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DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP


October 8, 2004


David Howell


ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

SCOTT CROCKETT: David, thanks for coming in as always. There's no stopping you now, Dunhill, AMEX and now the Dunhill.

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, absolutely. I looked forward to coming to this tournament. I've played well here before. I've had chances to win this tournament and just, you know, fallen short at the end. And so coming off last week, very confident. I'm swinging well. So fancy my chances of playing well.

SCOTT CROCKETT: Before we take some questions, let's get your details. You started at 10?

DAVID HOWELL: I did. Yeah, I hit an 8-iron stiff. Very nice way to start.

Then hit a fat 6-iron short and ended up missing a 4 1/2 footer.

12, three putts from the fringe on 12. Sand wedge to ten foot. And then a chip to six-foot.

The eagle, sand wedge from 105 or something like that.

Bogeyed 1. Stupid second shot. Just misjudged with a wedge short. Chipped and putt into the water, chipped and putt for a 5. Then holed a 30-footer off of a wedge at the next.

Well, I had a good 2-putt from the fringe on the par 5 fifth was in two and missed a 6-footer.

And then hit it to 5-foot on last with a wedge again.

Q. What was the shot on the 18th - did it bounce?

DAVID HOWELL: It was straight in, slam dunk. We laid up with like a driving iron up off the tee, Nick wanted me to put a shot on, which we did, so that was fantastic, yeah. Just hit a 2-iron down the left, and actually started it further than I wanted to. Hit it quite well, obviously.

Then I just came up short with a wedge in the middle of the fairway, and I was within two yards of the hole and dumped it in the water.

Q. Were you in any bunkers today?

DAVID HOWELL: I wasn't, no.

Q. Are you still riding the crest of the wave after the Ryder Cup win?

DAVID HOWELL: Well, it's obviously going to help, but I'm still convinced that just playing in that doesn't mean you're going to play well. -- I just started swinging it better. But obviously there is, you know, maybe being with the European Tour, being a member of the team, maybe there are a number of feel-good factors. I think most guys feel good about themselves at the moment. There is that aspect, too.

But just swinging the club for me very well and hitting lots of good shots so maybe I am walking a half an inch taller just now.

Q. And confidence?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, a bit more -- well, maybe just a touch more self-belief to go with your swing, but I'm a pretty confident player when I'm swinging well. Just haven't been swinging well enough often enough over the years. Hopefully this isn't -- might feel like a bit of a bubble at the moment and just riding my chances away -- inaudible. But I do feel I'm better than I was five years ago and looking to obviously play consistently good golf and hopefully this has been the start of it.

Q. Do the rest of the Tour guys regard you differently now?

DAVID HOWELL: I can't answer that really. Before the Ryder Cup, I wouldn't have imagined the Ryder Cup would really change their thoughts so much. Maybe last week, more of a four-round individual performance, that was obviously a big finish for me. But the guys that weren't involved were obviously very pleased we did so well. Whether they think of it differently, winning one point in a Ryder Cup four-ball, I can't answer, really.

Q. Have you felt that pressure before, maybe in Dubai?

DAVID HOWELL: It's was a good shot under pressure (on the 17th), but, you know, I've done that before.

Q. More pressure than before?

DAVID HOWELL: This is going to sound strange, but I don't feel the pressure is any more than leading a tournament individually. I've rarely had a lead in tournaments with a couple of holes to go, has been a rarity for me, so that is huge pressure when you get into that situation, and the Ryder Cup is huge pressure, as well. You know I wouldn't -- in general it's bigger, but actually playing the 17th and 18th hole, that isn't any more pressure than playing the 17th or 18th with a one-shot lead, I'm not so sure.

Q. More pressure at 17 and 18 than on the first tee?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I would say so, yeah.

Q. Do you have an urgency to win again?

DAVID HOWELL: No, no. I wouldn't say that. I'm obviously looking forward to winning. I'm sure there's going to be maybe a lot more relief when I do finally win again. But my main aim is just to try and play better, more consistently and give yourself more chances, which I'm starting to do a little more often. I'm going to win again; I have no doubt about that. You know, when that happens, time will tell, but I'm convinced I'll win again. But this week is obviously a great place to start. But I'm not affected by the fact that I have won in five years. I feel like I'm a far better player than when I won before. So all in all, I feel my career is going the right way.

Q. Is getting into the Masters now a top goal for you?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, I�m not in the Masters at the moment and that is a goal. Top 15 on the Order of Merit gets you the U.S. Open. Top 20 gets you the Open, U.S. PGA, and I'm going to be in that. But the Masters is still up for grabs definitely. As soon as the Ryder Cup finished, Top 50 was my goal. That is now my main goal as soon as possible. I made a big jump last week, but the higher up I can get, the quicker, the better it is for my chances for Augusta.

Q. What do you expect for your round tomorrow at Carnoustie?

DAVID HOWELL: I shot 79 there two years ago to start this event on quite a nice day. Conversely I shot 69 there in atrocious conditions to be one shot off the lead with a round to go. So I've had mixed fortunes there.

But I like the course. I think it's a great course, the way they set it up for this is just as the members would have it, not as much of a test as it would be in the Open. If it was half decent, I�d hope to get a score around there. I'm not going in there with trepidation, that's for sure.

Q. Have your contracts and bonuses improved thanks to your Ryder Cup appearance?

DAVID HOWELL: Don't know. Time will tell. Time will tell.

SCOTT CROCKETT: David, thank you very much. Well done.

End of FastScripts.
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