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NISSAN IRISH OPEN

May 19, 2005

Nick Dougherty

MAYNOOTH, IRELAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Well done, Nick. Afer a bogey-bogey start, it was a nice way to finish.

NICK DOUGHERTY: It was a really solid day. I think three bogeys, threw an eagle in there and some good birdies. I just played really consistently.

I think the key to me shooting a good score, I've been playing good golf recently but I've been struggling with my swing, because of the stuff I've done with Lead (David Leadbetter) has been working on my full swing. And we've played in some windy conditions and I've lost my feel a little bit with knock down shots and feel shots, and my only good results have been in good weather. Also, because of that, I'm punishing myself. I've been beating myself up so bad. I think it's good to set high expectations, but I didn't except the fact that I wasn't going to always achieve them; and, you know, I am setting the bar at perfection and the golf isn't like that. You know, it's taken me a little bit of miserable golf the last month and a half to appreciate that, and I feel as happy and I enjoyed today as I did when I was playing in Singapore.

GORDON SIMPSON: So you're not beating yourself up now, are you?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Well, yeah, I didn't at all today. It was evident in the start, two bogeys, and they really didn't bother me. I think these courses, it helps the fact that it's so difficult. When you miss the fairway and you are upset when you walk off with a bogey, bogey is not a bad score on some of these holes. So I accepted that, and probably all four rounds, you're going to make at least one mistake. So I'm a lot more accepting of it and because of it, you can get on with as good a frame of mind as you do as if you just walked off with a birdie.

Q. You stopped beating yourself up after last week?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Well, I was distraught after missing the cut last week. I mean, I like the course. It was playing tough, and I've just been working so hard on my swing and I expect this is so silly, my golf game has not been off the plane with golf because I have not been able to execute those punch shots in strong winds. For me to expect to go and win, which I have done ever since I won, I'm never going to be happy, I'm never going to be happy. Not just unhappy, but the fact that I didn't even think I could miss a cut this year after the start of the season. It's just brought me down, not brought me down to where I expect I'm going to win every week, but I feel like if I play good golf, I can. By trying to win every week, or trying to feel like you should win every week, it doesn't happen like that, not even to the best players of the world and I think I needed to back off myself a bit.

When I was at home with my girlfriend, after I had left the tournament, she said something, and it was nothing, it was peanut butter or marmite, and I didn't agree with that and I wouldn't let it drop and that's the way I used to be. I think I said to you before, it was a whole change for me in everything in my life, and that brought a horrible little reminder that I was sneaking back. And it doesn't suit me; it makes me miserable and I played bad golf. Thankfully that was a little note to me realizing where I was at, and some things, you shouldn't beat yourself. Just go out and enjoy it, and I get my best results when I do that.

Q. Most of the time inaudible?

NICK DOUGHERTY: I think, yeah, I love watching Thomas swing because I see how good he was in Singapore, he's quite a good friend for me. I think it's really evident in Thomas's game as well. He's tough on himself, probably even worse. Even in Singapore when things were going right, he's a lot calmer and easier on himself. That was inevitable what happened last week. It's a way forward but, it's easier said than done, isn't it? We practice so hard and work so long, that when you do hit an awful shot in a fairly basic situation, it is annoying. And to be able to drop it, is a necessity I think.

Q. How much credit to you give to your mind coach?

NICK DOUGHERTY: I give him a lot of credit, a lot. This one I worked out myself. I could not put my finger on it, what had changed. I had gone from wanting to go out and play to almost feeling it a bit. If you set the bar at being perfect, you'll be disappointed, and no one likes the feel of being disappointed and I do actually notice that. He has helped me. Once I saw that and I rang off with him last week, we've done a few things. He told me some funny stories and that helped to reiterate that point.

Yeah, I owe a lot to him. I think all it's done for my form is helped me learn a lot more about myself which has helped me recognize some of it on my own as well. But the peanut better thing was key.

GORDON SIMPSON: What do you prefer, peanut butter or marmite?

NICK DOUGHERTY: Don't get me started.

GORDON SIMPSON: Should we end on that note? Thanks very much.

End of FastScripts.

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