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THE BARCLAYS

August 22, 2007

Joe Durant

HARRISON, NEW YORK

STEWART MOORE: We had like to welcome Joe Durant into the interview room here at The Barclays. You come into this week 123rd on the points list. This system might set especially very well for you because you're one of those players when you get it going, you get hot and really hot and you can win tournaments in a row and play very well for long stretches at a time. Are you looking forward to the next four weeks?
JOE DURANT: Yeah, I feel like I need to try to redeem this year. I haven't played particularly well and I need a fall like I had last year so hopefully I can start cranking things up a little bit.
STEWART MOORE: How is your game now?
JOE DURANT: It's getting better. Actually I played well at Akron and played a little better at the PGA. Last week I didn't play particularly well but I feel like I'm starting to strike the ball solidly and making a few more putts. Westchester is a more challenging course to play, just have to see what happens.

Q. Do you feel like you're Buster Douglas trying to win this FedExCup against Mike Tyson?
JOE DURANT: In my position, definitely. I've put myself in a bad position points-wise coming into this thing, so I have to play extremely well just to advance beyond this week and next week. I think once you kind of get into this and realize how important it is to play consistently through the year, you realize the way this whole thing works.

Q. Last year you were going nowhere, and then wound up in THE TOUR Championship and threatening there, as well. Is it easier to do in the format last year or this year?
JOE DURANT: That's a good question because actually this is kind of a different deal for all of us. With the year, in effect being shorter as far as the FedExCup is concerned, you really needed to come out of the box a little quicker and I started very slowly.
So, you know, if we all had the ability to play a couple more tournaments, another month and a half or so, it could play out entirely different. But that's just the way it is this year. Knowing that going into it, I just didn't perform particularly well.

Q. Did you figure out what you needed to do to get to Boston, at the minimum?
JOE DURANT: I have an idea. I feel like if I can play a solid tournament and finish top 20, that should do it, I believe. But I'm hopefully going to play a little better than that.

Q. Can you compare that to anything, going into a tournament knowing you have to do X to get Y?
JOE DURANT: Well, actually the only thing I can compare it to was The Fall Finish last year. I know going into the last tournament that I needed to continue to play well if I wanted to win The Fall Finish. It was kind of ironic that I ended up playing with Jim Furyk on the last day in Atlanta because he was one of the guys that could have knocked me out of that. So it's similar I guess.

Q. Goydos referred to it as a second chance, a second season type thing. He's 53; ranking, not age.
JOE DURANT: Yeah, a bit. Once you've reset earn points-wise it does give you a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel. If you're in the position I'm in, you really have to go deep and play well. Guys that have played much more consistently that have won tournaments this year, you know, they are looking at bigger prizes right now. They have got the potential to win this thing.
So, you know, I'm just trying to play well. I'd like to pick off a win in one of these next few weeks and improve my position, maybe get to the Top-30. It's going to be difficult to do that, but I still think I can if I play really well.

Q. Last year, is it too far away for you to call upon as far as a good memory going into this?
JOE DURANT: Not necessarily. If I could just get my game to cooperate a little more, I know I can do it. I've done it before. But still, you've got to put the numbers up. And I haven't done that consistently at all this year.
Like I said, I do feel like I'm playing better, so if I can kind of pull those memories from last year and then put some scores on the board, then yeah, it's possible. I've proven to myself it's possible. It's exciting to at least know that you can do it.

Q. Your season turned last year when you got your hotel broken into, is that right?
JOE DURANT: Pretty much. I think I hit bottom at that point.

Q. You had a good week there at the Buick.
JOE DURANT: Right. That was the week after Milwaukee. Yeah, I got robbed in Milwaukee and it was the next week that I had my best tournament to that point.

Q. And then you took off before the fall?
JOE DURANT: Right.

Q. Guess my point is, you had some evidence that your game was getting close and then you go on a tear. Is it realistic to think that you can win this week without seeing a really strong sign of contending recently?
JOE DURANT: I have to believe I can, otherwise there's no sense of even being here as every guy in the field believes he can win this week.
You always want evident that your game is in the condition. But I know if things start to turn and I start to make a few putts and hit a few more solid shots, there's no reason to not believe that. You have to. I mean, you want to believe it and you work hard to give yourself every opportunity to believe it, and that's all you can do.

Q. Beyond the obvious, you're right, everyone has got to think they can win; are your goals different than, say, a Vijay, who is looking at maybe the $10 million, versus you might be looking at trying to get into Boston, let's try and win, but also let's keep going until you can give yourself a fair chance?
JOE DURANT: Sure. I've got to be realistic about it. I'm not going to win 10 million this week even if I win. I've just got to go out and play solid golf for the next how far many weeks and just keep trying to keep working my way up the pecking order so to speak.
Yeah, it's a little different. I don't have the luxury of coming out this week and performing mediocre and knowing that I still have three more weeks. Guys in my position don't have that ability. We have to step up this week and play. So it's a little different.
STEWART MOORE: Thanks and will luck this week.

End of FastScripts

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