HIlls NZ Golf Open 2007

As an amateur (very amateur) golfer I look forward to watching some of the Hills NZ golf open over the next few days. NZ’s greatest hope is again Michael Campbell winner of the 2005 US open but like most sport in our country at the moment I don’t think many would rate his chances. He has been the absolute model of inconsistency for most of his career and probably more so since winning the US open.

Golf they say is a real mental game - you can read that one of two ways let’s go with the sensible way today. So is it the mental agility that Campbell lacks – he has a psychologist as do many other professional sportsmen and women today but can they really instil confidence in your swing or your putting?

Even the greatest golfers seem to have ‘off’ days’- how many times have we seen Phil Mickelson lose a tournament with an awful shot or maybe two or three awful shots?

And then there’s Tiger the enigma of world sport – does he ever have an off day? Of course it’s just that his off days are the equivalent of a good round for other golfers. There is something to be said for natural talent obviously but I suspect we can’t escape the dreaded P word – practice.

Even Michael Campbell admitted it on TV , that perhaps he had enjoyed the US open win a little too much – but it isn’t all his fault – we put him up there, asked him to every social event under the sun and encouraged him to be involved in all sorts of things.

Of course that’s my excuse too, too many social events – that’s why I didn’t get an invite to the tournament after all my best round is a 54! Let’s not mention that is for 9 holes!

No I’m afraid that when it all boils down to it, if you don’t put the hard yards in you won’t make the yards off the tee. Shame really I could be such a great golfer…not!