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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

May 28, 2006

David Howell

VIRGINIA WATERS, ENGLAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, another round in the 60s today, a 69. You've got a three shot lead going into the last day, which I feel you would have taken right at the start. Is it in your hands?

DAVID HOWELL: Well, not exactly; three shots. Miguel obviously played fantastically well today. I guess I've got to shoot 66 and that would probably take it out of most people's hands. But if Miguel plays well tomorrow, I'm going to have to play well. It's far from over, but I'm in strong position. And we separated ourselves from third place, I believe. I'm not exactly sure where third is lying, but if Miguel and myself play tomorrow, it's a very good chance it could be between the two of us.

GORDON SIMPSON: Was it a bit of a grind out there today?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, it was, I fancied it would not be as good as it was yesterday, my own game. I didn't play badly but I didn't play quite as well as yesterday. I just managed to stay patient. And as we all know, Wentworth, with the two par 5 finish, it could really turn your day around if you finish 4 4.

Q. We always knew you as a good golfer and we also knew you as an excellent golfer, but in the last two years you've been a galactico golfer. What's changed?

DAVID HOWELL: Galactico, there's a word.

Q. What's changed it?

DAVID HOWELL: I'm just getting better. I've just gotten better slowly but surely. Obviously with that comes a bit more self assuredness, and I'm a better player than I was five years ago. I can't say any more than that. It's been lots of hard work, lots of good advice from people around me. A fair bit of sacrifice and it's paid dividends.

Q. How is the back feeling?

DAVID HOWELL: Back's good. Today, again, a bit like yesterday, I felt like I could probably go and hit 30 or 40 shots if I wanted to. I didn't feel like that on Thursday, but I'll go to the gym and see my physio.

GORDON SIMPSON: Miguel said he thought it would be a gentleman's battle tomorrow between the two of you. Would you agree with that assessment?

DAVID HOWELL: I'd take that as a compliment. Yeah, absolutely. He's a lovely guy. I got to know him a lot better since playing with the Ryder Cup with him. He's a great competitor and looking forward. And he's a pleasure to play with, so it's a nice pairing. My point of view, anyway. I can't say from his point of view, he might hate me. (Laughter)

GORDON SIMPSON: No, he was very complimentary about you, as well, I have to say.

Q. When you saw the score board and you saw Miguel making the charge, did you think, right, going to have knuckle down and make sure that you don't make any mistakes?

DAVID HOWELL: Well, no, not really. It was obviously a slight surprise to see him continue to go around and keep moving forward so well and shooting 65. It was tough out there and it really started to come down for a few holes at the end.

Obviously he's a great player and he played a great round of golf. I've still got my three shot lead. Obviously I was keen to try and keep that, as I said, yesterday in the press conference, if my job today really was to go out and play a great round of golf and possibly take it out of everybody's hands. I didn't manage to do that. You know, Miguel, certainly, and the other guys, if they play well tomorrow, are still in with a chance.

Q. I'm sure I've asked you this before, but I can't remember the answer, when you turned pro, what sort of career were you hoping for?

DAVID HOWELL: Well, just to play golf really and earn my money that way would have been fantastic. I had no expectations. I had hopes. I had just played in the Walker Cup and my mates were turning pro, so I thought I would, hoping to play golf some way. I remember being delighted when I made the cut at the Tour school because I knew I would be playing on the Challenge Tour the following year. That was I thought a fantastic achievement. And obviously things have gotten slightly better.

Q. Do rounds like today, the sort of relief you're talking about when you are defending three shots, does that add to your self belief now?

DAVID HOWELL: Any time you play nicely, you know, in a pressurized situation, obviously in any tournament, there is pressure there. It's not quite like playing the last few holes tomorrow today, but there's still an amount of pressure and stress there obviously. Any time you perform nicely, it all adds to your self belief. And in general now, I generally play well, perform well when I'm in this sort of situation, and very rarely do I have a really bad day. China, obviously, I had a chance to win earlier in the year and that was a bit of a shock to the system, but you have to take one on the chin every now and then and it's not always going to go your way. Hopefully it's pay back time tomorrow.

Q. How important were the last two holes, your lead had been cut down to one and there was a possibility going into the last round with quite a narrow lead and you've obviously eased away again?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, very important. You've got to stay patient at Wentworth with those two par 5s. It just seems to make such a difference. It's only a score at the end of the day, but birdies when you think of them that way, you don't get those chances there; that being said, they weren't playing so easily today.

You know, the key thing for me today was to try and increase my lead. I only managed to keep it as it was albeit because Miguel played a fantastic round. 69 was a good effort in those conditions anyway I would say.

Q. The playoff you lost in last year to Thomas in the British Masters when you hit some shots you weren't pleased with, if you were faced with that situation again now, would you do better?

DAVID HOWELL: We'll find out tomorrow, won't we? I have done better since then. I've won a couple tournaments. That was a low moment for me. But, you know, I've done lots of great things since. Winning tournaments isn't easy and I've hit some good shots under pressure. All that obviously stands me in good stead.

Q. The round in China, was that just a bad day?

DAVID HOWELL: Just a bad day at the office. My mind was in a good place. It was literally just one of those days. I played some nice golf and didn't make birdies and then shot 76. I think I saw an awful lot guys shoot 64, 66 so it was bitterly disappointing. But, you know, you can't win them all. I didn't feel like it was just exactly that. It was a bad day. Mentally going out I was in a good place and it just didn't happen for me.

Q. Deep down within yourself, do you actually expect to win tomorrow?

DAVID HOWELL: Do I expect to win? No, I don't think because I could go shoot 67 tomorrow and Miguel could shoot 64 I can't affect, well I could possibly affect what Miguel does if I put some pressure on him. But if he plays great, he's got a chance to win the tournament. It's three shots, it's a lot in some cases but if one plays well and the other doesn't, it's not a lot. That can be gone in three holes.

So there's no complacency whatsoever. I know that it is in my hands to a degree if I go and shoot 67. If I play well, Miguel has shoot 63 or 64 to beat me. As in China when I managed to hold off Tiger, if I just set myself a score, probably I'll take the same approach tomorrow. I'll look at the conditions and think just a decent score for me and that's what I will attempt to shoot.

Q. Having taken Tiger on head to head and beaten him, what sort of confidence does that give you?

DAVID HOWELL: Obviously huge. But, you know, it's nice having that belief that you can stand up against the best player in the world and perform well. Tiger didn't play his best golf that day; hence, I won. But it was more about what I did that day, and I managed to shoot a good round of golf.

So, yeah, against the best player in the world, that does give you a sense of confidence. Doesn't mean you're going to do it. Doesn't mean I'm going to play great tomorrow. But I know mentally I can handle that situation. So, obviously I hope to I'm all the better for having that experience.

Q. Are you going back to America next week?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah.

Q. Can I just go back, when you talk about the sacrifices, can you talk about what sort of sacrifices?

DAVID HOWELL: Oh, just, I've got a wonderful life as we all have but it's not all I work hard. A lot of guys do. Most of the guys do. I'm not talking horrible sacrifices. Just going to the gym when you don't want to go to the gym and not going out and doing anything in the evening. Not a whole lot of sacrifices, but things you need to do to do well in this game. I've done more of that in the last five years than maybe I did in my first five years on Tour. So that's just, you know, it's not like

Q. So when you're finished, you'll have a lot of nights to make up then?

DAVID HOWELL: Well, I do have a few weeks off. (Laughter.) I work hard. I'm busy eight in the morning until eight at night most nights. I go out to dinner less with my mates because I'm having physio. Very small things, not things I particularly mind doing, but my lifestyle is very different from what it used to be to try and play this game well.

Q. About a year, 15 months ago, you said you felt you were moving to that next stage where you were going to challenge for everything, you had the belief, since November, you've been top of the Order of Merit, you're still there, does it sit happen fly, or does it put pressure on you?

DAVID HOWELL: I'm just a lot more comfortable in my surroundings. Most weeks when I turn up, I don't fear anyone anymore. I'm not the best player in the world, I don't think I am, whether I ever will be is a different matter. I don't dream of that. I just keep working hard and try to do as well as I can. I'm not in awe of anybody anymore. I don't think there's nobody I can't beat on my day. The guys who are ahead of me in the World Rankings, they are better than me and if they play great and I play great, they will probably beat me. Vice versa, if the guys are behind me in the pecking order, you know how it goes I can't remember your question (laughter).

Q. Miguel was puffing a cigar when he came in, have you ever smoked at all?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah. It's the short answer.

GORDON SIMPSON: Thank you.

End of FastScripts.

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