OPEN GOLF: Geoff Ogilvy interview

Your Open record is poor by your standards – why is that?

I don’t know actually, it’s quite disappointing. I started playing quite well a few years ago at St Andrews and I thought I’d worked it out but the last few years haven’t been good.

I’ve had a couple of poor draws in the last few years – which is fine. I feel like I do everything right – I go over early and I know the courses. Maybe I’m trying too hard. I’m only in the middle of my career, though, so I’ve got a way to go.

You played a lot as an amateur on Open venues. How was that?

Really cool because they were all on some of the best courses. The St Andrews Links Trophy was my favourite as we had three practice rounds around the Old and one on the New all for about £40.

It was unbelievable. You always had the course to yourselves, it was just you guys out there playing. It was fantastic. I got to play Muirfield, St George’s, Turnberry. It was a great education in links golf.

How quickly did you adapt?

I was pretty lost at first and it took me a while to get used to it. I’d never seen anything like it. Some courses in Melbourne play firm so there were some similarities, but I was lost.

Is the Open the most popular Major Down Under?

The Open is an acquired taste when you’re a young kid, but the more you watch it, the more you appreciate the truly, truly great players who won it and that perhaps is the one that means the most, but as a youngster it would be equal with the Masters because who doesn’t like sitting there watching the Masters? It just seems so exciting. You’re so starved for it –there’s something so mystical about it.