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SMURFIT KAPPA EUROPEAN OPEN

July 7, 2006

Stephen Dodd

STRAFFAN, IRELAND

STEVEN FRANKLIN: Well played in not too easy conditions. You must be pleased with your position now.

STEPHEN DODD: Yeah, I'm delighted. I've had two good first two rounds and I'm looking forward to the weekend.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: And conditions are supposed to get a little worse over the weekend, but I guess that shouldn't faze you too much; you are used to the wind and rain?

STEPHEN DODD: I grew up playing in this sort of these sort of conditions. It's something that we deal with week in and week out, and these are the conditions that we're given.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: You had a stellar year in 2005, this year has not been the same so far, do you feel that your form is starting to click now?

STEPHEN DODD: I don't know. It's a little early to say that.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: We'll do your card and then open up to questions. You started with a bogey at the first?

STEPHEN DODD: Yeah, I just came up a little short with my second shot in the bunker and didn't get up and down. I was plugged in the face on the bunker in the first and didn't get up and down.

3, I hit a 9 iron to about three feet.

4, Just left and three putted from side of the green for bogey.

7, I hit a wedge to about a foot and birdied that.

And 8, hit an 8 iron to about two feet and birdied that.

Holed about a 20 footer on 9 for birdie so that was nice to finish the front nine as I did.

14, holed about a 20 footer down the slope.

17 hit it in the bunker on 17 and didn't get up and down. Holed a 6 or 8 footer on last for birdie.

Q. What has been the main problem with your form?

STEPHEN DODD: I really don't know - I have been hitting it too many times! If we knew the answer to all these problems that we get in our swings and mechanics it would be an easy game. You've just got to accept that you're not going to play well all the time. It's hard to deal with but I've tried to do it. At some points I feel like I've come out the own end.

It's a frustrating game and we all want to do so well. Sometimes when you don't play to your expectations, it's difficult to deal with. It's something that you have to deal with because it's what golf is. Some days it's good, some days it's bad.

Q. After a year like last year, does the frustration get to you more. Lafeber threw a club in the lake today?

STEPHEN DODD: You've got to handle it the best way you can. The frustration is something that you have to deal with and the best way you've just got to deal with it the best way you can.

Q. I can't imagine you have thrown a club into a lake?

STEPHEN DODD: Throw one in the lake. Try to avoid the lake. No, we've all thrown clubs at times.

Q. When was the last time you threw a club?

STEPHEN DODD: Can't remember. I haven't done it in a tournament, but I do it when I'm practising snapped one when I was practising not long ago. Just pure frustration.

Q. Has increased expectation played a part in your form this year?

STEPHEN DODD: It was always going to be difficult for me to follow up last year with that amount of success again this year. Maybe at times I've not been as prepared as I should have been.

But I'm looking forward to the weeks and months ahead. I feel I'm turning a corner. I'm certainly hitting the ball better than I have been. It's nice to be in contention just to give yourself a chance because it's been a long time.

Q. Inaudible?

STEPHEN DODD: Swing wise, I've been fiddling around too much at tournaments. Don't really know what I'm doing at times with my swing. It's just difficult playing when you're trying to make a few changes.

Q. Having told us you don't throw clubs, is there a danger you are too placid?

STEPHEN DODD: I don't know. I don't know.

Q. You seem uncommonly calm?

STEPHEN DODD: I don't think I have. I don't feel like I have been.

What you see sometimes is not what the player is feeling. It's natural to be nervous in a pressure situation, you're going to get nervous. I try to deal with it the best way I can and not show too much emotion.

Q. Have you spoken to Bradley Dredge much since the World Cup about the fact that neither of you have really kicked on?

STEPHEN DODD: I spent a lot of time with him but we don't speak about it at all really. There's no point.

Q. Who is your coach?

STEPHEN DODD: Terry Hanson in Cardiff.

Q. Did you feel during the early months of the year that you needed to see him more because things were not quite right. Or maybe you under-did it?

STEPHEN DODD: I certainly haven't underdone it. I spent a lot of time there. Sometimes it's just such a fine line between playing well and not playing so well, and it's just finding that little feel, that little key that sets everything off. Sometimes it just takes a bit of time to find that.

Q. You seem to like playing in Ireland. Why is that?

STEPHEN DODD: I like the golf courses and the way they are set up, demanding, and I think the weather has got a lot to do with how I play. I feel quite comfortable in these conditions. As I said earlier, I grew up playing in these sort of conditions and I tend when I'm playing well, I tend to hit it pretty straight. That's what you need to do on these type of courses.

Q. Do you set targets?

STEPHEN DODD: I just never do. Schedules can change. Things can change. I just take it week by week to go out and do my best in each round each week.

Q. After last year you must have thought the Ryder Cup was a possibility?

STEPHEN DODD: I never thought about it for one minute. It's such a long time. A lot can happen in, say, six months. This time of year, there's so many big events. Somebody always come through and does well. John Bickerton did it last week. Somebody will do it in the next several weeks, come through and put their name in the hat for the Ryder Cup.

Q. This calmness you radiate, is it forced?

STEPHEN DODD: I'm not saying it's forced. It's just how my personality how I am. I'm not saying I'm not nervous and maybe I appear calm but sometimes I'm not.

Q. When you drive a car, are you calmer than most people?

STEPHEN DODD: Well, we all get road rage. (Laughter) not really. No.

Q. In hindsight, do you have regrets about changing the swing?

STEPHEN DODD: No, I haven't changed the swing. I've just tried to get it back to where it was and trying to find out where it was.

Q. You took so long to have a year like last year after many years struggling around. Is there any fear about going back to those days?

STEPHEN DODD: Obviously nobody wants to go back to play Challenge Tour. It's such a good life if you play well out here. It's where we all want to be.

Q. Is that a fear that has made you practice so much?

STEPHEN DODD: It's not felt very comfortable. That's the reason I've been tinkering with my swing.

STEVEN FRANKLIN: Thanks very much, Stephen. Well played.

End of FastScripts.

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