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ZURICH CLASSIC OF NEW ORLEANSApril 26, 2012Ken DukeAVONDALE, LOUISIANA Q. 17 greens, just take 28 putts. You're going to have a good day. Congratulations. KEN DUKE: Thank you. I was really looking forward to coming here. I spent sometime at home and got some rest. I think that's very important to come here. Looked at some videos of the past from here and a few tournaments and had some good vibes and got here and just trying to be patient and hit a lot of good shots. Q. The first time ever really I watched you play was 2007. You finished 2nd here and I clearly remember how excited your family was. Got good vibes from this place. KEN DUKE: The people here treat you unbelievable. You gain a lot of weight with food. It's special. Gained a lot of good relationships here with some of the spectators and some of the people on the Board. It's just a special place. Q. The wind is up, the scores are down. I'm guessing that the course is receptive. KEN DUKE: It is. It's out there we played 2, 3 holes without any kind of wind but I think it's important when you have a tournament like that you know there's going to be some wind, go out early first because you're fighting all day and fighting the next day you get there every day. It was a good day for us. We're excited about it. Q. First off on the very first hole. You've been very, very consistent this season after spending some time on the Nationwide Tour. What's been the turn-around? KEN DUKE: Just a -- I've got a workout program with a trainer and worked -- I had to change equipment this year and just kind of got back to the basics, kind of got away from it and Mr. Toski and I have been working on it. Q. Couldn't have been a much better day for Ken Duke here. Overall, a bogey-free round. Tell me about how well you played. This is a golf course that can be a little tricky at times. KEN DUKE: Lucky to get up on the right side of the bed when you come here. This golf course will get you if you get the wrong way. Kind of patient out there. Didn't make a birdie until No. 5. I had a couple of good chances. That's what you have to do, take what the golf course feeds you, 30-footer here, not thinking you got to get four, five feet. Q. Overall a few times when you've been in contention here this year, what gives you more confidence the more you put yourself into position, the better chance of having a birdie? KEN DUKE: Just the confidence. Just confidence in your game. Confidence being right there in the heat of the moment and trusting your game, believing that you can hit shots and that's what you practice for and that's why you're out here. Q. Just talk about playing well here. Is there a reason why? KEN DUKE: I'm from Arkansas originally so it's similar to Arkansas. I just think the fans and lot of the people on the Board that I got to know and some of the volunteers, it feels like I'm playing in my home course, but it's just a great atmosphere here. They feed you unbelievable. Everything goes on downtown is awesome. I don't know. If you look on the PGA TOUR there's guys that play good in certain spots and seems like this is mine. Q. How about the way you finished up your round? Beautiful shot, that approach. KEN DUKE: It was good. We've been working a lot on our wedges the last week or so and, you know, it's good. I had a perfect number and felt like I made the swing and came out perfect. Tapped in. Really felt good. Q. Did you think about trying to get on in two or did you contemplate it at all? KEN DUKE:  I did not. We had 251 to the front and 278 or something like that to the pin. It had to be a perfect shot for me to get it there. I felt like my wedge game has been pretty good and just want to keep the momentum going instead of trying to go for it and hit it in the water and make a bogey and come out tomorrow trying to fight back. Wanted to keep it in front of us. Q. Talk about your round. You started off even for about four, five holes before you got it going. KEN DUKE: I think that's the key to this golf course. You have to be patient. You can't hit it four, five feet every hole because there's so many mounds on the greens. You have to take your 30-foot putt here, 30-foot the putt there and take what it gives you. If you roll one in, you roll one in. I did that a couple times today. You have to be patient out here. Q. Were conditions relatively favorable this morning? Seemed like they were. Can you see somebody this afternoon throwing up a lower number than you? KEN DUKE: You can say yes or no. These guys out here are good, as our motto says. You never know. And, you know, you don't know what they're going to do. Always try to have fun. But in the afternoon, if you make -- shoot a 7-under round you'll be really happy. Q. Ken, were y'all feeding off one another in the group? KEN DUKE: I think we were. What was really good, and I don't know if I've never done it, we talked about it in the scorer's tent, we didn't have a bogey in our group and we had a couple, you know, 4-footers here and there but that was it. It seemed like we were right there in front of it. That's what happens sometimes when you have a group like this, you kind of feed off each other and keep momentum going. Q. How has your season been going before this event? KEN DUKE: Been good and consistent. I came into this year, I had two goals, be consistent and try to win. I've been 2nd out here a few times. I felt like I could keep working hard and doing that. Q. How are the greens? KEN DUKE: The greens were good. Weren't too fast. You can't have them too fast here because of the wind and it will really will smack you. They're hole-able, were receptive. The course is in good shape, great shape. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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