	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE HONDA CLASSIC

March 2, 2008

Luke Donald

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA

STEWART MOORE: Luke Donald, thanks for joining us after a great final round out there. It was a great battle, lot of conditions, really jumbled leaderboard and really on the back nine you were kind of hanging around and all of a sudden the 35-footer at 16 drops and you're right back in the mix. Take us through the Bear Trap, the back nine and everything that went on out there.
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it was one of those days where you knew you just kind of had to hang around, and it was never going to be an easy day. The wind was whipping harder today than any of the other days. So, it was a tough day.
You know, I played reasonably solidly on the front nine. I had a couple chances, a lipout on 10 and a chance on 11, looked like it had a good chance to go in. 12 and 13 were disappointing to me, to hit good drives and be in the middle of the fairway and walk off with two bogeys was where I felt I lost a lot of my momentum. And from there it was always going to be a struggle with Ernie playing so well up ahead.
You keep plugging along, because you know those last few holes are pretty tough and anything can happen. You know, I played the Bear Trap holes reasonably well, and thought if I could squeeze a couple birdies, might have a chance. Just came up a little short.
STEWART MOORE: 2700 FedExCup Points, your second top three finish in three starts; good start for 2008.
LUKE DONALD: A lot to build on, very encouraging results. I feel like I'm learning every week and getting better for it. You know, that's the goal this year, to keep getting better.

Q. Just talk about 18, that last shot there.
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it wasn't a particularly good third shot. It doesn't look like there's much green out there where that pin is. I just fanned it a little bit and really wasn't a very makeable chip. Hit it right on-line. I just came up a few rolls short. It was a good chip, but I probably should have got it to the hole and given myself a chance.
But saying that, I don't really have regrets about that shot. I have more regrets about the bogeys on 12 and 13.

Q. How good a test is this course, now that you've played it again?
LUKE DONALD: It's a great test. It always seems -- you know, our winter down here, the wind has really not been too much of a factor the last couple of months. As soon as this tournament comes around, it seems to just pick up and blow and make this course a real beast.
This is a great test. This is as much golf course as you'll ever want to play.

Q. The tee ball on 17 and then the third on 18 of course, on TV they look like they were pretty daring lines, was that as you intended or did it just sort of work out that way?
LUKE DONALD: Well, 17, I didn't mean to obviously land that ball right at the pin. I hit enough club where if it was on-line, it was going to carry that angled green there.
And I just came out of it just a little bit, and it just started a little bit too far right than I wanted to and the wind carried it a bit further right. It was a pretty good shot, and it was a shame it just trickled over; otherwise, I would have had a lot better chance of making that. That was kind of sitting down just a little bit on the back edge there and didn't have much -- well, just a tricky shot.

Q. I know you were immersed in your own round, of course, at that point, but Calc's bunker shot on 15, were you as stunned as anyone that it just never stopped?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, that was surprising. It looked like he played it like he wanted to. It just seems some of the greens were really getting that kind of shine to them with all the wind and warm weather we've had the last couple of days. They started to roll out a little bit. They were still holding quite well but definitely a bit more roll-out on them, and that ball just kept going and going. I thought it was going to finish seven, eight feet by, but it just kept going.

Q. A lot of guys had buried lies this week; was that a by-product of the wind or do you think they need to do something with the sand in the bunkers?
LUKE DONALD: There is a lot of sand in the bunkers. You know, I think we are very used to having thin sand on TOUR. And any time there's very thick sand, you're going to hear a lot of complaints because the ball is going to plug. Some people might say that traps are meant to be a hazard and if you hit in them, then, you know, if there's a chance of being plugged, then you shouldn't be there.
But you know, I think there's probably just a little bit too much sand. It was the same last year. But maybe if they thin it out just a little bit so it doesn't plug every time, would be a little bit fairer.

Q. Ernie's had some very difficult finishes of late, but in what regard do you guys hold him?
LUKE DONALD: I think Ernie is one of the most solid, best swings on TOUR. I think he's one of the best golfers I've ever played with. I think his, you know, natural ability to play well and has that natural ability in his swing, and it's surprising that he hasn't won for so many years on this tour. You know, maybe this win will open up the floodgates a little bit, and yeah, I think Ernie's a great player.

Q. Do you still have a place at the Bear's Club?
LUKE DONALD: I live just down the road from the Bear's Club, but yeah, I play at the Bear's Club and have a house a couple miles away from there.

Q. At the golf course?
LUKE DONALD: Do you want the address, or ... (laughter). It's not on the golf course, no. Just a private road.

Q. It seemed like a back nine of bad breaks, you lipped out a bunker shot and third shot on 18 looked like it was going to hit the green and stay on the green but trickled off to the right. Do you tell yourself that it was bad breaks?
LUKE DONALD: I don't think it's bad breaks. I kind of made my own bed a little bit with those two bogeys on 12 and 13. You know, that's the only thing I look back and be disappointed about. Obviously I pulled a drive into the water on 5, but ended up making a good five there.
But other than that, I actually swung the club really well. I drove it a lot better today than any of the three previous days. It was just a tougher day today, and you know, I don't think I got unlucky really. I mean, that bunker shot could have gone in. It was still going a little bit fast when it hit the hole.

Q. Obviously they all count in the end but which was more disappointing to you, 12 and 13 today, or the eight on Friday?
LUKE DONALD: Probably would say 12 and 13 today. The eight was in the back, I couldn't do anything about that today. I would love to take back those bogeys. Yeah, it's a hard question. No one likes to make a quadruple bogey, either. You know, after perfect drives on 12 and 13, to make pretty bad bogeys is kind of unforgiving.

Q. 15 through 18, could you just tell us what it's like to play those holes under great pressure trying to win a tournament?
LUKE DONALD: I mean, those holes are hard in practice rounds. (Laughter).
You just have to step up there and pick good targets and trust your swing. I think what I can take out of playing those holes 4-, 5-under this week, is that my swing is getting more solid and hitting better shots. I think I hit the 15th green three times. I hit the 17th green maybe three times. You know, I'm hitting good, solid shots. I birdied 16 twice. Hitting the fairway there three times out of four.
So, you know, these are good steps towards proving that what I'm doing is the right things and that I'm getting better.

Q. In the conditions today, which of those were the toughest or most challenging holes of those?
LUKE DONALD: Probably 17. There's just not much green there. It looks like it's sitting on the edge of the world.
STEWART MOORE: Do you mind briefly just going through your birdies and bogeys for us?
LUKE DONALD: Sure. 3 I hit drive, 4-iron, sand iron, about 6-foot putt.
4, I hit a drive and pitched it over the green, then pitched it back on the green and missed about a nine-foot putt.
5, I pulled my shot into the water, my tee shot. I hit a rescue just short of the green and chipped onto six feet and made that.
8, I hit drive in the left rough, 7-iron to about 45 feet and made it.
12, I hit drive and a 6-iron long left in the rough and chipped it just over the green and made five.
And 13, I hit a drive and a pitching wedge that came up short in the bunker, missed a 15-footer there, 12-footer maybe for par.
And 16, I hit 3-wood, 5-iron and holed a 35-footer.

Q. You mentioned a minute ago maybe the win for Ernie will open the floodgates a little bit. They are not wins but a third and a second, can the same really hold true for you?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, I take absolute positives from this week. It's not a disappointing week by any means. You never like to finish second, and especially when you have a chance to win. But these are definitely positive steps in the right direction. It just proves that I'm going through the process of really working on my swing and being very consistent with my practice and my work ethic, and it's resulting in good results. I feel like I'm improving. I'm getting better as a player.
STEWART MOORE: Luke, thanks so much.

End of FastScripts

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297