THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 28, 1999

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: Don't ask me to start. It was a wonderful week. Yeah, I am very proud of myself today how I played.

DAVID DUVAL: No. No, I have not. I found out walking to my drive on the 14th hole that he had won by -- won the golf tournament.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know if I did or not, but I didn't seek out the information. Someone came and told me. So I didn't know when --

DAVID DUVAL: No. That was -- well, one was from a bad shot. The other wasn't from really any bad shots. It was just this course this week. No, that was -- (laughs) --

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I have actually made the comment the most impressive pre-shot routine and golf swing that I have ever seen - and this is exactly what I thought about, you know, because it is really, if you think about, there is a pretty big area to hit up there, and it is a pitching wedge for me. But the best golf shot I have ever seen played, and not -- it wasn't a spectacular shot. I just mean the whole combination of routine and everything with the situation was when Nick Price won this tournament. I don't know how many years ago it was. He walked up there; grabbed his club; stood out over the ball, and hit it. Just never even gave himself -- he never gave himself enough time to think about anything other than hitting it up there close. That's all I tried to do was grab the club and hit it.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, basically. I mean, that was -- I had a pretty -- I had a lie that was -- I could have asked for a better one. I probably could have had a worse one. You know, I just was -- just took a few swings and just: Let's hit it; see where it goes. I put in a lot of practice, let's play it.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, okay, THE TOUR Championship?

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, I mean, it was a bit of a delicate little shot out of some bad grass and a tough shot, and I did kind of the same thing there. I had to wait a while actually, somebody was putting. As soon as it was my turn to play, I got up and hit it.

DAVID DUVAL: I think it was about 142 yards. I had about 134-, -5 to hit it over the bunker, and I was aiming right over the bunker on that ridge, figuring I have -- if I pull it, I am on the green, I can putt still. But that is right where you need to hit it and it will funnel down. I hit it right where I was looking.

DAVID DUVAL: I started out I was -- felt like I was swinging okay. But I was probably being a little tentative. I hit a good tee shot off on 9. Combination of a bad swing and catching the tall rough behind my ball. I was actually in the first cut, but produced a poor shot; and, yeah, I got up there and we had about 101 yards, I think, to the front of the green. And I was actually -- it was probably a pretty good break, I think, that I was kind of lodged -- my stance was kind of lodged right up against that bank. So I couldn't move left really. I kind of got over, was checking out, had to go kind of under one tree over this other one. The gap was right there, and it just was one of these shots where I saw it. As soon as I got up there, I saw it. It was the perfect trajectory for how I would hit it. I kind of got over it and stepped back away and went over and talked to Mitch, said -- I said: What do you think? I got two plays here. I am either coming sideways, or we are going to try this. And I just said: It is time to play golf, and let's go and see where it happens.

DAVID DUVAL: Not really. I told Mitch as we were walking off the green, I said, that is about the score I should make here. I have a very hard time hitting that fairway. I think I hit it twice this week and missed it twice. Both times I hit the fairway, made par; and times I didn't, I made bogey. I would prefer to have started with a par, but you know, as I am leaving, I am not upset or disappointed at all. I kind of was like: That is one bogey, you know. I got one out of the way. I am probably going to make another one, two, or three on this course the way it was playing. I wasn't concerned at all. I knew other people were going to make them, and it is kind -- I kind of righted the ship and made a birdie and couple -- but I was -- heck, I mean, my position wasn't changing, so, I wasn't concerned at all.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I don't know exactly how it got there. I saw the ball kind of bounce left. I guess it hit in the rough; maybe kicked into the bunker. It was sitting on an up-slope a little bit, and it was a shot that I should get up-and-down unless I really hit a bad shot and actually have a fairly decent chance of making it. As a lot of the players who live here can attest, and as some friends of mine can attest, I spent a lot of time in the bunkers, because I grip the club strong. It is not the best way to play bunker shots holding it this way, because I have to work at it and get some practice in to make sure I get the club working properly in opening and using the balance in the back of the club. I put in a lot of time and, you know, it just -- it paid off. I hit a great little shot. I don't think it would have been but maybe two feet by the hole, if that. That really kind of settled me down; made me feel good about the decision to -- actually the decision I made back on the third shot to go ahead and try this. And made me realize that what I had told myself: Let's start playing now, that it was the right thing to do.

DAVID DUVAL: When I had that choice on that third shot there of either blasting out sideways or trying this shot that didn't -- if I don't pull it off, I am going to make a pretty good score, pretty high probably.

DAVID DUVAL: I am looking at double or triple, probably, yeah. But that is when I said: Let's play.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, that is -- it is nice to be now ranked No. 1, but it is not -- I guess I can -- you all may believe me now, now that I have gotten there. I can tell you this: It is not a concern of mine. I had gotten -- I have been playing well for a while. I have won a lot of golf tournaments, and I had that stretch where I won nine of whatever it was. And I kind of figured -- actually, might have been a benefit, because if I am going to win, if I won one out of three golf tournaments and I couldn't get to one, then I don't know exactly what I need to do. And so let us forget about the one, and don't worry about it, and let's just play. Oh, by the way, I told you all at the Bob Hope one of the goals, and I achieved one of my goals today. And it wasn't so much this golf tournament, but I wanted to make sure I got to double-digit wins this year. And so there is another one. And if that happens, I will let you all know then.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, it was -- you know, I am kind of anxious actually to watch some tapes of this. It must have just been brutal looking. And to see the golf ball doing some of the things that it did and getting into some of the positions it went to, it just really blows your mind. I am sure everybody that has played it, it is amazing where the ball will go sometimes. You can't figure out how it gets there. And I just hung in there. I knew that I really thought today if I could make 18 pars, I'd win for sure. I knew that starting out, unless they had gone out and soaked the greens, that if they got anything close to what it was, people were going to be backing up again, 4-under was a winning score for sure. And so I just went out there and tried to put the ball in places I could, make pars, and every now and then, if I had a shot I felt like I could go a little more aggressively, I tried to do that.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, that is probably -- actually a little bit probably before I teed off. And especially on the first hole I told myself the person who wins this golf tournament is going to make these putts today. He is going to make all the putts from 3, 4, 5, 6 feet. And I just said if I wanted somebody to make it, I want me to do it, so, if I had to pick a player, I feel good about that. I am a good putter, and I just kept telling myself each time I faced one, the person who wins is going to make these. So let's knock them in.

DAVID DUVAL: A little bit, yeah, when I teed off. A bit over that 4-footer for bogey on the first hole. Certainly on 17 was a big putt. On 17 tee, all through that, with all that water and stuff, even the little sand wedge into the 16th green for my third shot, you better be a little careful. And I mean, so there were nerves all day. But I think you just learn to know what they feel like and accept them and kind of overcome it and move on.

DAVID DUVAL: I would have said that sounds good (laughs).

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know if I would have been really surprised. I think I have said it before in here, actually. Really didn't actually -- being backed up a lot more, you can usually take a first-round score, double it, take a first-round lead of the score. If it is 8-under par, double it, take a few off of that. That is about where the tournament winner is going to end up. So if somebody shoots 64, winning score is going to be around 14-under. And so, I think 4-under was leading the first day. So I figured we were looking at 4, 5, 6 for this week. If it continued to get harder and faster, I knew it would probably be a little bit less.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, it is -- you know, I grew up here. I grew up born and raised in Jacksonville. I moved out to the beach as a junior in high school. I have been coming to this tournament for, as a participant now, for five years, and as a spectator for 15 probably. I have been coming out here for, I don't think it is unreasonable to say, watching this tournament for 18, 20 years. 15 years for sure. Heck, my dad used to score in the tents on Saturday with Chris Parker. I always had a hat for him, and he would have the players sign it when they got done with their score cards and such. I remember watching Seve and Jose play a practice round. This must have been at least ten, twelve years ago. What am I? 27, yeah. I was in my teens for sure, late teens. I remember, actually, I was remarking, I remember them. I distinctly remember them chipping behind the 6th green, playing all these different shots, because they prepped the golf course entirely different then. Actually everything around the 6th green was cut fairway. It was like a fringe cut. I was watching them play these little bump shots and different things. I remember sitting there watching Bernhard Langer with a bagful of drivers on the practice range. He must have had 12 of them lined up at least. I have been coming to this for years. And to be honest, I don't know if I ever thought I was going to win here. I don't know if it is something -- obviously I dreamt about it and thought about it; but I don't know if I have -- I am not going to tell you I said I knew I was going to win this golf tournament. I don't know if I ever thought I would. I thought it would be a very, very difficult thing to do. And, you know, I think just a combination of coming in here rested and knowing I am playing well and putting well, and then having the course setup that was just very hard, made me comfortable. You know, I just felt comfortable out there. I knew that I could make bogeys, and I knew that I would make a few birdies. I don't think I made -- I don't believe I made a double this week, which is probably a pretty good stat. And I didn't -- I am pretty sure I didn't 3-putt ever this week. So the combination of it --. By the way, Fred, that 14th hole cut on the green got me this afternoon. (laughs). But, you know, I spent all last week out here playing, practicing, getting ready for the tournament. I took those three weeks off for a reason, not so much just -- obviously for rest as well, but to get ready for this stretch. And it started out great, and hopefully it continues.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, because I am probably -- I would probably be like other players. If I wasn't playing well getting here, I would have shot a lot. But I knew I was playing well, and the tougher the conditions, that is what I wanted. I think you all remember me saying last night I didn't want them to water the greens. I wanted them to stay like they were, because I knew that it would reward quality golf shots. It would reward smart play, smart thinking. And I felt like -- I feel like I am good at both. Obviously, I don't always hit the ball real well. I have weeks where I play -- don't hit it well, but I feel like I am good at thinking my way around and so that combination I felt really good about.

DAVID DUVAL: Ooh, I knew that would come up, but (laughs) you know, I am the best this week, yep. The best this week. Maybe not next week, but I was this week.

DAVID DUVAL: It was -- some of the noise was deafening, really; especially on 9 after I holed out of the bunker. It was just unbelievable how loud it was. 17 when I made that putt and then 18 after the chip I just kind of turned around and I knew it was done, you know. The people were just going nuts, and they helped to carry me today certainly. It was something I fed off of. Realized that there were thousands of people out there pulling for me to win this golf tournament and so I thought about that.

DAVID DUVAL: I think he is a little more fiery than I am, probably. I still think he is pretty calm, though, but I don't think he is quite as calm as I am.

DAVID DUVAL: No, not so much him give me advice. It was more: Play well. I told him last night, I said, let me -- I told him, I said, let me tell you something, tomorrow while you are playing you are going to think about winning, okay, so don't try to not think about winning this the golf tournament. You are going to think about what it would mean; what it would feel like, and everything that comes with it. I said, you are going to think about that tomorrow, so don't waste energy trying to block it out, but when you think about it, embrace it; recognize what you are doing and push it aside; realize, okay, yes, I am thinking about this and what it would do for me. Okay, but I need to do this, this, this and this, if I want to get there. Okay. So consciously kind of recognize that you are going to do it. I don't think anybody cannot think about that while they are winning, but you have to figure out a way to recognize it, put it aside and move forward. That is just what I told him.

DAVID DUVAL: I think I would win that award as the most proud.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think I quite said that. I think I said something about they might want to revisit the strategy of the preparation.

DAVID DUVAL: The only thing I would change, okay actually told Tim on the green, I said, I think everything on the golf course is fine, I said, but it is like I was telling you last night, I said we are put in position, let us at least try to play from around the green. I don't think it should be cut or not cut. I don't think the rough should be at 6 or 7 inches around the green because the balls are going to run through it; you have no play then. You have no shot. I think it needs to be more playable around the greens. Everything else, I have no problem with any of it. But I think around the greens it should be a little more playable.

DAVID DUVAL: Is that all? (laughter).

DAVID DUVAL: Well, it will never stray out of the top two or three probably. The day I won in Williamsburg was still one of the greatest days of golf I have ever had. I put all the questions behind me that day and I knew I could do it and I just had to prove to everyone else, I guess, and I just -- I really embrace that day still. Today, however, is certainly running right next to it. It was something that like I just said a few minutes ago, I didn't know if it would ever happen. I certainly had thought about it, but I don't know if I even dreamed bit as much as I might have winning -- dreamt about winning a Masters or U.S. Open or such because I knew that the task would be very, very difficult here at home.

DAVID DUVAL: No. Never happened. No, never happened. I can't elaborate.

DAVID DUVAL: No.

DAVID DUVAL: The second part, no, I never did because like I said, I moved out here as a junior and never really played out here through college, my last couple of years of high school. My dad was right down the street; had a nice golf course. I had no access or I could have played out here some, but it is very busy, and I had no status as a player who could go out here -- anyway, the shot itself, it was a huge shot obviously. But I think, more importantly, it was very important to make the putt. As I said out there, with two shots I can -- there is a lot of things I can do on the last hole and still win. It gives me the opportunity to really kind of be more aggressive actually on the hole. I can go out there; aim it right and really try to sling one over and turn it because if I turn it too much, I am still going to be hitting a 6-, or 7-iron to the green. I can knock it on, 2-putt and I win still. So the putt was the biggest thing that happened.

DAVID DUVAL: I had about 227 yards to the front of the green. I asked Mitch, see any reason why you should hit it. He said good; neither do I.

DAVID DUVAL: I knew the birdie would be huge, however, it is a little bit of wind into me. There is a neck about what, 8 or 10 yards wide on the left side I can hit it up. If I do that, it still doesn't guarantee the golf ball is going to stop because I am going to have to hit a 2-iron; got a downhill lie, you know, it is kind of like what I went back to about the putting, I feel like I am a good wedge player. I hit a nice shot up there, and I figured that, you know, if I don't hit it on the green going for it, I am going to have a tough time making par probably and I would have rather taken my chances with a wedge and a putter.

DAVID DUVAL: Certainly helps to win a golf tournament playing greens that are as fast and, dare I say, harder? It certainly helps. More so than anything, the short putts, you know, making those 6-, 5-, 7-, 8-, 4-footers making all those putts because you are going to face a lot of those in two weeks, and to convert them, to have to hit the ball so softly from six or seven feet and to have to roll it so true and make them all like I did, gives me a lot of confidence.

DAVID DUVAL: Yes, it is.

DAVID DUVAL: I have won the Tournament of Champions which - obviously everybody in the field knows how to win. It is a quality field. I have won a TOUR Championship which is the players who have played the best for the year and now this. I think I saw something in the paper that it is considered the third best field ever assembled in the game.

DAVID DUVAL: Okay, this decade. So I know I can beat the players. It is just a matter of being ready, being on my game and playing well to do it. It is no guarantee I will, but I have proven I can do it; I have proven it to myself, so it is no different. You are still playing the same people. Yes, it is a major and there is obviously some nervousness and such involved, but I don't know if it will be much greater -- I was probably more nervous today throughout everything, just kind of a constant, like I was saying, how you kind of recognize it, than I even was, up at Augusta last year. So when you are trying to beat this type of field, everybody is here. Everybody is here. I did it. It certainly will help the next time that I am in that position.

DAVID DUVAL: I heard a couple times. But as much as anything, because so many people were kind of urging me along that, although I did hear it all, obviously, I didn't want to spend the energy responding to all of it. I couldn't. I would have talked myself tired.

DAVID DUVAL: I am going to go over to a friend's. She invited us over last night to have dinner, and I was hoping that it would be a celebration, but -- and it is. I didn't want it to be a glum evening, but so I am looking forward to getting over there soon.