Woosnam relishing return to the fairway

After becoming a national hero with his captaincy of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team, Ian Woosnam is relishing a return to his day job, professional golfer.

The Welshman is planning to play a lot more this year as he resumes his career following the incredible high of that record-equaling victory over the United States at The K Club in Ireland last September.

"Absolutely!" he responded when asked if he aims to spend more time on the fairways.

"I turn 50 in March next year and I'm planning a full European Tour season before then. I know that when I'm in the groove and playing regularly I can be competitive.

"During the British Open last summer, I did some practice back home in Jersey and on the Monday after that I played in a pro-am where I had eight birdies in 13 holes. So I found something that week and went off and finished 11th in the next tournament [the Deutsche Bank Players Championship of Europe].

"The key to it is my short game. I've been switching between the long-handled putter and the conventional one, but I'm going to stick with the long one because that gives me more confidence. I've been practicing hard and I'm looking forward to a busy year,” said Woosnam.

His schedule includes a visit to Hainan, China, to play in next week's TCL Classic, where he will tee it up alongside two of his Ryder Cup team, Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Woosnam who will compete in the TCL Classic from March 15-18 at Yalong Bay Golf Club in Sanya.

"I'm certainly going to relish playing alongside Paul and Lee. I played in the event two years ago and really enjoyed it. I remember Hainan as a truly beautiful island and a very relaxing place to play golf."

While understandably eager to focus on the future, the charismatic Woosnam can reflect on a stellar career that has brought him a Major title, the 1991 Masters, plus eight Ryder Cup appearances as a player and a staggering 28 European Tour titles.

And then, of course, there were the incredible scenes at The K Club as Europe beat the United States 18½-9½.

"When I was appointed captain in January 2005 everyone said, 'Before you know it, it'll all be over,' and here we are, almost six months on from the tournament. Time has flown by," he said.

"But now that I've had a chance to sit down and watch some DVDs of it, I'm starting to appreciate what we have achieved and just how incredibly well the guys played. I couldn't have asked for any more than they gave me. It was just such a pleasure to be their captain."

Not that he was over-confident before the tournament. "I was braced for a very tough week because I was certain Tom Lehmann would be a very astute captain and we all felt the Americans would be up for it after Europe's recent successes in the event.

"Tom had brought the American team over to Dublin for a bonding exercise the previous month and was obviously leaving no stone unturned.

"My target was to have nine and a half points on the board by Saturday night - in fact we had 10, which was a nice little bonus. I think one of the key factors was that we holed the crucial putts at the right time. We were always very strong on the last three holes."

Woosnam approached his captaincy role by remembering what he had learned from his predecessors.

"I was involved in eight Ryder Cups as a player plus one as vice-captain to Sam Torrance. My first captain was Tony Jacklin, who was truly inspirational and set the benchmark for others to follow.

"When Tony became captain, he said, 'If we're going to compete with the Americans, everything has to be top notch. We've got to go over there looking confident, dressed for the occasion and ready to give it everything. We travel first class, we look first class and we play first class.' As a captain, he made us feel so confident and important.

"All the captains I played under had their merits and I drew a little bit from each of them. Being vice-captain under Sam was especially important because it was crucial to see what went on behind the scenes.

"Having said that, while I saw an awful lot of the work a captain had to do, I didn't realise until I got into it that there was so much more on top of that.

"You have to think of everything - from golf clothing, waterproofs and shoes, to outfits for formal occasions, to menus and rooming arrangements, how to fit out the team room, previewing and approving motivational videos, and a whole host of other things. And that's in addition to thinking about the actual golf!

"Another crucial aspect is to think about the players' wives and partners because they're an integral part of the week. Basically, myself and my staff did all we could to ensure that when the players turned up, everything was laid on for them and all they had to think about was playing."

The celebrations that followed Europe's victory went on for weeks. "I've attended a few dinners and presentations," said Woosnam, who received an OBE in the New Year's Honours List.

"One particular memory is a businessman called Rossa McDermott putting on a 'Welcome back to Ireland lunch' for my first return there after the Ryder Cup and that was great fun. Then there was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year show and an awards ceremony in Ireland where we received the Best Team prize."

After the dinners, awards ceremonies and TV appearances, Woosnam is ready to move on. "I've spent some time in Barbados and practised hard there and now I'm looking forward to playing again regularly in 2007," he says.

"The Ryder Cup is in the past - this year is all about tournament play."

March 11, 2007

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