Climate change catches Ogilvy out
Golf’s newest major champion thought he was being smart practising for this week’s British Open in the cold and wind of Australia.
Then Geoff Ogilvy arrived at Hoylake to find it “like Bermuda or Tenerife”.
But the man who took advantage of Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson making a mess of the United States Open last month could be happier about the condition of the Royal Liverpool links.
“It’s as fiery as any course I’ve ever seen, but the harder and faster it is the more I will enjoy it,” said the 29-year-old from Adelaide.
“I’ve never seen a course in America like this. Firm in the States is a ball running five yards. No mud on the ball is firm.”
Ogilvy admits he has take a bit of a gamble not playing a single tournament since Winged Foot five weeks ago.
“There may be some competitive rust. I’ve never done it before and if I’m not sharp then I probably won’t do it again.
“But I was going to do it even before I won the US Open. This is such a different tournament and it can mess up your preparations by playing a course that’s totally different.”
Although most publicity was inevitably given to Montgomerie and Mickelson for their closing double-bogey sixes Ogilvy accepts why that was and adds contentedly: “I played 72 holes in less shots than everybody else and my name is on the trophy.
“You can understand why it was written like it was. It was a bizarre way for a tournament to end for everybody watching, but a nice way for me.”
Ogilvy never really thought seriously about the possibility of winning until he chipped in at the 17th.
When he parred the last he still trailed Mickelson, but the American carved his drive onto a hospitality tent, hit a tree with his next, then was plugged in a bunker for three and not even on the green for four.
Of all the four majors Ogilvy thought the US Open the least likely one for him to capture, and the British Open the likeliest.
“I don’t drive the ball very straight, but the more you play the US Open the more you realise nobody hits fairways and so that gives people like me an advantage.”
Also the winner of the Accenture world match play title this year Ogilvy, a descendant of Robert The Bruce, is now a world top-10 player.
He fancies winning more majors. “If you win one you want more. It makes you hungrier. It’s fun winning one of these and the Open is the one Australians dream most about winning.”
