A pleasant 67 for you on day one. How would you summarize your efficiency?
LUKE DONALD: Clearly more than happy with the rating, bogey-free in a significant. Somebody simply advised me it was the bottom first spherical in a significant I’ve had since 2004 or one thing. So you already know, clearly I’ve been trending with all of the missed cuts coming into this week.
However no, it was a pleasing shock. I acquired off to a very nice, regular begin. I hit a bunch of fairways on the entrance 9 which at all times makes me be ok with my recreation.
I didn’t hit a ton of greens right now however my putter was actually good. The greens shock — not surprisingly however they have been infinitely faster this morning first group out than they have been the previous few days.
However I adjusted very properly to them, and I made plenty of good, strong putts on the market.
Q. What’s it wish to undergo a press convention like yesterday when query after query is about Jon Rahm’s recreation or LIV gamers’ recreation or anyone’s recreation however your recreation?
LUKE DONALD: Effectively, that’s what I signed as much as. You already know, as I stated, I’m right here solely as a result of I’m captain of the European Ryder Cup Group. I wouldn’t be on this area in any other case. It’s a pleasant invitation and a perk that the Ryder Cup Captain will get.
I perceive that. I perceive that my recreation isn’t the place it was, and that’s the focus. So it actually doesn’t hassle me one bit.
Q. I need to know the way a lot enjoyable you have been having on the market on the course right now, and what’s it like sustaining a wholesome stability between keeping track of potential Ryder Cup gamers, and naturally, your personal recreation, as properly, which is wanting actually good for the time being?
LUKE DONALD: Effectively, it’s at all times enjoyable, bogey-free in a significant championship on a course that you simply wouldn’t have thought could be very best for me.
Yeah, it was. It was good. I really feel like I’ve putted fairly properly the tournaments I’ve performed this yr however not seen a lot go in. And to see them go in, dropping, was plenty of enjoyable.
However the balancing factor, yeah, I don’t discover it — I discovered it extra tough the primary go round for the captaincy for Rome. I had much less time to organize for that captaincy.
This time, I’ve had an extended time, and clearly second go-around, I’m type of conversant in what’s happening and what I must do and the time frames and all that stuff. I’ve been capable of stability it fairly properly. It’s been good to play a minimized schedule. I nonetheless love competing. I like being a competitor. However nonetheless giving myself loads of time to be ready for New York.
Q. Unsure in the event you checked the leaderboard, however Keegan is 3-under. Are you turning this into your personal Ryder Cup preview duel right here?
LUKE DONALD: If it’s tied 14-14, are you speaking a playoff? I’ll seize the trophy and return to Europe.
Keegan is prime 20 on this planet. He can have one good week out right here, win, which he’s very able to, and he’s completely within the dialog of being a taking part in captain.
I don’t assume that’s fairly in my future, however Keegan, we dwell very shut collectively. I see the place he practices, and he practices very laborious. He’s nonetheless one of many prime gamers on this planet.
Q. A little bit of a nuts-and-bolts query right here. While you’re approaching a inexperienced, figuring out there’s a superb likelihood that you could be miss it and have a chip, how are you setting your self as much as have a superb chip upcoming, and making an attempt to get up-and-down on a few of these holes?
LUKE DONALD: I believe when it comes to this course, the greens, as I stated, they acquired fairly fast right now. A lot faster than they have been, they usually have plenty of slope.
So your intention factors from the golf green — relies upon in the event you’re attacking it from the golf green or the tough. However you already know, in the event you’re out of place, then you definitely’re actually making an attempt to place your self into a spot the place you’re feeling like you will get up-and-down, extra so right here than you’ll most locations due to the severity of the greens.
So I believe I did a superb job of that. I simply saved it type of the place the up-and-downs have been very manageable. However you already know, in the event you’re within the fairway, then you definitely’re simply making an attempt to make fairly good, aggressive swings to the precise sides of the holes.
Q. What in your thoughts is a manageable up-and-down? How do you outline that?
LUKE DONALD: I used to be disillusioned on 18 to hit in the precise bunker. I assumed that was a nasty miss however wasn’t as unhealthy as I assumed. Had just a little little bit of breeze into me however I nonetheless wanted to gap an 8-, 9-footer for par.
You’re not making an attempt to assume an excessive amount of over the ball in your second pictures about, oh, I simply don’t need to be right here. You’re making an attempt to be as particular is what you’re making an attempt to do and the place you’re making an attempt to hit it. I believe extra so whenever you’re out of place off the tee, that’s whenever you begin desirous about, okay two, three pictures forward: This pin is right here; if I can get it to the precise aspect of the inexperienced, I’m chipping up the hill. One thing like that. And that’s going to present me a chance to get up-and-down.
Q. When was the final time you performed in addition to that?
LUKE DONALD: Testing my reminiscence. Can hardly keep in mind what I did final week not to mention this week.
You already know, once more, I solely hit 9 greens right now. So I wouldn’t say it was superb however there was undoubtedly highlights right now that have been an enchancment on earlier occasions. Extra fairways. A bit higher driving. Iron play was first rate.
However the placing, clearly, was very key and the quick recreation. I acquired up-and-down and made good putts once I wanted to, and that was type of the important thing to my spherical right now.
Q. There’s already a number of complaints about mud balls and the choice to not elevate, clear and place. The place do you stand on that?
LUKE DONALD: I didn’t have any mud balls, per se. When it begins to dry out much more, you may get some this afternoon. It was tough. I used to be just a little bit shocked yesterday once I heard the information yesterday night simply due to how moist it was, but it surely had dried out fairly properly, to be sincere.
Two instances I needed to take informal aid from the golf green, which helped. You already know, you’ll be able to clear it. The remainder of the time, it was simply type of a watery, muddy residue on it, at instances. It wasn’t actually lumps of mud, which that’s when it will get very dicey.
Q. To return to the taking part in captain, simply typically talking, after we speak about Keegan presumably doing it, what are the calls for of doing each of these jobs, which appear actually laborious?
LUKE DONALD: I believe it’s extra the calls for throughout the week. In case you’re taking part in your self, you’re going to be on the golf course and so that you’re going to, you’re going to have to present the choice-making, the decision-making, to another person.
You already know, then clearly you must instruct, I assume, that particular person, you already know, what to search for, what you’re making an attempt to perform. And in the event you’re making an attempt to play as properly, that’s just a little bit distracting, I suppose.
I don’t assume there could be a lot distraction up till the Ryder Cup. It’s simply the week of. It’s simply you’re not watching the fellows. However you do have assistant captains, vice captains, to do all that and relay that message to you. It’s simply, yeah, an additional step in what you wouldn’t normally need to take care of.
Q. As a person of a sure age, you have been in all probability up in the course of the evening to go to the lavatory anyway, but when not, what time did you must set the alarm for the 7:00 tee time?
LUKE DONALD: I believe I made it by way of the evening final evening.
However I used to be — 4:40 this morning my alarm went off.
Q. How did you’re feeling about being first off? Are you okay with that?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, I used to be within the first group final yr. Obtained a strong pairing with two main champions. I suppose it’s a pleasant little honor to hit the primary tee shot to get the match underway. I used to be good with that. The greens have been very good the primary 9 holes, and the tempo of play was fairly good, too.
Q. This clearly is an uncommon manner so that you can put together for a significant championship, however is there something that may have helped you play right now, the best way you performed right now, in the truth that you weren’t capable of put together as you’ll have needed to?
LUKE DONALD: Taking part in final week. In all probability the primary time this yr I had two weeks in a row. Taking part in a minimized schedule sounds good but it surely’s fairly tough to get in a aggressive mode. So you already know, taking part in one week, three weeks off, one week, you already know, all that stuff, hasn’t been very simple for me. It’s like cease, begin.
It’s nicer to play two, three weeks in a row and form of get a rhythm. That’s at all times what I loved once I was on the prime of my recreation, as properly. So I believe simply having, yeah, consecutive weeks taking part in was useful
