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WACHOVIA CHAMPIONSHIPMay 4, 2007Ken DukeCHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Ken, for joining us for a few minutes here in the media center at the Wachovia Championship. Another solid round out there today under some tough conditions. Like we were talking about when we were coming in, you've had some pretty good rounds here in the last couple weeks and are on a roll. Talk about today and also maybe about how today feeds off the last couple weeks. KEN DUKE: Yeah, this whole week is just feeding off the last few weeks and just been really hitting shots where I want to go. Today it was just going to be really survival, the cool, damp wind and rain and stuff, it's just tough. You've really got to watch what you do out there. Q. I know this is your fourth week in a row and you're in the field next week, five in a row. Three straight Top 10s and in the Top 10 again, does it start to get a little tiring or mentally grueling with being in contention? KEN DUKE: It's a big deal. I mean, it's not -- finishing up at the top is an issue, but you've got to get your rest. I only played nine holes here this week, so just to try to get some of that. I've played here before, so that made a big difference. The way I go about golf course is I feel like if my game is where it should be, it's not that I shouldn't see the golf course, my caddie tells me where to hit it and I try to hit it there. But I've had some success here last year, and I kind of went into this week, the way I've been playing I kind of looked at what I did last year and the way I've been playing and went about it that way. Q. What's after TPC for you? Are you going to take some time off? KEN DUKE: I'm taking Atlanta off. Q. You're just going to ride it as long as it goes? KEN DUKE: I promise you it's going to stop. I'm taking Atlanta off. I got invited into Colonial, which I think I played my way in now, and hopefully I played my way into Memorial. Then I'm going to Memphis. Being from Arkansas, it's kind of a home game for me. Then I'm going to U.S. Open. After the U.S. Open I'm going to look at the schedule and pick and choose where I'm going to go. Q. This all Bob Toski related to you? KEN DUKE: I met Mr. Toski a year ago January and he just changed the way I swing the golf club, and from last year to this year it's been pretty good. Q. Is there less of a difference between the Nationwide and PGA TOUR than you thought or more? How do you compare -- KEN DUKE: I don't think it's less difference. The caliber of players are obviously a little bit -- obviously better, but the top guys is where it is. I think the course conditions are a little tougher on the TOUR than it is the Nationwide, week in, week out, in other words. We sure do get some good courses on the Nationwide, but I think out here it's more challenging, tighter fairways, faster greens, that type of thing. Q. Has it been a combination of a couple things over the last couple tournaments or one thing that's clicked for you? KEN DUKE: I think everything has been clicking. I've been really driving it well and that's kind of my strength, just making some good swings. My tempo has been really, really good, and I feel like if I can keep it that way it's going to go exactly where I want. Obviously you've got to make a few putts, and I've done that here, as well. Q. You were born in Hope, Arkansas? Do you have any ties to the Clinton family or does your family know them? KEN DUKE: No, we don't. My grandparents and his grandparents or something has met them or probably lived close to them or something like that. It's all a blur to me (laughter). Q. How long have you been in south Florida now? It's been a while? KEN DUKE: About ten years. We were in Boca Raton for about nine years, and this December we moved up to Palm City about an hour north. We've been there about ten years. Q. Can you talk about your second shot on 18? Did that hit the bottom of the -- facing the -- KEN DUKE: It hit the bleachers somewhere, somewhere on the bleachers. All I was hoping is it didn't go all the way to the water because I knew if I got in the bleachers I could get a drop right there and it wouldn't be an issue. I was trying to hit it over the left side just to get an angle at the front right pin, that's all. If I laid up on the right side it might have been a little difficult, lay it up plus hitting it to the pin. Q. Don't take this the wrong way, but would it be any more meaningful to be in contention this week given you've got 27 of the Top 30 in the world here, versus the last couple weeks the fields have been a little less star-studded than that? This is probably pretty good validation of your run here? KEN DUKE: Yeah, it's great. You always want to compete against the best. I'm just trying to do what I have to do. You can't control what they do. I know if I can stay in there and keep plugging along and hit my shots, I think I'll be okay. Sure, it's great to be in the field with everyone, and next week, as well. We're just looking forward to it, trying to prepare each week. Q. What's your best South American Tour story, or 12? KEN DUKE: I don't even -- I can't even go there. JOAN v.T. ALEXANDER: Thank you, Ken, for joining us. End of FastScripts |
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