FIRST PERSON

A few lessons still can't help Rock's game

By Robert Rock,
Special for WorldGolf.com

(May 13, 2004) -- Many of my colleagues are off to the far east and China this week for the BMW Asian Open at Tomson Shanghai Pudong GC, but that wasn't for me.

Although I probably should have competed because I haven't got off to the best of starts, I decided against it.

I'm in Germany next week and then back here for Wentworth and Wales after that so I shall be playing a few back-to-back tournaments and I decided to stay at home.

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Last week at the British Masters at the Forest of Arden a lot of the guys were talking about a tailoring service that was on offer on the course. Darren Clarke's got his own personal tailor and he had a little set up offering some of the guys a personal service.

Darren had some of the trousers on last week with different colour pockets and turn-ups. They were certainly different, though not for me.

Some of the guys do have some odd stuff, but Ian Poulter wears some decent gear.

Last week he wore some really cool black-and-white-checked trousers on one day while on another he had some with a gold check and a gold thread running through them - a bit different but very tasteful.

I'm not as concerned with my gear as some of the guys, and just wear what takes my fancy -- though it does have to look good. Recently I've been wearing some Tommy Hilfiger and Galvin Green; I like those.

What I can't stand are baggy trousers or stripey shirts. I have to have plain shirts.

Someone once asked me if playing with somebody clad in outrageous gear had ever put me off and I can't honestly say it has. Indeed a couple of times this year I've been playing with Jarmo Sandelin and he's had on some really great stuff of his own.

I've even tried to get him to give me some but I believe he's not ready to market it yet -- but keep an eye out for it if it launches as it's good gear.

I went round with David Gilford and Paul Eales on the first two days and got on well with them. Unfortunately only David, of the three of us, actually made the cut.

I was putting poorly on the second day and that cost me.

I was glad to see Paul Broadhurst and eventual winner Barry Lane do well. I know Paul quite well as we're from the same neck of the woods. Barry very kindly gave me a lesson out in Portugal when I was having problems with my swing.

It did help eventually, but poor Barry wasn't too chuffed when I went out the day after our chat and shot an 80.

Hopefully my putting will have improved as well because I've been working on it this week with a mate of mine, Danny Taylor, who's a PGA pro near my home.

There was quite a funny moment at the Forest of Arden last week involving my caddy, Adam McCandless.

We were approaching a green and there was a solitary figure watching us. As we walked up I did a classic double take because it was the England soccer manager Sven-Goran Eriksson -- a huge figure of interest over here.

As there were very few people watching us I suppose he could follow us round without being besieged by fans and media. What he was really interested in though, was the group behind us, which featured Johan Edfors, for whom Sven's son was apparently caddying.

Anyway, as we were about to move on to the next tee I noticed Adam was not around. He'd gone scurrying off to get our course guide signed by the England boss - and I only just got him back in time to tee off.

He's surrounded by professional sportsmen and he disappears to get the autograph of a soccer manager.

Serves me right I suppose for having a soccer fan for a caddy.

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