MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 10, 2001

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: Had good success here. Wasn't quite sure I'd be back this year after the way the year had started last year, then getting hurt, really only having a couple of tries at it. I'm ready to get going. I feel like my game is good.

DAVID DUVAL: No cameras. They left. Went to write the story (laughter).

DAVID DUVAL: Well, sure, it would be great if you don't. But, no, it's not a hundred percent still. It's a lot better. It's just, you know, going to take a little bit longer is all.

DAVID DUVAL: I really can't talk about it right now.

DAVID DUVAL: Sun Valley is coming out with a new one-piece ball (laughter). It's called ice.

DAVID DUVAL: I think so. I always do. I'm going to play -- end up playing one less event because I didn't play matchplay. You know, I like playing out here. I always have, ever since I started on TOUR. I started so well my first year, I don't know. I think the weather tends to be good, with the exception of a few spots, somewhere in Northern California hasn't been so great. Other than that, you know, the courses are in good shape. It's just exciting to get started again.

DAVID DUVAL: For this year?

DAVID DUVAL: Same as I have in the past. Just trying to improve, try to give yourself as many opportunities to win golf tournaments as I can, to continue to do the little things that I feel like I need to do to play well and to win. Just typical things like that. I don't think that me, as an individual, I'm not setting out to hunt Tiger down. Good golf takes care of itself, you know, takes care of all the other stuff. I'm not concerned about trying to beat Tiger.

DAVID DUVAL: No, no. I wish there was something. I think typical things, to try to putt well and to chip well, bunkers, all that stuff. We talk about it every week. You just can't stress it enough.

DAVID DUVAL: Because I missed them.

DAVID DUVAL: Not really. I feel like I putted well. They just weren't going in. I can't control that ball after I hit it. Once it's on the greens rolling, there's not anything else can you do.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know. Possible, but I don't really know. I feel like I --.

DAVID DUVAL: Trying to make up (laughter).

DAVID DUVAL: No.

DAVID DUVAL: Hasn't happened last year. Hasn't happened the year before. I think certainly you'll have some spectacular play on any given day, any given week. I don't think that everything's going to fall every week. I just disagree with that.

DAVID DUVAL: The balls were out last year and so was the equipment. Only person that broke a few records was Tiger. You know, I don't think that shows a pattern that every record is going to fall.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, I'd like to think so. I could probably give you a more definitive answer if I felt like I was a hundred percent healthy, and had been last year. I think that I probably went backwards a little bit through last year because I was playing hurt. You know, it's funny, in my heart I feel like I am. I feel like I've improved and I'm getting better.

DAVID DUVAL: If he plays well, he'll bump into me (smiling).

DAVID DUVAL: Knock heads, right (laughter)? I mean, certainly we all think Tiger will play, there's no reason to think anything differently, that he won't continue to play great. My plans are to play well also.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think so. I don't. You know, you start a golf tournament and you shoot 20 under par. Whether Tiger's playing or not, you have a good chance of winning.

DAVID DUVAL: Yes.

DAVID DUVAL: We didn't play head-to-head in that. We had our common opponent in the dealer.

DAVID DUVAL: You know, my stack was smaller. It was also a different color (laughter).

DAVID DUVAL: No.

DAVID DUVAL: Maybe. I'll be there. I'm not sure I'll do it every day.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, yeah, sure. I went before Christmas.

DAVID DUVAL: It felt all right. I was a little timid, but I felt okay.

DAVID DUVAL: He started paying me monthly (smiling).

DAVID DUVAL: I think so. It just evolves, like anything will or anything could. I don't really know what to say other than that. Over the course of time, as anybody in this room has people they were closer with, become better friends. It's just no different.

DAVID DUVAL: Boy, I don't think there's one instance, no. It's just being in each other's company on a more regular basis.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, no, I wouldn't say that. I wouldn't put it that way. I was very excited about the fact that I went down there. Yeah, I believe I played better than Tiger, but I think also I was not coming -- it wasn't my eighth event in a row around the world. You know, I expected Tiger to be tired and stuff. I felt good about the fact that I felt like I stepped up and played very well. You know, that was an exciting week for me to go abroad, play so well. I played well at Lancome a few years ago, I played well at the British Open a couple times. To put it all together, that was a great week for me.

DAVID DUVAL: A lot. A lot more. You know, I think just from the first experience of playing, I'm now looking forward to all the questions and all the dredging up of last Ryder Cup (laughter). I think it's just going to be great. I do. I'm looking forward to the whole week. I think it's going to be fun.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I mean, without rehashing the whole story, you know, I believe -- I guess I am going to rehash some of it, if you want me to answer that question. Like I said before, I don't believe that what I said was portrayed accurately in every instance. Some things were taken and run. They took them and ran with it. What changed was I think, as much as anything, just being a part of such a big comeback that day, a week where we were all but dead starting Sunday, and to then put it all together was an amazing experience.

DAVID DUVAL: I think it could carry over further. You know, as excited as it was to be on the good side of it, it had to have been probably that defeating to be on the opposite side, I would think. I think it's certainly something that will help this year.

DAVID DUVAL: I think it could. I think by -- I think by saying that, what I mean, you know, because it could carry into this time, it could really just kind of go into the next one because of that.

DAVID DUVAL: All right.