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THE TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP

November 4, 2006

Joe Durant

ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Third Round

TODD BUDNICK: We welcome Joe Durant who sits three behind the leader heading into the final round of the TOUR Championship. Joe, a little bit tougher day for you today, especially from 13 on it looked like.

JOE DURANT: Yes, I didn't play particularly well today. My swing didn't feel very good today. I was going over the top of a lot of my shots. You need to drive it well here, and I didn't drive it with any kind of conviction today, really. I was more or less just guiding it around, really.

I hung in there, shot even par. Maybe I can figure it out between today and tomorrow and shoot a little better round tomorrow.

Q. To that end, will you hit balls tonight or come early tomorrow and hit balls?

JOE DURANT: I haven't figured it out yet. I need to probably sit back for a few minutes and figure out what I need to work on more than anything. I think my posture was poor, and as a result I was kind of getting over the top of it.

Q. I read that you quit the Tour at one time in the early stage and started selling insurance. Is that right?

JOE DURANT: Yes, sir, I did. I wasn't very successful in the insurance field (laughter). Yeah, I just needed to get away from the game for a little while, but I'm glad I got back into it.

Q. You've been sort of up and down, had high spots and low spots since then.

JOE DURANT: I have. It has not been a steady climb, for sure. I've had some great stretches and then some pretty deep troughs here and there. All in all, in general I feel like it's been a pretty good climb.

Q. If you hadn't had the surge at the end of the season, what would you have been doing now?

JOE DURANT: Just like this week? Probably going to my daughter's soccer games this week. I've fortunately played well and thankful to be here.

Q. Talk about the 18th hole, what you hit there today. It was a pretty good shot, and just the difficulty of that hole and how you like that hole as a finishing hole.

JOE DURANT: Today was easier for me because 3 iron was plenty of club. The two previous days I really had to stretch a 3 iron to stretch it to the front third of the green.

The pin was in a much more difficult spot, because I felt like it was difficult to keep it below the hole if you landed it on the green. It was a better fit for me today, but it's a tough hole.

Q. Do you mind finishing on a par 3? Are you a traditionalist?

JOE DURANT: I think it's great. It's exciting. It could come down to one swing, really. If a guy puts it on the green, makes birdie, another guy puts it in one of those bunkers and makes bogey; anything can happen on that hole. It's a very difficult hole.

Q. Did you feel like today was the easiest day that the course played? Is that why you're also a little more disappointed? Or was it pretty tough out there today?

JOE DURANT: I felt like there were some pretty good front pin positions today, but all in all, it was probably the best day for scoring as far as wind and temperature. It warmed up nicely midway through the round. I'm pretty disappointed with how I played. I felt I should have scored better than I did.

Q. What did you think of Adam's day? Kind of hung in there and then had the big blow on 15.

JOE DURANT: He drove it beautifully today. He hit some great tee balls. He was down virtually the middle of every fairway. If you can do that, the course sets up beautifully. Obviously he has plenty of length, so being long and in the middle of the fairway is a nice combination. He's playing well, tough to catch tomorrow.

Q. Fair to say the worst shot he hit all day is the one he made eagle with?

JOE DURANT: He was laughing about it as the ball was halfway up the hill. I'm sure we've all probably hit shots that looked a lot prettier that ended up in a lot worse positions. He was laughing about it, but he made a great 3 anyway.

Q. You got nudged out of the final pairing. Is that good, bad, irrelevant?

JOE DURANT: Irrelevant. I would have loved to have been in the last pairing, but it doesn't really matter, I guess. Three back is three back.

TODD BUDNICK: Just your card.

JOE DURANT: Bogey on 3. Hit a perfect drive, and I had an easy little pitching wedge; I just hit it too easy, hit it in the front bunker and didn't get it up and down.

8, hit driver, pitching wedge to about three feet; made that for birdie.

9, hit driver, 3 iron to lay up; hit a sand wedge about ten feet; made that.

12, I hit driver, lob wedge to about four feet; made that.

13, I hit my drive in the left fairway bunker; hit 4 iron short of the green; pitched it well past and two putted for bogey.

15, hit driver, 5 wood just short of the green; pitched up well but made a good one coming down the hill from 10, 12 feet.

16, good drive, pulled my second shot which was an 8 iron left of the green and had to get up and down for bogey.

17, hit driver, 6 iron right in the middle of the green, and I think about a foot behind it. I hit it fat and three putted from 30 feet.

Q. Do you have a swing coach?

JOE DURANT: Yes, Brian Mogg.

Q. What would a win this week mean to you?

JOE DURANT: It would just it would really cap a great stretch for me these last two months. It certainly would catch me off guard if I were to win tomorrow because I didn't think I would be in this field two months ago.

It would mean a lot. Winning against this caliber of field would be one of the greatest things I've done out here.

Q. Are you starting at Kapalua next year?

JOE DURANT: Yes. I'll play maybe the first four.

Q. Are you sure you won't be too tired for that first one?

JOE DURANT: After November I won't be too tired because I'm not going to touch a club for about a month.

Q. That's been going around lately.

JOE DURANT: I'll be all right (laughter). (Mogg).

End of FastScripts.

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