Ogle Bails Out
The Sun Herald
Saturday July 3, 1993
OUR gifted but skittish golfer Brett Ogle, has gone fishing.
Turning his back on the American tour, despite an early season triumph at Pebble Beach, Ogle, wife Maggie and baby boy Christopher are winding their way up the North Queensland coast with a fishing reel at the ready and not a golf club in sight.
Ogle made a Greta Garbo-like retreat when he returned from the States recently after an acute bout of putting "yips" that suddenly destroyed his confidence.
His Advantage International adviser, Paul Thyne, told us: "The last we heard of Brett he was passing through Mackay. He has no clubs with him and wants at least a month's break.
"When things went wrong in the States, he just wanted to get out of the scene. He had lost confidence with his putter and said his head was spinning.
"Brett can be hot or cold. When he's hot he can do anything. When he's cold he can crash.
"We're hoping he'll soon seek out his coach, Dave Merriman, to work on his game and get back to America, perhaps by August."
OPEN ERROR
OGLE'S name appeared among exempt Australians who can play in the British Open at Royal St George's starting July 15.
It was a mistake and the Royal and Ancient club have written, apologising. The exempt spot should have gone to American Tom Lehman.
Ogle probably wouldn't have played anyway.
COACH ON HAND
VICTORIAN coaching guru Steve Bann flew to Britain this week to link with Robert Allenby, another talented Australian making rocky progress this year.
Allenby's management say there's nothing wrong with his game despite missed cuts that have dogged him before a much-improved showing in the US Open.
"It's like Greg Chappell batting well but not making runs," his management said.
With the American stint over, Allenby will rest in London this week, then play the Scottish Open to prepare for his first big tilt at the British Open.
DUNK TRAVELS
BILLY Dunk, the one-time reluctant traveller, has become golf's Marco Polo
"Stay-at-home" Bill came home after one day of practice for a British Open because it was "too darned cold". Now, at 54 years of age, he has turned into a globe tripper.
Dunk is back from a two-month stint in Japan where he won the first and last of the senior events.
In three trips to Japan this year he has won 13 million yen (around$150,000). He'll make two more visits to Japan later this year but in the meantime he is preparing for his final crack at the British Seniors championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes, a week after the Open. He'll play a couple of pro-ams in Guam on the way.
So what's changed it all for the little Gosford champ who built himself a mountain of course records in his hey-day.
Travelling in those early years wasn't fun because wife Annette was at home bringing up three kids. In fact, it was plain lonely.
These days, Annette accompanies Bill and it all becomes a golf holiday.
And yes he's playing some vintage golf.
At the Jack Nicklausdesigned Hokkaido course in the north island of Japan last week, a layout Dunk says is easily Nicklaus' best, he won through a bunch of birdies on the par 3 hole.
But he's modest about his great form.
"I'm playing with a lot of old fellows," he quipped.
BLAME THE PUTTER
BLAME the putter. Just ask Americans Robert Gamez and Craig Stadler after some recent misadventures on the greens.
Gamez: "I just got fed up with it. I know it's not the putter's fault. It's the indian, not the arrow. I laid it under my foot, lifted one end and, snap-a-roonie."
Stadler: "My old putter is out of commission. It didn't float too well."
But not every player blames the putter. The late Sam Richardson, a temperamental player, never took it out on the putter if his green play went askew. He changed caddies |
PRO V AM
AT CROMER today the pros and the amateurs are locked in friendly battle.
They have won one each in the latest two battles between 20-man teams.
Eight pros and eight amateurs play each other, then there's six-a-side under-21s and a six-a-side over-55s. Veteran Chris Tickner leads the pros who have called in Peter Jones, Steve Conran and Darryl Purchase in their bid to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
© 1993 The Sun Herald
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