Playing with Lefty - and that chip!

THE past month has been eventful to say the least - it began with me equalling my lowest round on the European Tour and ended in the company of world No 2 Phil Mickelson over in China!

The inaugural Portugal Masters was a strange week in some respects. I went into it without too much confidence, having not hit the ball that great in practice, but I discovered a swing thought and tried a few things and it seemed to work as I managed a 64 on the Friday.

This included two eagles and the highlight of the week when I holed a nine iron at the 456-yard 7th. The Sunday wasn't quite as good as I would have liked, eventually leaving me tied for seventh, but I headed to Valderrama in good spirits. Being involved in the Volvo Masters was particularly special, you work your socks off all year to make the season-ending event and it is a great reward to play the Sotogrande course.

We started promisingly with a level-par 71 but I still came away feeling disappointed, having only had an eight iron to the infamous par-five 17th, only to take five, and then bogeying the last. If you are slightly off your game you will struggle and this was the case in a second-round 80 but, after rounds of 71 and 72, I moved up something like 27 places to a share of 14th, which gives you some idea of how testing Valderrama is.

It is not the longest but you have to position yourself perfectly off the tee and the greens are small and very fast – all in all a thorough examination of your game. With the 2007 season dealt with we had to wait all of four days until the start of the new one and, if this is the shape of things to come, then it promises to be a memorable 12 months.

Round three of the HSBC Champions tournament saw me go off in the final group alongside Mickelson and Kevin Stadler, after a couple of 68s, and another four-under bogey-free effort brought me into the final round just two behind the three-time Major winner and one ahead of Paul Casey.

Phil is a genuine class act. We chatted a lot about my impending wedding and honeymoon and he gave me plenty of advice about the big day. His form was a bit here and there on the Saturday but his renowned short game saved him on several occasions and three birdies on the Sunday took him five clear with just 11 to play.

I tried to believe I was still in it but, deep down, you know you are up against the No 2 in the world.

But then things began to change. A birdie at the 8th saw two shots change hands, he bogeyed 12, doubled 13 after going out of bounds and all of a sudden we were level. Then I was two ahead after a third birdie of the day at the 15th, Phil halved the deficit with a birdie at 16 and we came to the last tee with me on 12 under, one ahead of my American playing partner, and Lee Westwood in the clubhouse at 10-under after a staggering back nine of just 30 strokes.

There was a lot of pressure standing on the last tee but I put a great swing on it and found the fairway. Playing first I took on the green and came up short in the rough. Phil then found the water – had I played after him I would definitely have laid up.

My lie wasn't great and a camera clicked in the middle of my backswing, which didn't exactly help. Whether it affected me I don't know, but the ball just ran on and on downhill all the way into the water. Hard as it is, you have to just try to forget about it and collect your thoughts - the shot's gone and you have to get on with it.

I chipped up to 25 feet but then ran the first one eight feet by the hole. Now I'm thinking if I don't hole this I'll be in a tie for third, will have lost a huge amount of money and points, and, more importantly, the chance to claim a second win on the European Tour.

Another camera clicked on my backswing but I managed to put a good stroke on it and it went in. I had another chance.
At the first play-off hole I wanted to put some pressure on the others, after they both laid up, and had a 10-footer to win, a bit longer than the one at the 72nd hole but a similar line. It was funny to read in the papers that I had left it short, it just needed a bit more borrow - the dew and coldness in the air may also have played a part.

Second time around I went for it again and this time found the bunker. I knew, with Phil just six feet away, I would need to hole from about 18 feet. I didn't and Phil duly did. The birdie makes it a little bit easier to take but, having reflected on it, it feels like one that got away. I should have won but unfortunately I didn't.

My next destination is the Emirates but I won't be taking my clubs this time as I am there on honeymoon with my partner Jo.
Have a great Christmas and I look forward to bringing you up to date in next month's issue.