	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

IRISH OPEN PRESENTED BY DISCOVER IRELAND

July 30, 2011

David Howell

KILLARNEY, IRELAND

MICHAEL GIBBONS: David, talk us through your superb third round.
DAVID HOWELL: Well, it -- for me, I don't mind saying, it was a superb round, and, you know, I knew it was going to be interesting as we just mentioned with all of the crowd, and obviously playing with Rory, who is -- he's got an intimidating game when he's on.
Yeah, got off to a good start, played really solidly for -- well, the first three holes, I had chances, I guess. Then I birdied the 5th, that was really nice, and that got me going.
I think the swing that really got me going was on the par 3, the 6th. I missed that green badly the first two days, had not committed at all. Tough hole today. I hit a beautiful shot to five feet. As it happens, I went and missed the putt. But that swing gave me a lot of confidence.
And then you know, things went very nicely from there and obviously 11, 12, 13, three birdies on the three toughest holes, and although 11 was downwind today, none of them were quite so daunting today. But still, to get through there in nine shots was amazing, and really pleased to birdie 15, 16 and made the most of a good day's golf.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: You said yourself, you weren't sure how you were going to react today to Rory and the crowds and all that, and it went the right way.
DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, there weren't really any nerves. We were aware last night, yeah, you're going to be right in the middle of it tomorrow. And I haven't been there so much of late, as we all know. But I was delighted with the way that the nerves didn't come actually, and I really enjoyed being in the thick of it.

Q. You seemed to find something here last year, didn't you?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, it started off well last year, yeah, 64. And then the week sort of fizzled away into a nothing week.
But I really love the course. I just think it's one of the best courses we play. I thought a lot of people -- although they were complimentary last year, almost underrated it, and I think it's fantastic, and a fantastic venue, as we all know more importantly. And I've always been concerned that it's venues that we need, as much as golf courses, and this has got both. So I think it's a fantastic place.
Yeah, seems to bring the best out in me.

Q. Has this been coming, even if you have not been quite in contention?
DAVID HOWELL: No, not really. The year had started off better than previous years, then I had a couple of months off, injury, which meant my first one back was the PGA, and since then I've been really scrappy. Went and qualified for the U.S. Open, and while Rory was doing miraculous things, I was absolutely shocking. So we couldn't have had more polar opposite weeks. And then led me on to sort of a lot of thinking and taking different advice from different coaches, and it's been a bit of a muddle for a few months.
Finally last week, I clicked on something that I thought was a sensible course of action in terms of just my swing thoughts and where I'm going to take things. Nothing particularly major in that, but it cleared my mind a bit.
And I came into this week, it was just everything seemed a little easier. I've been hitting it straighter but with less difficulty, shall we say. It's always ball striking with me that generally let's me down, and so far this week it's been pretty darned good and getting better as the week goes on.

Q. And did you get inspiration from a big-time atmosphere again?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, I think I did yeah. As I went around, you know, I played in front of big crowds at the U.S. Open, but I played terrible in front of them. When that's the case, it's almost worse. I really didn't enjoy one moment of that U.S. Open.
And today, obviously courtesy of Rory and G-Mac and the Irish crowds, they come out anyway, they were obviously pretty heavy, the crowds for our group, for those reasons. And yeah, I warmed to it. And there was plenty of support for me as well, as there always is with the knowledgeable crowds, and it was a ball. I really enjoyed it.

Q. Were there any issues with the cameras and the noise? A lot of people seemed to want to take a picture of Rory and clicking away. Did that bother you?
DAVID HOWELL: Well, there was a lot of clicking going on. Obviously it was generally more a problem for Rory; if it was a problem, I'm not saying it was. But it didn't overly affect me.
I think that it's great that everyone is so excited about seeing Rory, and wanting to get his picture. But there's obviously a little bit of an education programme going on. We want people to bring their phones in so they don't feel like they are cut off for the day when they come to the golf. But obviously we don't want them using them as cameras and hearing the little annoying click that they don't think you can hear but you can from 20 yards away. That's going to be an ongoing process. But we would much rather have 30,000 people with their phones than no one or five people without them.

Q. Rory spoke outside about him finding it especially difficult and feeling a lot of pressure here because of the following and because expectations. After today, do you have any sympathy, do you understand --
DAVID HOWELL: Well, there is a little bit of expectation obviously on Rory any time now. But you know, at the Irish Open, it goes without saying. It's difficult, I'm sure.
I haven't really got -- obviously the British Open, it's not really the same thing with the expectations. So I don't quite know how it feels.
As I say, Rory, you could see that in his demeanor a little bit today. But he just got off to a shocking start. And you know, it was a quite difficult atmosphere, everyone cheering him on, and obviously didn't have his best day. But he'll bounce back tomorrow and probably see a free-flowing Rory with a mid-60s round to climb the leaderboard and entertain the crowds.
He's an unbelievable talent. It's lovely for us to be able to play with him ask see how he hits the ball, just like it was with Tiger 15 years ago. At times he can do things that are pretty special. There will be plenty more entertainment in the weeks and months to come, and I'm sure tomorrow as well.

Q. We have talked about this before, but you are proving a very able television pundit?
DAVID HOWELL: I'm on next week.

Q. It would be rather nice to drop a few engagements, wouldn't it, because you've you'll be too busy playing?
DAVID HOWELL: I'm not doing too much, only three weeks this year I think. That's still a privilege for me. And, you know, I'm not in Akron next week, so to be able to go to the studio and do a full day's work, I see it as a privilege.
Obviously there's a balance there to not get in the way of the golf, but you know, at the end of the day, I enjoy it. It gives me something to occupy my mind on my week's off and as long as I can get the balance right, as I say, I should continue to take them up on the offer.

Q. Are you thinking further ahead with the career?
DAVID HOWELL: No, I want to get back to playing brilliant golf and have a very long career and keep playing. I love playing golf.
But you know, I need to continue playing a bit better.

Q. Well, they are looking for another Peter Alliss, you see.
DAVID HOWELL: Got a few years yet I think.

Q. I'm sure you weren't tracking it week-by-week but do you know what your World Ranking went down to?
DAVID HOWELL: I don't think it hit 500. 470-something maybe I think. Yes, funny enough, I wasn't week-by-week but the odd-person mentioned it.

Q. So you're already on the come back trail?
DAVID HOWELL: Oh, I'm flying. I'm above 300, aren't I? Well, there we go. I've rised -- that's a lot of places to rise this year. Must be on of the hottest players in the world (smiling).

Q. How risky was that listening to two or three different coaches at the time?
DAVID HOWELL: Very. They are only opinions. You get an opinion, you filter it, you either go that direction or you don't. If you don't, then you either do your own thing or you get another one.
So I've been in that position many times in my career, unfortunately. It's very easy to get into a bit of a muddle and you can't see the woods through the trees. Yeah, it's not ideal and obviously we all want to have the simplest game plan going and Rory is probably the best example of that and Monty years ago kept things very simple.
But the game doesn't all treat us the same and we all have different challenges. You have to try to make good decisions when you get in that situation and go with what your gut really tells you. And I've never been afraid of getting someone's opinion, and you know, just letting it pass by.

Q. And do you have a coach now?
DAVID HOWELL: Maybe tomorrow I'll let you know (laughing).
No, I've been getting a bit of advice from someone the last couple of weeks.

Q. Intriguing. Can't wait to hear it.
DAVID HOWELL: (Laughing).

Q. More frisbee throwing?
DAVID HOWELL: I played tennis table tennis last night. I've been taking a risk in a bit of table tennis the last couple of nights. We were planning on fishing this afternoon, but the weather might send us the way of the table tennis again. I've given my mate, Kevin, a thumping a two or three times now, so it's good for the confidence.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: David, thank you for joining us.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297