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THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPJuly 22, 2012Luke DonaldLYTHAM ST. ANNES, ENGLAND Q. Thoughts on the round? LUKE DONALD: Well, it was one of those where it could have been really special. Again, it was a very solid round tee‑to‑green. I didn't do a lot wrong. It could have been four or five better with a few putts. I lipped out on 7, 8, 9 and again on 12. So I had chances on 15 and 16. So it was one of those rounds where I did a lot of good things. Unfortunately I couldn't quite hole the putts, but I'll take a lot of positives away from this week. Certainly I'll leave this week knowing that my game is definitely good enough to win majors. Yeah, it's a big step forward for me from a few weeks back, from the U.S. Open. Q. You smiled the whole way, really, every day. You've obviously really enjoyed yourself. LUKE DONALD: Well, it was a conscious effort, too. As I said at the beginning of the week, sometimes I get a little bit too uptight, a little bit anxious. But I have that choice to smile or not. Sometimes you have to fake it, sometimes it's real. But obviously I felt a lot more comfortable in terms of my game coming into this week as opposed to the U.S. Open. I worked hard on my long game, spent a lot more time on the range than I usually would. As a result that helps. I felt comfortable in terms of my game and I was able to go out there and enjoy it a little bit more. Q. Was that a real breakthrough for you, as opposed to previous majors where you did feel so much self‑imposed pressure? LUKE DONALD: Well, sometimes you do learn a lot by playing poorly like I did at the U.S. Open and not living up to my expectations. I certainly was very anxious and didn't do a good job on the mental side. So this week was a huge improvement in terms of that and I'll use that going forward. Q. (Inaudible.) LUKE DONALD: Well, of course, any time you welcome a child into the world. He has a smile on his face at all times anyway, but he was especially beaming when I saw him yesterday when he came back through the door. And he'll have a nice eight or nine days at home enjoying being a father. Q. Is he calling him Luke? LUKE DONALD: No, not really, because it's a girl (laughter). It would be a bit strange. No, Georgina. Q. Your home country, but the reception was really terrific for you this week? LUKE DONALD: It is. I get really great crowd support here. The fans are cheering me on, a lot of "Luke" shouts. It's fun to play in front of‑‑ even when you make a mistake and make a bogey, they're there cheering you on and pushing you on, and you use that. It's always great to play in front of a home crowd. Q. You were 5th on the leaderboard and rising. LUKE DONALD: Just on the greens. In previous Open Championships I have struggled on the greens. They're 300 years old and they settle a little bit and they're very tough to read. They're not like the greens we play on week in and week out, which have a consistent burrow to them. There's almost a bit more of a feel it to get the ball in. I felt like I hit a lot of good shots today, good putts, but they just‑‑ it wasn't quite finding the bottom of the hole. I'll come away from here with a lot of confidence knowing that my game tee‑to‑green was easily good enough to win this week. Q. (Inaudible.) LUKE DONALD: It is what it is. It's nice being No.1. I'll continue to work hard on my game and try and produce good results. I mean, World Rankings is a little bit more about consistency. I've probably been the most consistent player over the year. Q. Next for you are the Bridgestone and the US PGA? LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it never ends. A few days off and then back at it. Obviously the World Golf Championship and then the PGA. It's a quick turnaround to the next major. And then obviously after that on to the FedExCup and the Ryder Cup. It's a busy stretch for me, but I'm excited. I'm excited where my game is. Q. You've lived in America for a long time now, but how much do you feel the burden, if any, to win an Open or a major? You're in the pantheon of very good golfers, English golfers. How much would it mean to win one for the country? Do you feel that at all? LUKE DONALD: Well, I think it would be fantastic to win one here. Even being somewhat in contention, having the crowd really behind me, it's a special feeling. There's nothing quite like walking down 18 with the crowds cheering you on and really behind you. I can only imagine what that would be like with a one‑shot lead. And hopefully I'll have that opportunity one day. Q. Is there any difference being a contender and winning a major, might be more mental than technical? LUKE DONALD: Obviously technically, as I said, tee‑to‑green, I was good enough to win this week. It was certainly solid enough, hit a lot of fairways, a lot of greens. It just came down to the short stick, which usually is a very strength of mine. But again, it's a different type of surface, The Open Championship. Sometimes you just need to get on those runs where it goes in. Certainly I didn't hit too many poor putts, it's just getting on that run. It will happen. Q. Any thoughts on using the longer putter? LUKE DONALD: Unlikely I'll go there. But I wouldn't mind seeing them not allowed to be used, I'll put it that way. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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