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Ogilvy pushed out of 'zone'

PETER STONE

05 Dec, 2008 08:00 AM

PROFESSIONAL golfers talk almost reverently of entering "the zone". Some never get there, a few do and Tiger Woods often does.

At Coolum yesterday, 2006 US Open Champion Geoff Ogilvy knocked on the door of that mystical place, but entry was refused by his disagreeable putter.

It is not poetic licence to suggest Ogilvy, who began his opening round of the $1.5 million Australian PGA on the 10th hole, could have played his first nine holes in an extraordinary 10-under par. But only one eagle and two birdies went onto his card, despite his superb iron play.

On five of the other six holes, the longest birdie putt he had was about four metres, while at the 17th, his eighth hole, he chipped from the fringe of the green from a very makeable five metres.

So, he had to settle for going out four under and, after that, he could squeeze only one more birdie for the round to settle for a 67.

"It could have been one of those nine holes that was really special," Ogilvy reflected, rather than lamented. "The putts that I was missing weren't missing by a lot."

His mother Judy was the most vocal among the healthy early morning gallery that greeted Ogilvy, John Daly and young West Australian Michael Sim. Ogilvy's father Michael, who suffered a broken foot a couple of weeks ago, dodged in and out of the crowd in a golf cart.

It wouldn't be a tournament at Coolum without a storm weather delay and so it was again yesterday. Play was halted at 3.03pm and then finally called for the day at 4.45pm without a further blow being struck. That left Ogilvy one shot off the pace of in-form New Zealand left-hander Tim Wilkinson, who made $US1 million ($1.55 million)-plus in his rookie year on the USPGA Tour this year. Tied with Ogilvy on 67 was another Kiwi, Richard Lee, while among the pre-tournament favourites with completed rounds who have settled nicely one out, one back, to use a pacing analogy, were 2006 Australian Open champion John Senden, on 69, and defending champion Peter Lonard, who carded a 70. Craig Parry had a 71.

Out on course at 5.30am this morning to finish their rounds and vying for a first-round lead in the history book are Victorian Peter Wilson - a hobby farmer when he's not playing golf - who is six under with four holes to play, veteran Peter Senior (five under with seven to play) and Tasmanian Mathew Goggin (four under with nine to play). A total of 78 players are still to complete the opening round. The 30-year-old Wilkinson finished tied 11th at last week's Australian Masters, but that, surprisingly, was the first cut he had made on the major tour on Australian soil. His eyes widened and his dreams heightened in the US this year and he's better for it. There's a confidence about him.

"My first event this year was the Hawaiian Open and I was paired with KJ Choi in the final round. It was a big eye-opener for me, how much goes on at a PGA Tour event, just cameras moving around, a lot of people, getting used to the crowd and really just trying to feel comfortable in that situation," Wilkinson said.

Yes, he now feels comfortable - with himself and his surrounds.

Daly has "Blue Collar Golf" embroidered on the collar of his shirt, and his one-under 71 was very definitely the stuff of a working man. Nothing flashy, just hard yakka to give himself a sniff of making the cut this evening. It could all have so easily unravelled very early. His tee shot at the 162-metre 11th hole, his second of the day, found the water and he then failed to get up and down from his penalty drop. It was a double bogey. But five birdies and just two bogeys had him in the red on the day.

Daly mostly kept his own counsel while Ogilvy and Sim passed the time of day with each other. And the cigarettes didn't seem to get their usual workout. Maybe the big bloke was partially observing the no-smoking ban imposed by the Queensland Government law that prohibits smoking in any place which serves food and beverages - either indoors or outdoors. As he signed autographs, several spectators called: "Great to have you back, John."

He's asked that he take no part in any further interviews this week unless he is in contention. When the Herald caught up with him, he said: "I hit a couple of loose shots and my putting was horrible - again. I got off to a bad start but I came back, and I'm happy the way it went." Leaderboard -6: Tim Wilkinson (NZ), Peter Wilson (14 holes)

-5: Geoff Ogilvy, Richard Lee (NZ), Peter Senior (11 holes)

-4: Peter Nolan, Mathew Goggin (9 holes)

-3: Brett Rumford, Martin Dive, Steve Collins, John Senden, Mahal Pearce (NZ), Craig Jones (12 holes), Paul Sheehan (8 holes)

-2: Aron Price, Peter Lonard, Michael Sim, Terry Pilkadaris, Scott Strange, Steven Bowditch