MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 3, 2001

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: Don't have anything to say. Everything is good with me. I'm excited to be back playing here. My wrist is doing great, so, we don't have to talk about that. I don't think it will be an issue, but if it is, I'll let you know as soon as it is. Just looking forward to playing.

DAVID DUVAL: 6.

DAVID DUVAL: 6. 6.4. I don't know. (Laughs). Kind of like when you are asked: "How important is it to you?" I mean, how do you quantify it? I'm looking forward to it very much.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, I think you have a little bit at THE PLAYERS like that. I can't think of anything else right off the top of my head.

DAVID DUVAL: Sure. Right. You know going in, if you hit some quality golf shots, you can pick up a lot of strokes. That's just -- that's just how it is every year, and that's how I'm sure it will be for a long, long time here.

DAVID DUVAL: Was I glad?

DAVID DUVAL: Again, you know, they still have failed to call me when they are thinking about makes changes here. (Laughter.) You know, I just go and play what the golf course is, and you know, I don't know what changes might have been thought about being made or not being made, but I just -- again, it's in front of you. All of these golf courses I feel like it's kind of a waste of time for the players to talk about if they would like changes or not, because there's nothing they can do about it. It's not up to them. It's just there to play.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I think one thing is the slope, just kind of how some of it is dramatic, obviously, but at the same time some of it is very subtle and the ball just keeps tumbling over away from the hole. I don't think you encounter that very often at other golf courses. And also, I would say that, you hear about maybe at an Open, like, you know, you stay below the hole, that kind of thing, but that holds true for a lot of places, but not here. You know, the best position to get access some of these holes is chipping, as opposed to being on the other side of the green -- other side of the hole. So I just think you have to be very conscious of where you are and where you are putting from and where you want to putt from.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think so. You know, it all depends on your situation, where you are. You could say that the approach into 13 is critical, but if you hit it up into the trees to the right, it is not all that critical any longer because you are probably going to lay up. You know, making sure you stay out of the water on holes 11, 12, 15. I think a lot of it depends on where you set yourself to putt from the second time.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I don't know if one is more difficult than the others. It seems to me the par 3's don't get talked about a whole lot, which are very difficult, and then the hole that -- it seems like it is mentioned in passing, as a difficult hole, but it's also mentioned as an afterthought is the 1st hole seems to be -- always plays hard. And I think it is always kind of mentioned, but then it is just dropped and then not talked about again.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, do you mean by -- since I've started hitting balls again? Obviously, the answer would be no, if you mean by the last month.

DAVID DUVAL: Sure I would have liked to have played more, more events this year and not missed some of the ones that I had to miss. Since I've started hitting balls again on last Thursday, I don't -- I would not say that I feel like I haven't been able to practice enough since then. It's not an ideal situation, but that's just how it is.

DAVID DUVAL: In essence, three weeks.

DAVID DUVAL: Again, (laughs), 7. You know --

DAVID DUVAL: No, I don't. You know, I've done -- I'm not playing against doctor's advice and I'm not playing with kind of reluctant consent on his part, either. They don't -- they don't feel like this is any problem with that. You know, obviously, I wanted to play, but I'm not going to do it -- if I have to pull out of this golf tournament, don't get me wrong, I will, if that was on option. I don't think it will be, but it was a very real possibility. I wasn't going to turn a four- or five- or six-week injury into an eight-month injury. All it needed was a little time to heal, and just to force one golf tournament, I wasn't going to do that to possibly sit out several months.

DAVID DUVAL: I think so. Again, I got here and felt like everything kind of started falling into place. Just kind of the trend that it has been for me the last several years. I think the enjoyment that I have of just competing in this event is so great that it kind of overrides the bit of rust I might have from not having played.

DAVID DUVAL: Thank you.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I think you just gain experience and knowledge through the years that you play, and again, I just -- I really enjoy the unique challenge that you are presented here during the golf tournament. You know, what we play this week is unlike anything else, and, you know, a lot of people are fortunate enough to get to play here, and it's kind of like playing at The Players Club or, you know, a U.S. Open venue. The people who play that golf course, they get to play it, but they don't experience it like the players do during the major event. You know, if you could, it's a different ball game. Like I was asked when I was starting my other career on the television commentating at the -- asked about a ten-handicapper at The Players Club and I think kind of the same type of stuff would apply here . It would just be a major struggle. I think events like this is where the players, their skills are really able to shine.

DAVID DUVAL: Patience.

DAVID DUVAL: Patience.

DAVID DUVAL: I like patience. Laugh. All of it.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, again, all of it applies. Sometimes it requires a great 3-iron shot and sometimes it requires a sand wedge that you play 40 feet away from the hole. So, I just really get a kick out of it.

DAVID DUVAL: It was great. I had a lot of fun.The the only difficult part I found in that job as a player, for me, and maybe because I'm still playing, is that they want to talk about certain players, and in doing so, you don't want to disrespect the efforts of the others, either. So, it's kind of a fine line you walk. I don't know, I think did a pretty good job of that. And certainly, at THE PLAYERS Championship, you know, it seemed to me that the players to watch after the first couple of days were Vijay and Tiger, as I said, and that's no disrespect to Jerry, but those were the names that jump out at you. That's a fine line that you have to walk. I guess when you get out of the game, you need not be so concerned with it, but at the same time, having played and knowing how hard it is to win your first golf tournament and win any golf tournament you compete, I was not just saying it just to be nice. I certainly felt like he could play and had a chance to win the golf tournament watching the highlights and such of the third day, it was clear that he had hit the ball better than anybody else.

DAVID DUVAL: I guess not.

DAVID DUVAL: What do you mean?

DAVID DUVAL: Heck, I don't know. Ask me how my wrist is, right? (Laughter.) Ask me if I feel like I had enough practice time. I mean, y'all are covering it well. You are doing a good job. (Smiles).

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I think I'm in a good position. Expectations are not high for me, necessarily, outside expectations. But at the same time, I think I'm striking the golf ball so much better than I was last year. Last year, was played off of confidence and off of smart play. I didn't do well last year because I was swinging the golf club well and hitting quality golf shots. I did well because I managed my game well and just picked my spots. This year, if I can combine that with how I'm hitting the ball, I think that's why I feel so good about my chances.

DAVID DUVAL: Second.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I had said that I thought -- my opinion was all in the same year, but I thought Tiger would have agreed with that, but I guess he doesn't. So I guess if he wins, then that would be a Grand Slam, because he's the one who does it.

DAVID DUVAL: No.

DAVID DUVAL: Not at all.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know. I have no idea. I think it's something that the game teaches you, certainly, but no one knows.

DAVID DUVAL: I hope they have no patience.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I don't know. I think that's some of it. I think it's, you know, management of themselves and of their golf games. I think it's the ability to recognize that this golf tournament or the U.S. Open, whichever event it may be, is a 72-hole golf and not an 18-hole event or 36-hole event; that regardless of how you play the first day, you can still win. Just a lot of scenarios involved with competing and winning a golf tournament. I think it is a lot of those factors combined.

DAVID DUVAL: Does the lack of expectations inspire me?

DAVID DUVAL: No. I just want to play well again. I feel like -- I feel like I was right where I wanted to be a year and a half ago, and unfortunately, I ran into some issues off the golf course with injuries that have kind of stalled me a little bit. I just look forward to playing well again and being healthy. Fortunately for me it, was not major things. It was -- I mean, it seems that way because what it has required is a lot of time, but they were not major injuries. I say again, if those were the type of things that I have to deal with through the course of my career, then I'll be fortunate just to have small things like that.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I don't know. I'm not playing next week. I'll probably come see you the week after. And then after that, I think I have a week off again and then a few in a row.

DAVID DUVAL: I have no idea. We'll find out, I guess.

DAVID DUVAL: I think that combination, with the clubs and ball, people hit it a little bit further. I don't think it's a -- I think it is a pretty false statement that people are hitting 30 yards further. I think it is ridiculous if you look at the stats. I think some of the people that are hitting it 30 yards further are hitting it shorter statistically now. I don't know. You know, I think all of that depends on conditions, you know, if you have a dry, fast golf course; if you have a wet golf course. There's a lot of combinations that go into good golf. I don't -- I don't know what to make of it. There's a lot of hubbub about it. Certainly, there's been some low scores shot this year, but there always is. Maybe it just goes to the depth of talent. Better practice routines, combination of a lot of things.

DAVID DUVAL: How hard will it be for him to deal with that? Apparently not very. He's dealt with it fine for the last several years, so I don't think it will change.

DAVID DUVAL: Sure. That's you will you can take away. I think that -- I believe that it's not a good thing as a player to rely on good breaks, to win golf tournaments. I think it is better to rely on yourself and hitting quality shots and not making mistakes. You know, unfortunately I didn't do that in every instance where I needed to, and that's what has prevented me from winning the golf tournament a few times. So my approach isn't to -- yeah, I've certainly said it and I don't change my position; that sure, I could have used a couple of breaks, but my intention is to play a golf tournament here, where I don't need those breaks. That's kind of what I aim for.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think so. You know, every player has such high regards for this golf tournament, and certainly large crowds will follow certain players. But at the same time, there's large galleries everywhere on the golf course. You know what's occurring at other places; you hear the roars. So I don't think it is like a regular event where there might be a large gallery following a couple of groups and you'll see a group that has nobody around them. I don't ever remember that happening. I mean, when I played -- when I first played, it sure seemed like a lot of people were out there everywhere. Then I think everybody's desire to play well and win this golf tournament kind of out weigh that.

DAVID DUVAL: Thank you.