On The Fairway

We almost beat the Englishmen before losing 1-2, while the South Africans were just too good during the 3-0 win win over us. China, who had taken a match both off England and South Africa, were whitewashed 3-0 by us.

Considering that I am the only regular player in European conditions, I am proud of the way Jyoti Randhawa and Vijay Kumar conducted themselves. They almost pulled it off against England, before both lost by a mere stroke to players who practically live on such courses.

The weather was the key, with the wind chill factor making lifedifficult for those accustomed to tropical climates. Thankfully, the rains kept away and it was not until the final day that the wind started causing havoc with the scores. But it was very cold out on the course throughout, and Jyo and Vijay coped splendidly.

This would be a huge learning experience for both Jyo and Vijay. I am sure they will come out much better players having played under such formidable names. They know now that they have the game and the skill to beat the very best in the world.

The Alfred Dunhill Cup is one of the premier team events in the world and we have done more than enough to etch our names in the minds of the organisers. I won’t be surprised if we are invited back next year as well.

Personally, I had a great tournament and won two out of three matches. The victory against my good friend and World No 5 Lee Westwood was particularly sweet. Even though I lost to Ernie Els, the World No 6 during our match against South Africa, I learnt a lot in these head-to-head clashes withErnie and Lee. The most basic things are the ability to minimise mistakes and handle crunch situations. If I get better in these two departments, I see no reason as to why I should not figure in the top 10 of the world.

Spain, one of the two teams I had been favouring to win the title from the beginning, managed to do so. It must have been a great feeling for Sergio Garcia, Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez to beat South Africa in the semi-final on Sunday morning and avenge their loss in the final last year. The Spaniards have a magic touch and they are a superb team. Ernie did beat Sergio, but the key to the South African defeat was the complete loss of form of Retief Goosen against Jose Maria Olazabal. Once they got past SA, only over-confidence could have stopped them from beating Australia. Thankfully, they kept their heads and chalked out a deserving victory.

(Tiger Sports Marketing)