Worldwide Golf

IT'S been a strange few weeks for me on the golf course. On one hand I feel like I'm playing really well but I just haven't been sinking the putts to make it count.

My caddie Adam said to me the other day, "As soon as you start holing some putts you're going to win because you're hitting the ball the best I've ever seen you hit it - from tee to green you're playing great, your short game's really sharp, your bunker play is world class. As soon at the flat stick starts going and the putts start falling you're going to be seriously contending and winning tournaments."

We're all in the same boat where that's concerned. This game all comes down to holing putts - that's what wins you tournaments and I've been working really hard on that side of things so hopefully it will start to pay off.  I was doing some work with Dave Stockton Jnr at the PGA Championship and I was really excited by the results we were getting - I thought I'd found something - but just recently it's not been going as well as I would have hoped.

I played nicely in Holland at the KLM Open, which is obviously a tournament that holds great memories for me as I won my first European Tour title there back in 2007. I had a decent first round of 66 which I had to finish on the Friday because the event was affected by weather. I finished my opening round really strongly but then had a 55 minute wait before starting my second round which kind of did me in. I wish I could have kept going because I was in the rhythm and it threw me off. I started the second round with three bogeys and ended up with a 74 so I thought I was going to miss the cut. I was pleased that I didn't but I was off very early the next day and shot a good score (67) so I knew I was going to have to go silly low to win it. I finished with a 66 for tied sixth so in the end it was a very positive week but it was one of those weeks where if I'd putted half decent I could have won by a few shots. 

It was a similar story at the Vivendi Seve Trophy. I putted really well in the first match but that was kind of as good as it got.  I was paired with Scott Jamieson, who is a great prospect, and we bounced off each other really well to beat Peter Hanson and Raphaël Jacquelin 6&4. Scott's a great player, I've seen what he can do first hand and I was excited to play with him. It was a slightly new experience for me as I was kind of one of the elder statesmen of the team and Paul (McGinley) asked me if I minded taking that role. I said, "You know me mate, I'll play with anyone," and I think that helped him out. I really enjoyed it, unfortunately we lost our next match together against Nicolas Colsaerts and Matteo Manassero, but overall the week was really positive. I played nicely and it was good to come out on the winning team. I also enjoyed the responsibility of being one of the more experienced team members and Paul said some really nice things about me. I played with him in the second round of the Dunhill Links Championship and he said he was going out for dinner with Ollie (Ryder Cup Captain Jose Maria Olazabal) during the Madrid Masters and would be putting in a good word for me. He said, "You'd be an asset to the team because you can play with anyone and I think that will hold you in good stead." Hopefully I can play my way into the team on merit but if a pick were needed it's good to know that there's somebody who thinks very highly of you putting in a word.

On the Monday before the Dunhill started young Druv Nair, who won the junior section of this year's Emirates Airline Invitational at Yas Links, played with GMac (Graeme McDowell) and myself around St Andrews. It was an auction prize he'd been generously given by the ex-manager of Dubai football club Al Ahli FC, David O'Leary. It was a great day and we all really enjoyed it. I was disappointed that I missed the first tee because my plane was delayed but I caught them up on the first green and we had a good time. Druv played really nicely and both GMac and I thought he was a good kid and a good little prospect for the future. If he works hard he could have a great future ahead of him. I think it says it all about Abdullah Al Naboodah and the Invitational - to provide a trip like that for a young lad which he will hopefully remember for the rest of his life and use as inspiration to pursue his golfing career.

As for my own performance at the Dunhill -it was a similar story. I played really well for the most part put I think my putting stats for the week were 32, 33, 34 and 35, which is not going to cut it, so I know what I need to do.

In the know with Ross Fisher

Ross Fisher finished tied sixth at the KLM Open and 64^th at the KLM Open. He contributed 2 ½ points to GB& Ireland's 15 ½ - 12 ½ victory over Continental Europe in the Vivendi Seve Trophy and is currently 79^th in the Official World Golf Ranking and 43^rd in the Race to Dubai.