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JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIP AT GLENEAGLES

August 31, 2008

Nick Dougherty

GLENEAGLES, SCOTLAND

Q. 3-over par through six holes, not going to plan, and then you make five birdies in a row and you're within three of the lead. What is going through your mind?
NICK DOUGHERTY: Well, you know, yeah, it was a bad start. It was much the same as it has been for the last few days. Missed a few putts, a couple of 3-putts, and then you know, I played superb after that.
I'm very, very proud of what I did today what I've done all week, all season really to be honest in the circumstances.
And you know, I while I think today was superb, I don't believe I have a huge chance as far as wildcards go, but if I did have any, it's got a lot greater after what I've done here. I think I showed real character to come back today, and to have two great weeks out of the last three is superb, so very proud and my mom would be very proud, too.

Q. Did you feel during that back nine there was a chance for achieving what you needed to achieve? Did you know what the others were doing?
NICK DOUGHERTY: Yeah, I did, I saw on the board. Yeah, I was a little surprised that one of them had not really pressed on, and I believed I had a chance and I did all I could. The way the course is playing, it not an easy course. You can't just play great and make birdies. You need things to go your way, and I had a few things going for me around the turn. I holed a couple decent putts, but at the end nothing really happened, but I did all I could do and who could ask any more.

Q. Nothing left in the tank, is there?
NICK DOUGHERTY: To be honest I feel all right coming up there. I never felt tired at all this week to be honest. I think the adrenaline carried me through. It's something I put my whole season into this year. I put a lot of personal things on hold to try to make the side. I certainly wasn't going to be just kind of doddling around out there. So I've put everything in, and yeah, I'm tired now, but it was worth it.

Q. If you do not get the wildcard that you expect not to get, going to put the clubs away for a while?
NICK DOUGHERTY: Yeah, I think certainly for a couple -- I've got five golf days next week, so probably not. But certainly I'll have a bit of a break.
Obviously I'd love to be part of Nick's team, and I don't rule out the chance that he may go to me. I'm playing well, but maybe it's too little, too late. And if that is the case, I'm fully accepting of it.
And one thing I would want to say, that whoever does go, I wish everyone luck who plays on the European Ryder Cup side and whoever plays, they are good enough to beat the Americans at Valhalla.

Q. Oliver said he saw your name on the leaderboard and certainly it rocked him a bit --
NICK DOUGHERTY: Good. (Laughter) Well, got off to a bad start and I had a good chance on 1 and from ten foot that I missed and then 3-putted 2, and it's not ideal when you need to go out there and shoot lights out.
But, you know, the way I've got to look at it, it was a horrid start and nothing went my way at the beginning when I needed everything to go my way. The way I bounced back was superb and if there's anything Ryder Cup-ish about the way I played today, the spirit and passion I showed -- not just today, this whole week, there's last few months when the golf hasn't been good. I have shown fighting spirit and passion and desire to make this team and I've done everything that I can.
You know, it's great. My girlfriend and I were laughing last night, it's typically dramatically me for it to come down to the last 18 holes. And then Mike and I were laughing, my caddie, that it came down to the last four or five holes, of a whole year, to make The Ryder Cup side. And I still hung in there and I'm very pleased that I had a chance. I'm very proud of how I went about my business and what I did.

Q. On the fifth hole did you start thinking, hang on, maybe this could be my day?
NICK DOUGHERTY: I thought all along, I'd never give up. There have been times this year where it's been too much for me and I've dropped my head a little, but that's excusable in the circumstances. But I'm not that now, and I am well and truly back in how I feel. I may be a little jaded, yes, but my attitude was superb this week, and that's what I expect of myself. And what I did there, bouncing back like that, was great. I enjoyed it. I loved it, really enjoyed today, really enjoyed it.

Q. Who do you expect him to go with?
NICK DOUGHERTY: I don't know. Darren definitely. I mean if it was my team I'd pick him -- well, if it was my team, I'd pick me, as well. (Laughter) But no, I'd expect him to pick Darren.
I don't know, I really do feel if I had gone out there if I had come in second or even third, you don't know, but I felt like I could put my name in there. Because looking at the way that the lads have performed recently, the two that I thought would be fairly obvious would be Paul and Ian, you know, they haven't played as good -- they have got a lot more experience than myself. And, you know, they have played okay. They have played better than I have for a period, but recent form, my recent form is good.
I don't know, I don't believe he'll pick me, but I believe that it's one of those two -- I wouldn't be able to pick between them to be honest. However, you can't rule out Carl Pettersson, as well.
It's a tough job and there are going to be some very good players who are disappointed but at the same time it's going to be great news because that means we have such great players to pick from and there's no obvious picks.

Q. Would you like to get involved, if he asked to you get involved as assistant captain --
NICK DOUGHERTY: I don't think I've got enough experience to be assistant captain. (Laughter) Well, if he did that would be a lovely thing for him to ask obviously. I don't believe that he would ever do that, but you know, it's -- I've done my bit. I want to play in The Ryder Cup, not work there. I think when I'm older and I've done my thing, it would be nice if somebody asked me to be an assistant or something like that. But until then, I'm going to concentrate on trying to play them rather than guide people through them.

Q. What are your impressions of Carl as a player? How often have you played with him?
NICK DOUGHERTY: Not really much to be honest. All I know is what I watch on the telly, and he looks very good, very solid. What is it, three wins on the PGA Tour, that's very good. A lot of people haven't been throwing his name about much, and I believe he's got every right to believe he's got a chance.

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