

JOHN DALY: Monty, the last two days, neither one of us really made anything. I wouldn't say we putted bad, we just didn't make anything. 17 was the first putt Monty made, and that was somewhat long, in 36 holes that we played together.

Q. In regulation how much were you watching Tiger just ahead of you, and how much do you think Tiger was watching you behind him?

JOHN DALY: A little bit. I mean, when I got the two shot lead going into 16, I guess no, one shot lead going into 16, I thought I had it. I really did. Like I said, missing the birdie putt I thought I made on 16 in regulation and missing the five footer on 17, that's the whole tournament. I should have had it won, but it's just lack of confidence in putting.

JOEL SCHUCHMANN: John Daly, thanks.

End of FastScripts.

About ASAP Sports • FastScripts Archive • Recent Interviews • Captioning • Upcoming Events • Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297