Dyson's date with Hoylake and Golfmagic

Simon Dyson – colourful personality

The decision by the R&A to re-number Hoylake’s holes for the 2006 Open meets with approval from Simon Dyson, the Yorkshireman who will be contributing an exclusive Open diary for Golfmagic.com next week.

"Hoylake’s a great track, whichever way they play it," he told me this week. "I like it a lot, have played it loads of times and it will suit my game."

Dyson, the 29 –year-old from Malton, who claimed his maiden victory on the European Tour in the Indonesian Open earlier this year and landed his sixth top-ten on Tour in the European Open at the K Club yesterday is confident he can continue his good form at the Royal Liverpool course next week.

" I know the course well and play it quite regularly with one of my sponsors. I first played there as a kid a few years ago when I reached the quarter-finals of the English Amateur.

"The changes to the course will make the new first hole (normally the par-4 17th) bloody tough. You have to keep your drive close to the bunkers on the right, to get a good look at the newish, large green, which is slightly angled across the fairway.

Dyson recalls the second hole (18th), another par 4, demands a straight tee shot threaded between bunkers with an approach to another new green, tucked behind bunkers. As for the third hole (normally the first), it’s also challenging but a sharp dogleg flanked by out of bounds.

Hoylake from the air

"A lot of Hoylake is like this. You have to be straight and accurate off the tee but you also have to have a good short game because you’re not going to hit every green in regulation.

"I’ve been working hard on my short game with my coach Pete Cowan and on my fitness – and that’s been the main reason for my consistency this year," says Simon, who first came to prominence in helping Great Britain and Ireland win the Walker Cup at Nairn in 1999 and finished top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

However, he had to qualify for this year’s Open in a dramatic play-off at Sunningdale a fortnight ago when he beat Simon Hepworth at the 8th extra hole of a play-off.

"I’ll be heading off for a few practice rounds after this week’s Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and will probably meet up on Monday with some of my regular pals, like Luke Donald, Jamie Donaldson, Nick Dougherty and Kenneth Ferrie."

Dyson will be easy to spot this year in the bright colours of his Galvin Green-sponsored wardrobe. If I’m honest I prefer an all black outfit but I’m told I’m easier to spot in the whites, blues and pinks and golf as all about raising your profile and expressing your personality, so I’m comfortable in more visible outfits."

Hoylake’s Open spaces

Unlike many pros, Dyson doesn’t use a rescue club among his predominently Titliest-branded equipment.

"Never really needed one," he claims. "I used Titleist 690 irons (4-iron to pitching wedge) and two Vokey Series 400 wedges (53 and 59 degrees). I’ve got a Titleist 3- and 5-wood (‘don’t ask me what model, I haven’t a clue! I just know I can hit them straight’) and a Titleist 905 R driver with 10.5 degrees of loft."

He says he also carries a Mizuno 2-iron and the same Odyssey 2-ball putter he’s used successfully for over two years.

When it comes to golf balls, the blonde Yorkshireman is very particular – preferring the ProV1x to the standard ProV1, which he says, performs better for him in the wind.

"I’m also a bit superstitious about the number on the ball, too," he admits. "I won’t ever use a No.3 (‘don’t know why’) and if I’m successful with a certain-coloured marking around my ball with a Sharpie pen – I’ll stick with it.

"Paul Casey bought me a set of 30 different colours from the US and I’m working my way through them," says Simon who sticks with the same ball-marker coin (‘I’ve got loads of Chinese coins’) until it turns sour on him.

Simon’s hoping to improve on his 34th place in last year’s Open at St Andrews and is looking forward to the chance to bring his personal experiences – round by-round - to Golfmagic.com visitors at the end of each day’s play.