Mark O'Meara dreams of Open double

After Mark O'Meara put the icing on a quite unbelievable 1998 by beating Tiger Woods at Wentworth there was one inevitable question posed to him.

How on earth could he follow it all up in 1999?

O'Meara smiled, thought and then gave a two-word answer which summed up precisely how he felt. "Who cares?", he said.

At 41 the American had achieved what he and others believed might never happen for him - a Masters title, an Open title, a World Match Play win and the honour of being named Player of the Year.

It was the fulfilment of a dream and even if he missed every single halfway cut this year, O'Meara could have gone home and cheered himself up by putting on a video and reliving Augusta and Birkdale.

Well, he hasn't missed every cut, but so far he has not won again yet either.

The oldest man ever to win two majors in the same season has already had to hand over his Masters crown to Jose Maria Olazabal and now the time has come to defend the Open.

"Golf is a fickle game," he said just prior to missing the halfway cut in last month's US Open.

"Granted, I haven't played as well as I would have liked, but I'm not overly disappointed. I've made 663,000 dollars, I'm 33rd on the US money list.

"Sure, it would be nice to have a win under my belt, but that hasn't happened and it's not the end of the world.

"I'm 42 and I've taken advantage of some of the opportunities that have come my way, playing internationally a little bit more.

That takes a little bit out of you. There's no doubt about it. And it definitely takes more out of you when you're my age.

"I would like to keep playing well and I want to win, but I also have to say to myself 'Hey, I'm not a kid any more'. I've been very lucky to play well for a long period of time.

"Golf is about ups and downs. I've had them in my career and all the young players who are playing well right now are going to experience them.

"I feel like I'm very close. My short game has gotten better over the last five years - that was evident at the British Open win. But of late my putting has been so-so."

O'Meara is asked as many - probably more - questions about his close friend Woods as he is about himself.

They are neighbours in Florida, belong to the same club (Isleworth), regularly practise together and often travel and stay as a pair as well.

O'Meara is sure it has been good for him and Woods says he has benefited too.

The first time they played together Woods was 17. He shot 71 and O'Meara a 64.

"I made a bunch of putts then and explained to Tiger that if it's not me making them there's 140 other guys on tour making them every day.

"We've just kind of grown and struck up a big-brother, younger-brother kind of relationship.

"When you play with somebody a little better - and he's the best player I've ever seen - I think that pushed me a little bit from the standpoint of figuring out how I had to step my game up to compete at the same level."

That brought wonderful results last year and O'Meara's professional pride means that he will not be giving up the Open title without a fight.