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BMW CHAMPIONSHIP

May 24, 2006

Luke Donald

VIRGINIA WATERS, ENGLAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Welcome back to the BMW Championship. Seems it's been a while since we've seen you, but what's your thoughts on what's been happening on the course since the last time you played it?

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, obviously some major changes. Ernie Els has added quite a bit of length, and it will make the course a little bit harder off the tee with some new bunkers. It's definitely going to make the course tougher. I played a few holes yesterday, with the condition of the course being so wet, the course is playing very long at the moment, so it's going to be a good test.

GORDON SIMPSON: Monty thought it was about 2 1/2 shots harder. Would you say that's a fair assessment or would you disagree?

LUKE DONALD: I think with the weather conditions, that's probably a fair assessment right now just because it is very soft out there. The ball isn't rolling very far. It's making the course quite long. It's also making it not as narrow. I think the changes will make the course a little better if it was more firm and running.

But you know, it never really is this time of year. It's definitely a couple shots harder I would say.

Q. You're good friends with Sergio, there have been some comments why he's not here, do you have any idea why?

LUKE DONALD: Sergio, I believe the main reason why he doesn't play much at this tournament or England in general is the tax rule. I believe that if he plays a certain number of days or weeks, you know, the whole Andre Agassi scandal thing that's been going on, I believe that affects him. That's the main reason. But I'm not really totally sure.

Q. Did you talk to him about it?

LUKE DONALD: I mentioned, you know, are you going to come over and play this and play that, play The Match Play, play here. And he said he would like to but he feels like he's going to get hit hard with the tax. So financially, it's not worth it.

Q. Your own game, have you recovered completely from the injury?

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, from Charlotte, yeah, I feel a lot better. I was obviously very happy to be able to play the week after in Dallas. It was still a little bit sore but very glad this we got four rounds in and played decently.

It's still, if I sit down for long periods of time it tightens up a little bit. But generally it's about 98, 99 percent fixed.

Q. After The Masters, after the final round you said you might need a new game plan to attack the courses that have been lengthened so much, have you had a chance to think about that and would it equally apply here this week?

LUKE DONALD: My comments were really toward Augusta. I didn't play those holes that they changed there very well. I think I that was the most over par on those to make the cut.

Really my comments were more towards trying to think by the time Augusta comes around next year, how to play them better. Do I need to play more safe, more aggressive, or do I just need to play better, I don't know. But you know, courses these days are getting longer and longer. Just puts more of a premium on my long iron play really.

Q. The back problem come out of nowhere?

LUKE DONALD: Out of nowhere, yeah. Had no signs of any problems. I haven't had a back problem really since college, and that was minor.

I've been very fit, very lucky the last since I've been a professional for the last five years. Yeah, I was bending down, putting on my shoe and suddenly felt something go the lower part of my back.

Q. Is any pressure on you to play a bit more over here now particularly with the Ryder Cup now?

LUKE DONALD: You know, I'm planning on playing around 13 or 14 counting events on The European Tour this year, which is very similar to last year. I'm hoping to make the team through the World Rankings. If for some reason my play slips and I feel like I have to come over here to make it on the other ranking scale, then I might have to change my schedule. But other than that, I don't see anything changing.

Q. Would you be prepared to do that if that's what it came to, is that what you're saying?

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, I'm hoping that I'll be well placed in the World Rankings and I won't have to. But, you know, a goal of mine is to make the Ryder Cup. It's a fantastic event to be a part of and I don't want to miss it. I'll try my hardest to make it whatever way it happens to be.

Q. Do you have a Plan B, though, that you see tournaments that you could add?

LUKE DONALD: You know I'm trying not to think ahead that much. I'm really just trying to play my own golf and hopefully it will take care of itself. Obviously in a couple of months if things are not progressing like they are right now, I'll have to think of a Plan B but I haven't thought about that right now.

Q. You're not down for BMW at the moment?

LUKE DONALD: In Munich, yeah, I will be there.

Q. Obviously you don't want to have to rely on a wild card again this time, does the fact that you got one last time count against you?

LUKE DONALD: I don't want to rely on a wild card. I want to make the team and I want to make the team comfortably hopefully.

If I had to get a wild card and they gave me one, I would be very happy obviously. I got one last Ryder Cup and played decently. So we'll have to see. But I'm hoping not to have to get to that stage.

Q. Do you feel your game needs a little pick me up at this stage of the season or is everything going according to plan?

LUKE DONALD: Everything he's really going fine. I've had a few weeks off after the Masters. I haven't played much. I was meant to play in China, had a problem with my ear. I had a blocked up sinus infection in my ear and flew back from Florida to Chicago and burst a blood vessel in my ear which stopped me from going to China. Then I had my back problem at Wachovia.

So really, I've only played one event, the by reason Nelson since The Masters, which is not what I wanted to do, but I still finished sixth there and I felt my game is still in good sorts.

I've got a good schedule coming up. I'm going to be playing at Westchester, the U.S. Open, and then I'll play four in a row with three of them being over here in Europe, Scottish Open, British Open and playing in Hamburg. So I'm playing a number of events in Europe.

Q. Now that you're back in England for a while, will you be able to catch up, see a few people?

LUKE DONALD: I've spent a few days with my family and I've seen a few people yeah, from BB&O days. Obviously now the tournament's here, I'll be concentrating on this week.

Q. I know you were at Hoylake last week, just wondered what you made of that?

LUKE DONALD: Well, I caught Hoylake on a very nice day. It was short sleeve weather and really no wind at all. And the course was playing very mildly to say the least. I thought the fairways were a little bit more generous than most British Open courses I've seen in the past few years. Some of the bunkering, a lot of the bunkering on some of the holes were between 260 to 280 yards off the tee, which I felt like the longer players could take out play. All apart from three greens, the greens are relatively flat.

So if we do catch the British Open on a benign weather week where there's not much wind, I predict pretty low scores. The course was in nice shape. The rough needs to grow up a little bit and hopefully in the next couple of months, we'll get some good weather and it will get thick.

Q. The bunkers on those lengths is not quite such good news for you, is it?

LUKE DONALD: No, but as I said, the fairways seem wider. There are a few holes that are quite narrow, but the fairways seem a lot wider than in the past. So unless I'm driving it badly, I'm hoping those bunkers won't be an issue for me.

Q. Did you keep a score?

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, I shot 68. It was an R&A day, playing for RBS, so I shot 68.

Q. You won the Honda this year, what did that mean for you?

LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it meant a lot. I think it's always nice to win a tournament at the beginning of the year. It gives you a good start to the year, good boost of confidence. I think it elevated me to the Top 10 in the World Rankings. Any time you win, it's great for your confidence. You know, you just feel that bit more confident every time you go out and play.

So you know, the Honda win was a win that kind of came unexpected. I wasn't doing very well midway through my second round. I got in a stretch of birdies and suddenly I won. You know, you've just got to keep playing every tournament and not pressing and hopefully things will go my way.

GORDON SIMPSON: Luke, enjoy this week.

End of FastScripts.

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