Q. Good playing. A 3-under 69. If we could just get an opening comment on the round.
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, very happy with my play. Obviously I think yesterday was a good solid round too. I think the afternoon played significantly tougher than the morning wave. It got really firm and a little breezy yesterday afternoon.
Other than a poor double bogey on 15, it was a really solid round. I kept going today and this morning. A little bit easier conditions, no wind and softer greens early on, and you could make some birdies if you kept it in play.
Q. What parts of your game have you seen kind of improving maybe over the last month or two?
LUKE DONALD: Well, I haven't missed many fairways over the last couple days. That's always a key for me. I'm not one of the longest players, but if I'm missing fairways and short, that -- I have to play defense then.
Being in the fairway I can attack some of these pins and make some birdies. My putting, since switching to the claw back in San Antonio, has significantly gotten better too. So I think a combination of hitting fairways and making more putts.
Q. What was the impetus to going to the claw?
LUKE DONALD: My statistics weren't really good, especially from short distance. I didn't feel like I was starting the ball on line. I think those things happen sometimes when you get to 45. But, yeah, it was a pretty easy switch, to be honest. It took me about an hour working on it and it felt very comfortable. Fortunately, it wasn't much change other than that right hand, and I felt very comfortable doing it.
Q. Why does that work? What's the mechanism that gets the ball on line with the right-hand change?
LUKE DONALD: Well, it's not usually a physical issue, it's usually a psychological, mental issue. So by changing the grip pressure on your right hand, it changes something in your brain. That's about as simple as it gets, really. It just feels like, yeah, I feel more free-flowing, it feels like I can get the ball started on line and hit it with good strike.
Q. They probably put some water on the golf course last night, but can you quantify just how much it's still drying out, there's a little bit of breeze? I mean, how many golf courses have you encountered this season that were this firm?
LUKE DONALD: Yeah, it's very playable right now, but certainly yesterday afternoon it became quite tricky. The ball was certainly starting to bounce and you really had to think your way around this course pretty well. But it's warm out there. It's going to be another 90-degree day. The wind is starting to blow a little bit. It's only going to dry out and get firm like it did yesterday afternoon. So I think the guys that played yesterday morning will find out that this course is going to get a little bit tougher this afternoon.
Q. Hideki's 7-under today. I'm sure not many people saw a 65 out of this setup.
LUKE DONALD: No, and to be honest, I had two 3-putts in my 3-under. A couple wedges I could have hit closer. So it is out there. I think this morning, especially with calm conditions and the greens were a little bit softer, that you could -- if you are on at this place, the greens kind of funnel the ball to the hole.
But again, you have to be from the fairway and you have to be pretty precise coming into the greens. Again, if you miss it slightly on the wrong side, then you're playing with fire.
Q. Just as we continue to get closer to the Ryder Cup, what's been maybe the biggest challenge for you with practicing and playing and keeping going on the golf course with your responsibilities as a Ryder Cup captain?
LUKE DONALD: Well, I've played quite a lot this year on both sides of the pond. I'll be in Munich in two weeks time or three weeks time for the BMW Championship as well, and crossing the pond another couple times throughout the summer. So it's just a lot of travel, a lot of play, but I feel like me being at the courses, having an understanding how they're playing, I can really judge how the guys are playing by looking, rather than being just sitting at home and watching on TV. So it's better for me to be here. I can keep the communication up with the players as well. That's important.
Q. Make a little coin on the side too, so.
LUKE DONALD: Well, making cuts helps.
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