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BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIPMay 20, 2010Luke DonaldVIRGINIA WATER, ENGLAND Q. You have a pretty healthy record here, tied third and seventh, wonder how your experience over the West Course rates the changes that have been made this time around? LUKE DONALD: I think overall Ernie has done a great job. The greens definitely needed a resurfacing. The structure of the greens were a little bit spongy, and I think that problem has been solved; and he's added a few little humps and bumps here and there. Overall I really like it. To be honest it suits my game well. Q. You came home 3-under par and very much in the championship at this early stage. Tell us about how you played today. LUKE DONALD: It's a little bit of a mixed bag. I played really solid the first 11 holes and had a hiccup 12 through 15 where I kind of lost my swing for a few holes. But I was able to grind out some pars and then I had a really strong finish birdieing 16 and 17. Overall it was a lot of positives. I just have to work on the range and figure out why I messed up a few of those holes. Q. How key is this championship in the grand scheme of The Ryder Cup context, because I know you're desperate to get playing again after having missed Valhalla with the wrist injury. LUKE DONALD: Ryder Cup is on the radar and it's always my goal to make the team. I had two fantastic experiences and was obviously very disappointed to miss it through the wrist injury a couple of years ago. I take one week as it comes. I'm not really thinking ahead to Ryder Cup. I know if I play solid, it should take care of itself. Q. After the good start, you must be delighted with the way the opening round around this new Wentworth has gone. LUKE DONALD: Yeah, delighted with the score. Mixed bag; I played really solid for a bunch of holes and I had a stretch of four holes where I hit a good par on 12, I hit a bad tee shot on 13, bad tee shot on 15 and then kind of regrouped and was able to make a couple of birdies on 16 and 17. So I'll definitely take 3-under. Q. Ernie Els says he wants this as a thinking man's course, and this possibly seems to play in your hands. LUKE DONALD: I think so. The changes probably do help in terms of my golf. You know, some of the -- especially looking at the finish, 17 and 18, that people could go 3-3. Now it's a little bit harder to do that. The entrance into 17 is very narrow, and 18 is just very hard to hit it close now in two. So you've got to rely on your wedge game and I feel pretty strong in that area of my game. Q. Are you happy with the changes? LUKE DONALD: I am happy. I think everyone has their opinions, and maybe a couple of the greens are a little bit severe where there probably isn't enough selection of pin positions, but overall I think he did a great job. Q. How do you feel your form is at the moment? Obviously running into this big stretch of tournaments and obviously Ryder Cup is around the corner. How do you see your form at the moment? LUKE DONALD: My form is solid. I've been very consistent. It still needs to get a little bit better. I think I've just got to still feel comfortable with some of the swing changes I'm doing and with my leg action. It will take time. Even with hitting a few slack tee shots, I was able to grind out 3-under, so that's a good sign, and hopefully get myself in position Sunday and time to break through soon hopefully. Q. People don't want to talk about Ryder the Cup at moment, but would that be an ambition, with all of the changes, if everything goes right? LUKE DONALD: It's always on the list of goals, during a Ryder Cup year, I want to make that team. That means you're one of the 12 best guys in Europe, and I feel like I'm good enough to contribute to hopefully help Europe regain the trophy. Q. To that end, how important are these three weeks that you're playing over here? LUKE DONALD: Somewhat important. It's still going to be very hard for me to make it probably through The Race to Dubai rankings, but if I want to, I think I would jump up more on the World Rankings rather than get in position on the other one. Q. The World Rankings is your best? LUKE DONALD: It's my best chance, unless I get very hot in the world events and majors where there's some really big purses. Q. Any quick thoughts on 18? LUKE DONALD: I mean, I quite like it. In terms of -- I'm not a bomber, it's a hole that it's very hard to get close to in two and take on to be honest. They moved the tee up today. I think if anything, Ernie probably could have levelled out the fairway off the tee shot, so you know, if you do hit a great tee shot and you're left with a 5-iron, you're not on a downslope to a raised green. But otherwise, I like it. You know, maybe not as -- I guess as exciting, you know, seeing people go for it and put it in the water or make bogeys out of the bunker, because the penalty for missing is pretty severe, but it's a par 5, so maybe that should be the case. End of FastScripts |
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