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DUBAI DESERT CLASSIC

March 4, 2004

David Howell

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

GORDON SIMPSON: Welcome, David. Last year you finished, played four times and made four cuts but not threatened the leaders. What's been the difference for you?

DAVID HOWELL: I've been trying to make small improvements but doesn't always work out like that. Just working on improvements on my swing in general, and possibly should have had more of a break in the winter, maybe worked on it a bit too much and came out not really knowing what I was doing.

GORDON SIMPSON: And you accumulated money quite well, but didn't quite knock one off.

DAVID HOWELL: No, didn't do a lot wrong. Had a lot of Top 10s towards the end, made my first World Championship event which was good to be there. It was a good year.

Q. So what clicked today in comparison to sort of the start you just described?

DAVID HOWELL: Well, I managed to get with my coach last week, last Tuesday and he just noticed a few things that he feels I could improve on, my setup, trying to get the club in one line on the backswing. Technical things, really, and I thought it was going to be really hard for me to get a feel for it. But the way the practice has gone since I got here, it's just been easier and easier to do. Really, I'm swinging nicely.

Q. So layman's terms, can you tell us what the changes to your setup are?

DAVID HOWELL: I've got the club more on line on the backswing. I'm trying to use my hips a bit more from the top of the backswing and create a bit more torque and use the center of my body, instead of going at it with my arms and hands. Just a better action, really. Minor changes that you might not even see, but certainly I know that I'm on the right track which is half the battle.

Q. And it looked like your approach play was absolutely spot on today.

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, my iron play was really good today. I felt like I drove it well. I just kept missing the fairway on the back nine. I only hit actually two bad drives. Picked the wrong line. Misjudged the wind on one. I didn't feel like I was swinging that badly.

GORDON SIMPSON: Can you really believe it's five years since you were sitting down the road at the creek with your trophy?

DAVID HOWELL: It's taken me longer to win the second than to win the first, which I certainly didn't think was going to be the case. It not easy. That week at the creek, it didn't seem that difficult at the time.

Q. Your career to date, how would you sum it up in three or four paragraphs?

DAVID HOWELL: If you'd asked me ten years ago, I'd be absolutely delighted. If you'd ask me after five years, I'd be well, last five years haven't been great. But I feel like I came on the Tour really very natural, didn't really know what I was doing, very unprofessional, didn't have a great swing, very inconsistent and it's taken a lot of hard work to become a lot more consistent. And I am more consistent.

With that being said, I'm not really playing any more great golf than I used to. I'm just playing a lot less bad golf and waiting for the real good stuff to come out.

Q. Ryder Cup a possibility?

DAVID HOWELL: Yeah, I definitely feel I can make it. Obviously it all relies upon playing well. Previous years, I've been reasonably close. If I played like I did last year, I would be a million miles away without winning. The Dunhill, I had a bad finish and that cost me a good few points. I think I can do it.

Q. On the Ryder Cup subject, when we are talking about a potential team for September, to be blunt, your name has not been up there with the Roses, the Poulters, the Caseys, etc., Where a few years back in 1999 we would have thought of you as a potential; has it been disappointing to this point and does that kill your desire to get in?

DAVID HOWELL: No, I can't say I was not disappointed to play in the Ryder Cup. I want to play in Ryder Cups, but I just look at it quite simply, really. When I'm good enough to get in, I will. There's disappointment because I'm not good enough, but ten years ago I'd say I'm pleased as punch to be where I am now. I'm very realistic.

It is a goal of mine. I played the Walker Cup and I loved that. I feel I did really well with what I had early on in my career; whereas some of the other guys, Justin and Paul maybe had more of a game when they actually arrived on TOUR. It's taken me a great deal of hard work to turn my game around and be a bit more professional. I'll get there, hopefully.

GORDON SIMPSON: Give us the key details today.

DAVID HOWELL: I got off to a lovely start. Played 10, got in the front trap, punched up close and made the putt.

Knocked on the par 5 13, two lovely shots, and two putts.

Great 7 iron into the next to about eight feet, 3 under.

And then hit it pretty much stiff on 17. So a lovely start. Could have birdied 18, as well.

The only mistake, really, that I made was the third. I had a flying lie in the rough and I just tugged an 8 iron and went in the bunker. Probably should have played a little bit further right. But that was my one bad iron swing for the day.

GORDON SIMPSON: Good start, David. Well played.

End of FastScripts.

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