home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

RBC HERITAGE


April 13, 2017


Luke Donald


Hilton Head, South Carolina

Q. What did you think about being on PGA Tour Live?
LUKE DONALD: It was nice. This place has been kind to me. Nice to get off to a great start.

Q. The folks back home can watch, which is nice?
LUKE DONALD: Absolutely. I'm sure if you were tuned in.

It was perfect conditions. We've got a little unlucky with the last few years, but looks like we finally have a really good week. I knew I needed to make some birdies today. The course was gettable.

Q. You've been playing, I would say spotty, but you came in here last year and you had another great week here. Were you looking at this to springboard the rest of your year?
LUKE DONALD: It's always nice to come back to places you feel comfortable and you've had success. Obviously I've had a lot of success here in the last eight years. I've done everything but win. And it would be nice to give myself another chance to try and finally get over that hurdle.

Q. You know the golf course as well as anybody. 400 trees missing from last year. Did you see any differences?
LUKE DONALD: There was a couple of holes that feel a little less claustrophobic, 16, and the tree left of 15th green. Players will be more tempted to go for it. But to be honest, it doesn't really play too differently. The character of the golf course is the same. In fact some of the trees missing has really helped with the growth. I've never seen the course in as good of shape.

Q. Another good day for you.
LUKE DONALD: It was. It was nice to get off to a good start. I think birdieing 17 and 18 gave me a little good momentum going into my back nine. And I just kept it going. Could have been even a couple lower.

But really happy with the way I played. And just really stayed in the present.

Q. You eagled No. 2. The second shot was pretty special there?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, I hit a pretty good drive. Trying to hit down the left side to open up the angle to that green and just ran into some pine straw but a pretty good lie and just came out pretty well. Fortunately, yeah, that was a good angle to attack that pin. In the middle of the fairway would have been harder. That's the beauty of this golf course, you've got to know where to miss it and where not to miss it. And I think that's kind of served me well over the years.

Q. What is it about this place? I ask you this every year because you come here and just really play well, no matter what's going on. Do you just like coming here? Fits your eye or what?
LUKE DONALD: It's a pure statistical sampling, the guys that can scramble well and have good course management, it's not a course you need to be a long hitter. Certain holes it helps, obviously, but the long hitters, it's taking driver out of their hands a lot. So I feel like the playing field's leveled out.

Q. And the weather is pretty awesome?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, finally. This tournament has had some tough weather in the past few years, some wind and rain. It's nice to see some good weather.

Q. You played well the last couple of years.
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it was nice to get off to a great start today, the last month my golf hasn't been where I'd like it to. Nice to come back to a place I'm familiar and had success.

Q. You're sitting on top of the leaderboard.
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, someone can still go out in the afternoon, but it certainly will get firmer as the weekend goes. With the weather forecast, it's supposed to get a little tougher. So it's nice to get off to a good start.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP sports

tech 129
About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297