MERCEDES CHAMPIONSHIPS

January 8, 2000

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: I bogeyed the 1st hole. Hit a pitching wedge to 20 feet, 22 feet. 2nd hole I hit 6-iron to about 20 feet. Oh, boy, I don't know. The 5th hole I hit 5-iron to about ten feet and 2-putted. 6, I chipped on to eight feet maybe. The 12th hole I hit it down in front of the green, chipped it to about two foot. 18, I hit it down there just over that bunker and chipped onto, you know, 18 feet, something like that. I believe that's all.

DAVID DUVAL: Nothing changed; just made a couple of putts today.

DAVID DUVAL: No, it seemed very similar.

DAVID DUVAL: I felt good all week. I simply made some putts today. I mean, if you watched me play the last two days, I simply didn't make putts. If anything, I actually didn't hit the ball quite as close today as I have the last two days. I just made the putts today. Pretty simple.

DAVID DUVAL: Actually, I wasn't worried. I didn't expect it to hit short there, you know. It just got blown left with the wind more than I had anticipated. You know, I didn't see the ball land, so I don't know what happened when it hit the ground. It was nice where it was.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know. It's hard to say "more so." It might be fair, though. You know, I'm glad I have a chance now. Starting the day out, it didn't look too good for me. You know, I played very well today, made some putts. Now I have a legitimate chance.

DAVID DUVAL: Because I was eight behind the lead. That's why.

DAVID DUVAL: Not really. I really didn't. Just kind of did on the first two holes, making a couple nice putts. All of a sudden I'm two through two. I very easily could have been 5-under through five really. Actually, six through six. I hit some pretty good putts that just didn't go in. You know, it was simply a matter of making a couple putts. To make those two early was nice. You know, it's nice to get under quick here in this wind because it's a tough golf course the way it plays, the way it's set up. To get a couple under par quickly, it's a good feeling, kind of like you have something in the bank, you know.

DAVID DUVAL: I think sometimes in these kind of situations where you feel like you need to. That's the one thing you really don't want to do. I think you'll tighten up a little bit then. You simply won't perform as well. Although you might feel like you need to, it's something I would recommend you steering clear of doing.

DAVID DUVAL: I just made them (laughter). It sounds silly, but I putted well the first two days. I lipped out numerous putts. You know, when you're hitting the hole a lot, you're putting well. They just went in today. I was maybe a fraction more accurate, I don't know. They just went in. Maybe it was the speed. But I don't feel like I putted really any differently; it was just nice to see them go in.

DAVID DUVAL: That certainly helps, starting out making a couple nice putts. If anything, on the 1st hole, my ball kind of lipped in, you know. It didn't really do a big 180 lip-in, but it caught the left lip and dove in. That was nice to say. I'd seen all of them get spit out this week. You know, it certainly gives you that little bit of confidence; maybe that's what was lacking.

DAVID DUVAL: I'd learn about making doubles first, triples and quads (laughter).

End of FastScripts….