THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 23, 1999

David Duval

DAVID DUVAL: Completely. From the start of 1998 through to this point, this little three weeks I just had was about the longest little break. So because of the placement of The Presidents Cup and then feeling that I should play the week before The Presidents Cup to make sure I was as ready as I could be, I therefore didn't have that much time off at end of the year. It was split up with a trip that traveled around the world. So I took this time off to try to make sure I was fresh for three tournaments that are very important to me.

DAVID DUVAL: I watched a lot, obviously, every year. My dad has always, in the past, up until the last couple of years, scored in the 18th scoring tent, and I just remember watching the guys play and practice and such. Then I was actually called into duty here. I was probably 18. Actually, it was an odd number cut, and I was asked to play.

DAVID DUVAL: I played with Joey Sindelar and ended up only playing five holes because Scott Hoch and Greg Norman played behind us and Scott dropped out, withdrew, had a back. So they moved Norman up with Joey Sindelar, and I got bumped. I was 1-under through 5, though.

DAVID DUVAL: I think it is more difficult. A lot of it is because your friends, I think -- I think, as players, you have a great responsibility, but I think when you play in your hometown, you have even a greater responsibility to interact with the fans and especially the interview requests and so -- and then I think the people who come to watch you play, since they know you, feel a little more easy about approaching you and talking between holes and such. So there are a few more distractions. When you are on the road at other events, I know other players and caddies, and I know some people that work the tournament from just having been there, and they might have a friend or two here or there. But I think it is a lot easier to kind of block stuff out then.

DAVID DUVAL: If I am playing -- I wouldn't even say so much if I am playing well. It is not really depending on my score. But if I am out there and concentrating well, I usually don't hear or see the people. So I hope they don't take it as I am being rude. Actually a friend of mine came up to me at the AT&T and, as close as Lee and I, and said hello while I was walking from a green to a tee. And I didn't -- she brought it up - a friend of ours from Sun Valley brought it up when I was there the next week - and I had no idea she had even said hello. So I think if you're concentrating well, you just kind of, at least for me, I just kind of block everything out.

DAVID DUVAL: I am hitting the ball - I am happy with it, and I feel like I am playing pretty well. It is hard to judge because I haven't done it competitively; but when I have been out here playing, I feel like I have played pretty well. I am pretty pleased.

DAVID DUVAL: I think I probably put it right where everybody else does, as the fifth most important -- fifth most important tournament you would want to win. It is kind of surprising that I guess it seems like it is getting closer and closer to being thought of as a major but isn't quite there. But I think certainly as the players see it, it is awful close in their eyes. Then having it in my backyard is -- I think that makes it even that much more desirable for me.

DAVID DUVAL: That is something, yeah. I -- I don't think -- I won't say an obligation. I think what -- what has happened is that I have never thought of myself that way. And through the course of - I wouldn't even say so much right when I started winning - but through kind of last year when I got into the Player-of-the-Year race and then the start of this year with things happening like they did, that it has really kind of come to a head. And I have kind of lately grown to realize that. It is not something I thought about in the past really. So I think I have to be more careful of where I am going to say I am going to play and where I do intend to. And I have always been actually very good about that. I think you could ask just about any person who comes out from a tournament, I don't tell them I might play when I have no intention to. I just tell them I am not going to make it. And something I guess -- but with the Florida swing it just -- it just so happened that that is kind of where it fell. It is not really -- I didn't intend to skip everything. I actually, I wish I didn't have to. But with the way the schedule has fallen out through the last year and a half, it has just worked out such that I needed to more than anything. That is kind of why I did.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I am certainly aiming to make sure I am prepared and ready to play. In doing so, you are going to have to forego a few events that you might want to participate in and conceivably at some events that you might not have historically played in.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't know how long it was. It wasn't -- you know, I think it is something that if you ask any player, I bet you could even ask Jack or something, he doesn't think he should only have 18 professional majors. He probably thinks he should have about 28 of them. I think it is something that when you get done with your career you are very happy for what has been, and you are still yearnful for what could have been. But I had an opportunity, and it did take -- it was kind of weird what happened, how it came about, how the whole tournament ended up, the manner in which it finished. I don't think it -- I think it is something I will probably always think about. But it is not as -- I have gotten -- I am not answering your question very well. I'd like to say that two weeks later, while I was in Houston, I was over it and I was -- in a sense, I was past and beyond it, and I was playing again that week and getting -- looking towards the Open. So certainly I am now. I don't know. It was -- I think as I have -- especially since it was -- it was really my first opportunity in a major, in the first place, where I have contended. That might have made it a little more difficult and a little harder to understand and grasp. And so I think having gone through some things that have happened through the course of last year and such, I'd kind of really got a better hold of all of it and put it in its place.

DAVID DUVAL: What it does, it tells me that I can win that golf tournament. I mean, there is no question in my mind that I can win that golf tournament. Doesn't mean I am going to, but I have the ability to.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, a lot of -- I played some golf. I worked out a lot. I played an outing for Ken Venturi. I made a trip to Augusta. I did a lot of interviews, several photo sessions, and now it is Tuesday of THE PLAYERS.

DAVID DUVAL: It was nice. I liked it. I think the biggest change will be the 17th hole. I am not so sure how the added length to 2 is going to affect play, because when I played, it was a little cooler and I certainly -- I couldn't get there; whereas, in the past I could. I could hit it right over the bunker and not have a problem. I don't know -- obviously, you are going to be a little more juiced when you get there and such. Then as far as just overall changes, I think the second cut could play a big, big role in the golf tournament actually. I -- and I think what it does too is changes some of the lines that I have taken in the past off of the tees, because I did that my first round where I was in that second cutter a couple of times where I had been in the fairways way in the past.

DAVID DUVAL: Two rounds.

DAVID DUVAL: Just some members.

DAVID DUVAL: I am taking two weeks off after The Masters, then I am playing four in a row.

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I can tell you every time I get on the tee I try to get it in the middle of the green. As well-disciplined as I am, I am not quite that well-disciplined - it is still just a 9-iron right. I do think that it is something that -- especially if the greens get hard, it is obviously a hole that you don't hit at the back pin there, because you can't fly it up there and stop it. The right pin is not a very difficult pin position 'til they put it there on Sunday. You know, on Thursday or Friday it will be one of the easier ones. And then the front is -- isn't too bad. Where it comes into play is -- the wind. If you -- especially if you get a pretty good crosswind, that is when it gets real difficult to control your distance properly and get your line as well and get it on the surface.

DAVID DUVAL: No, I really try to find my own motivation. I try not to expect other people to give me that. I know through the course of my four years of playing out here I have kind of learned what it takes to get where you want to go, and I try to do that.

DAVID DUVAL: I think there is very little. But it is, like I said, if you gave me a choice, there is four others I'd choose first, you know, because it doesn't have that name, that major name. But knowing that it is arguably the best field of the year, I think that really, really brings it up.

DAVID DUVAL: Last week they weren't too bad. I haven't been out this week. But they are -- they are going to be very hard and very fast and the wind is going to be very high -- I mean, the rough. The wind, I hope not, not with that combination. (laughs) But it is going to be hard. I don't really know what else to tell you beyond that the rough is terrible. But, you know, might sound stupid, but I have always found the rough isn't so bad in the middle of the fairways, you know. If you can get the ball below the holes, you know - although I think it is difficult to here because the different levels and such - you can usually putt okay too. Somebody is going to hit in the fairway; somebody is going to hit close and somebody is going to hit putts. I try not to eliminate myself at the beginning by talking about how difficult it is.

DAVID DUVAL: Not necessarily. Depends on if they are hard or soft. I don't -- I don't think it favors anybody in particular. It favors the person that is playing well.

DAVID DUVAL: I heard something about -- this was in the paper yesterday.

DAVID DUVAL: I haven't found a problem with it, no, not personally. I have made the comment that I can remember -- obviously you might hear a cell phone or something every now and again. But the last instance I can remember where a camera or such has actually bothered me while I was playing was -- it happened at the Bob Hope this year in like the second or third round. That is the only instance I can think of, that I can remember that I have actually heard it. I contend that if your head is where it should be, you are not going to hear the cameras going off. I don't think -- it is not like there is a lot of them either. It seems to be -- it might just be a person or two in the gallery as opposed to the people who are out there shooting for magazines or papers, whatever, or professionals as well. You don't have this problem. The phones themselves are -- you know, those might be a little bit of a bigger problem. It is kind of funny how they always seem to go off on someone's backswing. The timing of it is perfect, but I don't worry about it. What are you going to do? It doesn't help to get upset after you have done it and after you have heard it ring and after you have hit your shot. I mean -- I guess I would hope that they would -- I don't know. Especially everybody seems to have these beepers and phones now that have vibrate mode - just put it on vibrate mode. You are not going to hear it then. Obviously there is always going to be some people who feel like they have to be in touch and I don't blame them. They may have young children, maybe, or a doctor on-call or something. I mean, they can't be out of touch, really. I don't know what to say about it. There is nothing that is going to change it, and unless you are going to frisk everybody when they come in, stop complaining about it.

DAVID DUVAL: I had an instance this year where someone didn't so much heckle me as I was playing, but was loudly cheering for my ball to miss the hole and go off the greens and such; loud enough that I would hear. That was in Match Play, actually. But I personally haven't found that to be a problem. I was in a group last year with Colin Montgomerie when he was just getting blistered. But that is the only time I have ever been around --

DAVID DUVAL: Well, I mean, I thought it was probably out of line, certainly out of line. But does it really matter what I thought about it? There is nothing I can do about it and I don't think there is much he can do about it. You just -- they weren't disrupting play in the sense that while -- it wasn't while he was swinging or hitting or something. I think it was terribly rude of the people, certainly, you know, it speaks volumes of their character. But I don't think -- I think you need to move beyond it and not let it bother you. You have got to still play. It is still the U.S. Open.

DAVID DUVAL: Who said that? I am just -- (laughs) --

DAVID DUVAL: If my play dictates that, I would certainly embrace it. I hope I will play well enough to be a rival of his for a long, long time. But beyond that, I am not -- I don't know what else to tell you.

DAVID DUVAL: I haven't thought about it.

DAVID DUVAL: Okay. Not really. I guess I could be surprised, but...

DAVID DUVAL: I think it will. Certainly if everybody continues to play well. I think -- everybody seems to make it pretty well known that most players don't tend to hit their peak until they are what, 31 or 32 'til 38 or something. I think the kind of head-to-head matches that you have seen have been great and it might be just kind of a little taste of what could be in store in the future. But I think as everybody matures and gets a little older and gets a little more used to the whole atmosphere of it, I think it will happen more often or it might happen for the first time. How about that, since you said it hasn't?

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, yeah.

DAVID DUVAL: I think if you handle it properly, it is really -- I don't think -- I think you can then use it to be positive, really to have a lot of people talking about it, your other peers and players are going to be reading about it, so, I mean, especially if you can start putting up some good scores, you know, people are going to think that -- it might help you. You go through and have a media interview like this up there at some point and then you have your interaction behind the 18th green under that tree and just do what you can to worry about it. And, you know, it is going to come up, so handle it as best you can and I think that is part of being a champion is you have to.

DAVID DUVAL: It is not.

DAVID DUVAL: That is why it is not. I think the system is certainly something that isn't not perfect and certainly could be better. That is why with the current system it doesn't concern me at all because I don't think it is necessarily reflective of what the rankings might be. And I am -- but like I have said, too, I don't really want to criticize it a whole lot because I don't have a solution. If I had an answer to it, maybe I could sit here and tell you. It is always going to be hard when you rank players where they don't compete against each other.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't think it is any more difficult than winning any golf tournament at any time. You might be a bit more involved in some activities during the week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday type thing, and actually it is usually all on Tuesday - you don't usually have anything on Wednesday because of the Pro-Am. I don't think there is anything different. Difficult part is just like winning any golf tournament, you have to be playing well that week and things have to go your way.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah, I think if I am playing well I could certainly -- I think because of the things that have happened in the last couple of years. Like I have told you a little while ago, I think that if I play well, I can win that golf tournament. I think I have -- I can play the course well enough and I have a bit of enough knowledge to know how to get around there. I have got a little bit of a taste of what it feels like last year and I certainly think I am capable.

DAVID DUVAL: Where? Here or Augusta?

DAVID DUVAL: No. I don't think so. I mean, the fairways are pretty generous and I don't think it could be a problem. If you hit it straight, you hit it straight. Somebody is going to drive the ball straight.

DAVID DUVAL: Hadn't thought about that. (laughs). I don't know, try to make some more putts. I have played a lot of rounds here and I will probably go play nine holes tomorrow just to see what has happened to the greens last few days; see how firm they have gotten. Chip and putt. Chip and putt.

DAVID DUVAL: Twosome behind me. Slow group.

DAVID DUVAL: Yeah. Yeah, you are right. I was happy to be in the field the first time as much as anything. That was still a nice week for me. But it is different. It is certainly what I would have hoped for. That is what I had worked for.

DAVID DUVAL: Oh, yeah, I think so. It is still pretty wide. I think you have to, really do. I think you have to.

DAVID DUVAL: I don't remember exactly what I said. I actually think I remarked to -- I said 17 was the biggest change, I thought. But 2, I think has become -- I think they have really just turned it into a 3-shot hole basically.

DAVID DUVAL: Not if I think I can get it to the trap. In the past I have been able to hit over the bunker, if I hit a good one (laughs). Now I have to -- now I will -- when I was up there last week, I think it was, like I was saying, it was a little cooler and obviously the course wasn't play as fast. I hit drive short of the bunker about 12 yards. It looks to me like I will probably -- I would guess right now; probably just lay short of the bunker, lay short of the green and then pitch on.

DAVID DUVAL: Here?

DAVID DUVAL: It was terrible. But I was also real excited. I remember on the first hole, I hit it through the fairway; knocked it short of the bunker and hit out of the bunker to about ten feet, probably, and Joey had hit a nice 1-iron and hit a 9-iron to about three or four feet and I was -- I didn't really want to putt because I didn't want to -- I asked him, you want me to just pick it up, you can go? He said, no, I want you to just play like you would be playing, like you were competing. So I continued on and it was a lot of fun, but it was all Scott Hoch's fault.

DAVID DUVAL: No, I haven't. Now that it has come up, I probably will.

DAVID DUVAL: You mean the right side of the fairway.

DAVID DUVAL: I think they took out the spectator mound or something there and put -- they have put in a bleacher. I don't know how much that will affect it. I am not really aiming for that part if I am hitting to the green. But the biggest change is on the right with the fairway trees and those are -- they are not nice. They are kind of mean. There is a lot of them. There is probably 6 or 7 of them. Somebody know how many?

DAVID DUVAL: I don't count so well, I guess. They are just so thick, but they were low down, the branches came low down, so you hit it over there, you are going to have to pitch it out low, or kind of wedge it up and over, really. So it is -- you can still chase it down the fairway and hit on them, but they are nasty.

DAVID DUVAL: Took out the bunker and raised the green --

DAVID DUVAL: I think there was another one or something I don't recall. I understand they have raised it up three or four feet and, you know, so the breaks in the green have changed a little bit. I think they are going to cut it down behind that green, too, so you better be careful.

DAVID DUVAL: Yes.

DAVID DUVAL: I think the length. Because they have added the length forcing you to go over the tree and hook around it. The reason they force you to hook around it because the tree is between 15 and 17.

DAVID DUVAL: Never. This event, no, I think this -- I mean, I don't know. I would tell you -- I would tell you I would prefer winning this event than a word Match Play event. It has been around -- it is a big, important, established near-major, you know. I think the Match Play events are great, nice events, but I don't view them as a PLAYERS Championship. I don't think it is even close.

DAVID DUVAL: Thank you.