DORAL-RYDER OPEN

March 1, 2000

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: I sure hope so. I feel good. I am putting well, and just nice to be back here. Last event I played that Ryder was involved in, we had a good result. About the same thing -- (laughs).

DAVID DUVAL: (laughs). So, no, it is nice to be back and the ball is rolling a little bit on the fairways; greens are a little smoother. What a great day. I watched the sunrise this morning as we were on the first green.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know. I might. I used a different one today.

DAVID DUVAL: I do, yes. I am getting much better results right now. Last week -- I feel actually the week before, I feel like I kind of turned it around, started to putt well was in L.A. Although I didn't make a whole lot last week, I started to make some putts as well, so.....

DAVID DUVAL: No. Ball just started going in for a change, just how it is. Sometimes they lip out; sometimes they don't. So nothing, no big changes.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I think it can be very beneficial. Relationships, they just get stale and, you know, time to move on and beyond that, I really don't want to say a whole lot about it.

DAVID DUVAL: I think what you are assuming is that, you know -- the key factor you are leaving out is the weather. Greens were soft, course was good, at the TPC, no wonder Norman shot 24-under. Wind came through, the course played a lot harder. Same thing that happened here, seemed to me, the course -- they got three years in a row where they didn't have any wind here and everybody was concerned about what happened to the Doral, you know, and well the wind didn't blow. No big deal. That is just how it is. So I don't think you should get real concerned when you have golf courses that are -- one of the key elements to play is the wind; then as far as the other setup that the Tour staff does, I am here to play what they set up, so.....

DAVID DUVAL: Gets difficult to keep making birdies.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think there is a whole lot of difference in the difficulty because you are making a lot of birdies like -- you are having to hit shots at the flags and more than likely the ball is stopping because it is softer, but when it is more pars, you are hitting to the middle of greens; you are not playing toward flags; just 2-putting and such, so both of them present their own challenge and I don't think one is any different than the other.

DAVID DUVAL: About this much - really close, I think. Really is. I feel like this West Coast I have played, you know, I played pretty well and didn't get anything out on the greens and then the last week I started to hole a few putts and I think it hasn't been far off all year; just a little bit and I think I am about ready.

DAVID DUVAL: No.

DAVID DUVAL: Finding the time to continue, that is all.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think of myself in those terms. Whether I am or not, I don't think about that.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, it certainly was helpful, yeah, I mean, as far as showing the interest in wanting me to come down and then also me just feeling like everything was really coming together for me and in L.A. and into last week and me just deciding I think I should play.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, that certainly -- hearing about that, it was kind of restored back to where not -- I don't think it is completely like it originally was set up, but that is certainly was intriguing to me. Then to see it, the news I got after I committed and then to see it today, I mean, it reinforces that I made the proper decision and I think you will have a wonderful week here. Turned out having a great field. It materialized late, but turned into a heck of a field.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I can't exactly tell you who it affects -- how it plays because I played early and the winds weren't up at all and stuff, but the big thing is that you hit off the holes and you can see fairways now. (laughs) You can see where to hit the ball. Doesn't look like you are just hitting at white stuff everywhere. So that is the big thing for me. Is kind of more in front of you, laid out that way, kind of directs you well.

DAVID DUVAL: I think obviously -- I mean, he played very well. My match against him I don't remember exactly, but he was probably 7-under par. I guess Tiger's match he was 11- or 12-under par and he played excellent. So that is what you need to do.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah. I don't know how he did in the first couple of matches that -- in relation to par, but I think he had a good chance to win if it was a medal event, too, last week, so in the end it is certainly -- you can get by in Match Play shooting even par, 1-under at times, even over par, and winning matches; whereas you get passed quickly if it is a stroke-play event. I played well. I was under par last week one -- I played against him - highest score I had which I was 1-under that day just had made a lot of pars, one birdie, so... That is just how it goes in that format.

DAVID DUVAL: No. Not at all. I just -- I enjoy doing it, the scenery changes every 20 minutes, in essence, unless you have a perfectly clear day, each time you get back up on top of a mountain it is a different look and I enjoy that a lot. The silence of it is great. I think it is a great challenge for me. I just like being there, always liked being in the mountains.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know. I just picked it up a few years ago. Looked like it will be a lot of fun and I did the skiing too. I mean, I was a skier before I switched to the board, so just once I got on, just didn't want to get off. That is kind of the story that you hear about everybody, really. Really catches -- you get a nice knee-deep powder day, you are just -- man, you don't go back.

DAVID DUVAL: I go to Sun Valley Idaho.

DAVID DUVAL: Yes.

DAVID DUVAL: No. I don't think so.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, people who fly planes - it is the safest means of travel, so I don't see why that is a big thrill or -- diving with sharks is not exactly my idea of fun, but you know, I just -- I don't know. You are making it out like we are the only people that do those things which is -- I mean, a lot of people ski and snow board and drive and fly planes; we are no different than anybody else is my point. I think the players say that all the time but nobody wants to hear it, but it is true. In essence, just the same activities -- a lot of families go on ski vacations every year; a lot of recreational pilots; various things, so I think we are just -- I think all it shows is how we are normal people.

DAVID DUVAL: Sunday night after Atlanta.

DAVID DUVAL: No, it is fun to go up there and play golf, they treat you well, but you know, it is not the same, so...

DAVID DUVAL: I actually went up, kind of did an outing; played one day with a few friends, that was it.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know. I don't think so necessarily because it doesn't play anything like the golf tournament and even -- you know, as everybody knows, Monday to Thursday is not the same, even Wednesday to Thursday is not the same, but it certainly -- several weeks prior is not going to be anything similar.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I think I believe the difference, you know, if you look at my stats, actual stats from the second half of the year, they weren't bad by any means. I had a couple of chances to win, I didn't win. I had several Top-5s and 10s, but also I played eight golf tournaments from the beginning of June 'til the end of the year, and the point I am getting at, I think the reason the results weren't as good, first of all, it is hard to keep a pace like that, but also I just simply -- I believe I scheduled -- my schedule was -- didn't flow as well. I didn't have three weeks in a row; couple of weeks off; three weeks in a row like I do a lot through June. So that is what I am trying to work on more this year; make a better schedule for myself.

DAVID DUVAL: No. I think it is taxing to win a lot period. The timing doesn't -- I don't think that is relevant necessarily. But it is taxing because you are there every week and if you are playing good, it takes more out of you when you have a chance to win; whether you win or not, certainly it takes more out of you than if you are teeing off at 9 o'clock Sunday morning, you just don't have the stress levels and the glare of all the people and the media, it is not as intense, so you just kind of are doing your thing. You play golf; change shoes; you leave. It is just -- it takes a lot more when you are playing real well.

DAVID DUVAL: So far it has not with the exception of adding this event.

DAVID DUVAL: Correct.

DAVID DUVAL: More so after the U.S. Open is where I feel I need to do a better job. So I got a pretty good flow, I think up 'til the U.S. Open just got to visit it from there.

DAVID DUVAL: Just like I said, I have been playing a few weeks; not breaking it up - playing next week; then not playing for three weeks; then playing two weeks; then not taking two more off. More of play 3 weeks; take two weeks; play two weeks; just try to catch a rhythm where for me where I am out for two, three weeks at a time, not just spots here and there.

DAVID DUVAL: By the time my career is over?

DAVID DUVAL: Certainly I'd like to. I would like to try to do that. How it is going to materialize, I don't know, you just have to add a few here and there, but I would like to do that.

DAVID DUVAL: I think I said thinking about making an additional trip.

DAVID DUVAL: No, it would be an additional tournament in Europe.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't really -- I don't think I can talk about that stuff right now. So I don't really know and I won't give you an answer anyways right now. Work in progress.

DAVID DUVAL: No, absolutely not.

DAVID DUVAL: No.

DAVID DUVAL: There is an outside chance I might go next week for about two days, just kind of shoot up there for a couple of days and come home. I thought I was originally going to be boarding this week. Last time I was there I didn't think that would be my last trip for the year. So maybe next week for a couple of days, but it won't be for very long because there is some serious stuff coming up.

DAVID DUVAL: No. I get a little less each time. Not really. Yeah, little less each year, but also seemingly, believe it or not, seems like I am recognized more up there than anywhere else.

End of FastScripts….