Today’s Golfer UK — December 2017

14 ISSUE 367 TODAYSGOLFER.CO.UK

TOUR

Ju s t how muc h do you h ave i n com mon w it h t he

world’s top golfers? On the tee this month...

English star David Howell

The Golf Test

Have you ever rushed onto

the 1st tee just before your

tee time?

Yes, I’ve done that. In my second year on Tour, I overslept at

Sun City in South Africa. It was looking unlikely I’d make the

cut and I might have got a bit carried away the night before.

It was the one and only time.

Yes... in the hole! I was an amateur playing in a match play

tournament at Burnham & Berrow in Somerset and we were

looking for my ball for well over four minutes on a par 4

before we found my ball in the hole.

Unfortunately, my best round so far is a 62 I’m afraid. That was a long while

back too when I was around 17. I recorded it at my local Broome Manor golf

course in Swindon.

Not guilty. Though I must admit to throwing a few clubs in my time. The red mist

can descend and while I’ve had a few tantrums, I’ve never actually broken a club

in a temper.

I think it’s up to six or seven now and once,

at Emirates Golf Club in Dubai, I won some

free flights off the Emirates airline. That

remains the only hole-in-one prize I’ve actually won.

Yeah, of course. That’s what the handicap system is for. Not big money, though,

as high handicappers generally don’t play for much. I like social golf, but I’m

not a successful social player – more often than not, I end up on the

losing side.

Have you ever found your

ball in an unusual place?

Have you ever shot a 59 or

better?

Have you ever been

heckled during a

tournament?

Have you ever

broken a club in

anger before?

Have you ever

had a hole in one?

Have you ever lost a bet

to a high handicapper?

Have you ever shanked

a shot in a

tournament?

Have you ever won or

lost a match 10&8?

Have you ever missed a

tap-in ‘gimme’ putt?

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Yes, at The Lakes in Sydney, Australia, when I decided to lay up short on a par-5.

I got a bit of stick for that because they wanted me to go for the green lurking

over water with a 3-wood which would have been daft because I knew I couldn’t

reach.

Yeah, loads of times – far too often for my liking, including

in a number of Open Championships. Fortunately, not at

really critical times. I do remember one at Muirfield, but

any shank at an Open is pretty significant I suppose.

Not 10&8 but maybe around the 7&6 victory mark. Having

said that, I got a 6&5 pounding in the Ryder Cup at

Oakland Hills but I have tasted a 5&4 success in the Ryder

Cup to balance it out a bit.

The shortest missed putt of any real significance was to

get into a play-off in Germany. I missed from three feet

when defending my title.

The five-time European Tour winner ties the leading score on eight-under, largely thanks to the first

albatross in Golf Test history. Next month, Presidents Cup player Anirban Lahiri takes the hot seat. TOTAL: -