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 FEATURES 16 / 07 / 03
 

Open players on the web


Fred in the red.

The growth of the internet has encouraged many players - and their respective backers and agents - to invest in their own websites. This is a great way to keep both their fans and sponsors informed and promoted.

It's also a good way to keep close to their public and provide them with insights into players' daily routines which, sadly, are much like our own, except on a global scale.

Ernie Els for example, tells his fans he drove down to Sandwich from his Wentworth home after flying in from Loch Lomond the previous evening, following his Scottish Open victory.

"The M25 was pretty grim though. I can hardly believe The Opens come round so quickly, and that I'm about to defend my title.

"Emotionally you feel a bit of everything - excitement, anticipation, tension. It's a great feeling when you go through those gates to the golf course. The sense of tradition that surrounds this tournament, the fact that it's links golf - where the game started - and all the Open history involved."

He adds: "Royal St George's is a different golf course to the one I played 10 years ago. They've repositioned eight of the tees so there aren't quite so many blind shots, not that they worry me. Like the old saying goes, a blind shot is only blind the first time you play it!

"The course is playing very fast and firm - real links stuff and the rough is high so I'm anticipating a tough challenge."

Phil Mickelson tells his fans he's feeling confident going into The Open.

His progress has been slow and steady, including a closing 68 at Loch Lomond.

"I actually hit it pretty good at Loch Lomond but scored horrendously for the way I was playing. Having spent time a few weeks ago with my coach Rick Smith, I feel I've added consistency to my ball-striking and confidence."

Mickelson played Royal St George's on Monday and described it as 'spectacular'.

"It's a wonderful, wonderful place...I watched in '85 on TV when Sandy Lyle won and made five from down in the swale, watching the ball roll back to him, and everybody thought he may have lost his chances when he gets up-and-down and wins by two."

"Being able to play it now gives you a great feel for the character of the course. It's got a lot of difficult greens, a lot of slopes. It's going to be a fun test, but I really enjoyed it."

He revealed he'll be playing the ProV1 ball this week. "It's low spinning and goes through the air better, and in the wind it's a better performer for me. I don't have to alter my swing to keep the ball down and control it in winds that we see at this championship."

Michael Campbell reveales that he watched the 1993 Open, when Greg Norman won, from behind the ropes after failing to qualify in his first year as a pro.

Since then, 'Cambo's' contested eight of the past nine Opens, highlighted by a third place behind John Daly in 1995 when he led going into the final round.

He says he took the 90-minute drive on Monday from his Brighton house and after registering and collecting guest tickets for his family and friends, played his first practice round on the sun-baked links.

" The course is playing hard and fast, just like most of the courses I've grown up on competing in New Zealand and Australia," says the Kiwi, who has spent the past week working hard with coach, Jonathan Yarwood, at East Sussex National."

Darren Clarke reveals that he deliberately left his arrival at Royal St. George's late, spending Monday practising links shots at Skibo Castle, north of Inverness, and not arriving until late on Tuesday.

"In the past I have been there too early and by the time you come to play - because everyone wants a piece of you - you are more tired than you should be and you haven't been focusing enough."

"This time I decided to keep my energy levels as high as possible. Unfortunately I was unable to accept the offer of a place at the Association of Golf Writers annual dinner on Tuesday. I'm sure they'll accept my apologies for absence, particularly if my carefully prepared plans come to fruition on Sunday."


Norman recalls 1993.

On what is probably one of the best star golfer websites Greg Norman explains that he remembers a tip Jack Nicklaus gave him before the final round of his winning 1993 Open.

"He had mentioned something to me about grip pressure before the final round of the 1986 Open at Turnberry. That was all I was thinking about as I drove to Royal St. George's on that Sunday in 1993. I was gently caressing and feeling the wheel, and that's how I wanted to be on the golf course.

"Because of that, my sensitivity was alert very early on in that final round. Everything was calm with me that day and I knew as soon as I hit my first drive that I was in total control of my feelings. I don't think I looked at the leaderboard until after I tapped in for birdie on the ninth hole and I was walking to the 10th tee. I looked up and saw that I had a one shot lead and I knew they would have a hard time catching me the way I was feeling."

Sadly he admits he is now suffering from back pain along with another former major winner Fred Couples who also has his own website.

There's not too much to it at present apart from a couple of nice practice shots, but Freddie's people say he hopes to update it during the week. John Daly's website is also disappointing and hasn't been updated since November last year.


Rose - enthusiastic.

The same can't be said for Justin Rose. He's an internet enthusiast and within hours of completing a practice round with Nick Faldo, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter on Monday, couldn't wait to tell his fans about it.

"The course is very lively but the rough doesn't seem to be as bad as everyone is making out. It looks burnt away but I'm sure there are some tough lies out there just waiting to be found. Worked on a few things during the round and am playing okay. I want to keep up my record of improving every year since I turned pro. Away now for some putting and pitching practice before dinner."

The websites devoted to Lee Westwood and Mathias Gronberg were a disappointment and hadn't been updated for some time despite being run by members of their own family.


Tiger - good site.

However, for Tiger Woods fans, as you'd expect, everything is in place - even a verbatum report of his Tuesday press conference as the world's media hung on every word from the championship favourite.

Whether he'll find the time, however, to write a daily personal diary is questionable - he has several other things on his mind!

Has your favourite player got a website? Or have you found one that's really good? If so, review it yourself and tell us on the forum.


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