The final preview practice day has arrived for the $8 million Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club, North Berwick, A Rolex Series Event, on the DP World Tour. Most of my players have been on the Driving Range today ready for round one tomorrow (Thursday).
Today is one of those Scottish days that they call ‘Dreich,’ which translated into Yorkshire means dull, cloudy and gloomy. There can be far worse weather in Scotland than this, so no complaints from anyone so far.
Our Matt Fitzpatrick is looking good for a strong performance this week, not only following his recent US Open victory, but he also lost last year in this event on the same golf course in a play-off to the defending champion Min Woo Lee of Australia on a score of 18 under par, alongside Belgium’s Thomas Detry.
Perez the one to watch
Matt knows the golf course well, in fact he plays well anywhere these days. His US Open win will have given him a huge confidence boost to take his game to the next level, now he is 10th in the OWGR from being at 21st at the end of 2021.
Frenchman Victor Perez is also one to watch, as he lives just down the road from the course in Edinburgh and spends some time here playing and practising. Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand and American Sean Crocker are also both all set and raring to go.
I have spent a bit more time with the Americans: Nick Watney and Jhonattan Vegas, again on their respective short games.
If they do well or even win this week, we will have an interesting conversation on any rewards for the coach, should I charge my hourly rate, that does not exist? We will see how the week pans out!
It is interesting to see there is a Hole-in-One car prize on the 203-yard, par three 17th hole this week. Nothing unusual about that, but what is unusual is that there is one for the player and another one for the player’s caddie. That is a first I have seen. My only question is: where is the car prize for the coach?
One swing away
Time to go as Padraig Harrington of Ireland has just walked onto the range. I have not seen him since his US Senior Open victory a couple of weeks ago, as he also played last week in the Horizon Irish Open and then two days at Adare Manor where he shot a best of the day second round 64 to finish in sole fifth place.
Not bad for one of the fittest 50 year-olds who plays golf for a living!
Padraig still thinks he can win on the main Tours, and he can. Now what a story that would be in the next couple of weeks.
It is that time of the year where a win in the next 11 days can be life-changing for all the players. That is how golf works and as the quote goes: “They are all just one swing away from being in top form.” If no one has said it: quote Peter Cowen as having said it!
— Peter Cowen is 71 years-old and is a Dubai Golden Visa Awardee. He is regarded as one of the top golf coaches in the world of golf. He also has his Peter Cowen Golf Academies in Dubai: at Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club, Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates as well as in England where he is headquartered in Rotherham, Yorkshire.
