Gale force is with Luke

John Huggan, Scotland on Sunday, 10 October 2004

The almighty guddles that are the first three rounds of the Dunhill Links Championship finally began to untangle themselves last night. Now that all of the competitors - professional and amateur, great and good, bad and bloody awful - have oh-so slowly completed 18 holes over St Andrews, Kingsbarns and Carnoustie, it is at last possible to make some sort of sense out of this tiresome event.

With rounds lasting closer to six hours than five on a typically brisk and chilly October day on the east coast of our fair land, this "prestigious" pro-am (aka, rich man’s toy) managed what hitherto has been impossible: it reduced our national sport to a spectacle even less interesting than synchronised swimming. Long periods of complete inactivity were occasionally and only briefly broken by sporadic outbreaks of something resembling golf. But not as we know it. Billed as a "celebration" of links golf, this is more like a cremation.

Still, none of the above will presumably be bothering Luke Donald this morning. The Englishman, already a two-time winner on the European Tour in 2004, leads the way into the final round at St Andrews. A 17-under par aggregate of 199 for 54-holes has Donald two shots clear of his countrymen, Ian Poulter and David Howell. Only the presence of a third man in second place, Ulsterman Graeme McDowell, stops this turning into golf’s version of the All-England Championships.

As you’d expect, the leader was more than chuffed with his day’s toil, even if, as usual, his deadpan expression was hardly the best indicator of pleasure.

"I’m very pleased," he claimed. "Carnoustie is easily the hardest of the three courses, especially off the tee, and you have to think about every shot."

The 26-year-old from Beaconsfield also admitted to a little surprise at how well he is doing over three classic links tests. His poor record in the Open, for example, would indicate that golf by the seaside is hardly one of his strengths.

"The key is just that I am playing well and have been for the last two months. It’s that simple really. My normal problem is that I have spent the last seven years trying to hit shots longer, higher and softer, which is hardly what you need on a links."

Donald was also quick to pay tribute to Ryder Cup skipper Bernhard Langer and Ken Schofield, executive director of the European Tour, both of whom had approached him to rejoin his home circuit halfway through the season.

"I owe them a lot," he admitted. "I wouldn’t be where I am today - a Ryder Cup player and ranked 30 in the world - were it not for them calling me. It has been a blessing in disguise."

Much more animated - as is his way, of course - was Poulter. The extrovert Arsenal fan shot the round of the day, a 65 at Carnoustie, and was full of fighting talk for the final round.

"I was very comfortable all day," he acknowledged. "Even after making a silly bogey at the first hole. I scrambled well when I had to. I two-putted from distance when I had to. And I drove the ball in play almost every time, which is what you have to do here.

"All of that gave me a lot of chances. The longest putt I holed all day was from maybe 15 feet. Which shows how well I hit the ball. If I do the same tomorrow, I’ll be fine, no matter what the weather brings us."

As for Howell, like his compatriots, a recent Ryder Cup debutant, he is another in the form of his life, even if that has yet to bring him a second win to add to his Dubai Desert Classic title five years ago.

There was some cheer too for the home galleries. The leading Scot on 14 under par and in fifth spot is Stephen Gallacher. The Bathgate man, who amazingly for one so inherently talented has yet to win on the European Tour, shot a sizzling 66 - as they say in the tabloids - at St Andrews yesterday to slide into contention only three shots off the lead.

Elsewhere, Colin Montgomerie played himself out of contention - he sits joint 20th on nine under par - with an erratic 72 at Carnoustie. Ten times he deviated from par: five birdies and five bogeys. Still, unlike days gone by, the seven-time European No.1 was far from despondent at the close of play. The hug he got from supermodel partner Jodie Kidd on the 18th green must have cheered him up; it certainly got one of the loudest cheers of the day.

"I just didn’t get going after a 5-5 start," he moaned. "But I did well to shoot two under par from there. What has me happier is that, for the first time in three years, my back is well enough to let me fade the ball again. I am able to get through the ball so much better and that has given me more confidence."

The downside is that, as he and Kidd missed the cut in the team event, there will be no more cuddling during the final round. Or will there? "I hope not," was Monty’s immediate reaction. "I’m playing with Vijay tomorrow."

Speaking of whom, the world No.1 sailed round Carnoustie in 69, not bad when you consider he was only the third highest earner in his four-ball after Teddy Forstmann, the new owner of International Management Group, and Herb Kohler, who recently purchased the Old Course hotel.

"I played decent," was Singh’s downbeat verdict. "There were one or two loose shots but mostly it was fine. I can’t believe how good the scoring is though. It was really cold out there."

Not like Fiji then? "The only time it gets cold like this there is when you open the refrigerator."

Comedy from Vijay - this tournament really does have everything.