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DEUTSCHE BANK CHAMPIONSHIP

September 1, 2011

Luke Donald

NORTON, MASSACHUSETTS

MARK STEVENS: I'd like to welcome Luke Donald. You just got done playing the pro-am. If you could talk a little bit about the course conditions and then we'll have some questions.
LUKE DONALD: Course is in great shape, considering some of the weather that was here a few days ago with the hurricane. The greens are nice and firm, and the course is in great condition, just like it was last year. You couldn't tell that there was any weather here at all, so the guys have done a great job in preparing the course and ready for a great event.
MARK STEVENS: Going into this week, you know where you're at in the FedExCup standings. What's your thoughts coming into this week? You had a great finish here last year. Just kind of talk about your goals this week and advancing on.
LUKE DONALD: Well, the goal is to win. I think winning is more important than ever during the Playoffs, than it is during the regular season. I mean, with the points times by five, there's a lot more volatility, and winning is very important. Hopefully I'll have a good chance come Sunday.

Q. Last year Charley shot 62 in the final round, had 11 birdies. Do you see that this course is going to yield those kind of low scores that we had last year?
LUKE DONALD: There are some opportunities out there. There's a mixture of some longer holes. I thought the course this morning was playing a little bit longer just because there wasn't quite as much roll in the fairways. I was hitting quite a few long irons into the greens.
But there are a number of holes that offer birdie opportunities, as well. I'm not sure if you'll see 62, but I think as usual, you're going to have to make some birdies and get pretty well under par to have a chance this week.

Q. We're doing some coverage on the par-3s on the back side on 11 and 16. If you could just tell me how you approach those holes strategically.
LUKE DONALD: Both very different. 11 is a tough par-3, a long hole up the hill a little bit, big bunker guarding the front of the green, two-tier green. It's important to pick the right club there. You know, birdies there are a little bit harder to come by.
16 is a shorter par-3 with some water in front, but a tricky green with quite a lot of slope on it and some different tiers. But hitting only an 8-iron or 7-iron in there, you expect to give yourself some opportunities for birdies. I think that's a fun hole that the crowds love to watch and will produce quite a few 2s.

Q. You were shocked by something last week. I'm trying to think what it was. Was it your stats as it related to your position in the field?
LUKE DONALD: I'm not shocked, but I just tend to look through the stats that the PGA TOUR compile. Again, they can be a little bit misleading, but I was top 10 in driving accuracy, top 10 in putts and finished eight shots behind Dustin. Obviously 54 holes might have skewed that a little bit.
But it's one of those courses where you just had to make a lot of birdies. The greens were so soft. People were able to hit driver everywhere and from the rough control it onto the greens.
I think that was one week where the stats got a little bit skewed. I guess I tried to see it as a positive, that there was still a lot of good numbers, and it just meant good play was coming.

Q. When you had a stretch of, off the top of my head I think it was nine top 10s in a row, then got to Congressional, missed the cut at the Open, and then it seems like you kind of got back into stride again, A, what happened there; and B, was there any part of you that no matter how good the year has been already was motivated not to slip even an inch, if that makes any sense?
LUKE DONALD: What happened at The Open?

Q. Just kind of that quick summer stretch there, the two-Open bridge, and then it seems like you're kind of back on an upswing.
LUKE DONALD: I guess golf is like that. It's hard to stay at a high level every week. U.S. Open I said in the media that I felt like I probably mismanaged my schedule a little bit. I played a little bit too much leading up to it. I felt a little bit drained. I felt like I didn't prepare quite enough, didn't get quite enough rest before the U.S. Open. I don't know if that spilled into the Open Championship or not. But for whatever reason my short game wasn't very sharp at Royal St. George's. I didn't get up and up-and-down enough, I holed no putts, and it was a disappointing week.
What was the second part, sorry?

Q. Was there any part of you that was extra motivated to work a little bit harder, what have you, even though you've already had a pretty strong year to begin with, just because of that slight dip?
LUKE DONALD: I think it's in my nature just continually to work hard. I just feel like I don't have as much talent as some of the other guys out here, and I have to work at it. I feel nervous coming into an event if I haven't prepared well enough, and for me just not working hard enough isn't an option. I just need to put in that work.

Q. When is the last time you showed up at a tournament where you didn't think you were properly prepared?
LUKE DONALD: It's been a while (smiling). It's been a while. I take it pretty seriously.

Q. Could you just expound on that work ethic that you have, that your key to success is just simply outwork your opposition?
LUKE DONALD: Well, I think, yeah, you said it. I feel like I have a great opportunity. I'm very fortunate to be in this job, and might as well give it my all. You know, I've seen parts where when I've taken weeks off and come back, and it takes me a while to get back into it. I don't feel like I can pick it up straightaway. I feel like I'm just one of those players that just needs to constantly work on it.
Yeah, obviously there are times where I take weeks off and get away from it, but it's not like I'm taking five weeks off and then going straight into a tournament. I'm preparing a few weeks before that event. But I have a great opportunity, and I feel like if I'm going to get the most out of it, I might as well feel the most prepared.

Q. I assume you guys are used to a certain routine, four days in tournaments and whatnot. Because of the weather, obviously you finished early on Saturday, and then we've got the extra day because of the Labor Day finish. Do you get the sense that everybody is feeling a bit antsy to get this thing started?
LUKE DONALD: To be honest, the break was actually nice for me, to get home for fours days and amongst a busy stretch, to kind of practice on home soil. I was planning on playing at Ernie's charity event at Deep Dell on the Monday and then playing a little bit of golf in Long Island, but that obviously changed with the weather. And for me it was a nice break, actually, to get home and feel a little bit more rested.
For me it just feels like a normal event. I still got here two days before the event like I usually do, and I'm still going through my same routines.

Q. How do you feel about this golf course and just the way you're playing going into this event?
LUKE DONALD: I've been practicing really well. I feel like my swing has gotten a lot better from a couple weeks ago. You know, I played nicely today in the pro-am, made a bunch of birdies. I feel like I am swinging well. Obviously I had a good week here last year, finishing second, tied second, I think, on a course that I hadn't played that well in previous years, but found something last year, and obviously would hope to draw from that and hope to draw from the positive feelings I feel about my golf swing right now.

Q. Did you play it any differently last year?
LUKE DONALD: I can't really remember. I just know that I had a good chance to win. I know Charley made a good run on the back nine to beat me by a couple coming down the stretch, but for whatever reason, I played a lot better.
There are a few holes out here where length helps. You can cut off a little bit of some of the doglegs, and there's a few carries out here where if you can carry it a little bit further it helps. But last year I think I managed to get around that somehow, and I was able to make a bunch of birdies.

Q. I would ask you this only because you have a college degree, from a Big Ten school no less. If you could fix or change one thing about this Playoff system, what would it be?
LUKE DONALD: It is a tough question. I mean, there's lots of things I like about the Playoffs and there's a few things I don't. Obviously in other sports the Playoffs is more played amongst the top teams. You don't have the masses like we do in our Playoffs, so that lends to a bit more volatility. I like the fact that it brings all the top fields together. We're playing against great fields, and I like the fact that it forces you to play well, and you have to win, and these top finishes go a long way.
But obviously the thing I like about it is if I play well, I'm going to do well. If I don't play well, I'm going to struggle. Obviously golf is a fickle game, and sometimes you can go through stretches, and if I went through a poor stretch in the Playoffs having had such a great year, it would obviously be disappointing. But as long as it brings value to the PGA TOUR and the brand and it's increasing the enjoyment from the fans, then I think it's worth it.

Q. Could you comment on the nine-year television contract they signed that's kept everybody out of this room for your interview?
LUKE DONALD: Well, hat's off to Tim, again, for what I heard is a great deal going forward. I think all credit to Tim for getting that done in tough economic times. But it just shows that golf is still worth betting on. We have a good brand here. We have great fans, great players. I think we show ourselves in a good light compared to some of the other sports, and hat's off to NBC and CBS and The Golf Channel for stepping in and redoing the contract. They do some good coverage, and it's nice to see them back on board. That means I have a job for another few years.

Q. Two-part question here. Keegan Bradley is a local story around here. I just wanted to know from your perspective how impressed you've been with the year he's had, and the second part is just how the year has been overall with just a lot of young guys, McIlroy and then Kaymer last year winning majors and the impact that's having on the game?
LUKE DONALD: I played with Keegan last week. Yeah, I was impressed. He didn't have his best game last week. That was the first time I had played with him. But he's had a great year. As a rookie to win twice and one of them be a major, that's an unbelievable year. Hat's off to him. He looks like a fine talent and someone who will be around for a long time.
The other part, all the youngsters doing well, I think that's good. It keeps me working hard, keeps me on my toes, and it's exciting to see a lot of new talent coming through. You know, those guys are a little bit a part of the reason why these contracts, TV contracts, are getting signed. People enjoy watching them, and it's good for the game.

Q. Of the two things that have happened so far during these Playoffs, which surprises you more: An earthquake in New Jersey or Phil Mickelson trying out a belly putter?
LUKE DONALD: Probably the first one (smiling). You know, I think if you look at stats, Phil hasn't been a best putter in terms of stats for a long time. He's known as someone that putts well but in streaks, I think, and he's obviously looking for a bit more consistency, maybe even on those shorter ones. Yeah, I didn't expect to see a hurricane and an earthquake in one week. That's pretty unusual.

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