Archerfield the right springboard

to Celtic Manor and Ryder Cup

By LEWINE MAIR

Darren Clarke, one of Colin Montgomerie’s vice-captains at next week’s Ryder Cup, said that he would be reporting back to his captain that Lee

Westwood and Rory McIlroy were in the right place at the right time.

Both were among the celebrities playing in the Sir Ian Botham and Darren Clarke Celebrity Invitational at Archerfield – an event which

was set to raise £200,000 for the pair’s favourite charities.

Clarke said that two days at Archerfield were precisely what he would prescribe for anyone ahead of a major tournament, regardless of whether it was an Open championship or an inland event such the Ryder Cup. “To get turf as good as this is just perfect,” said this winner of two World Golf Championship events.

Westwood, who is revelling in being back to full fitness, explained

that the feedback he was getting from hitting shots from the links

grass was precisely what he needed. “In my case,” he said, “it’s

telling me that I’m striking the ball well. Because the ground is firm,

you have to sweep the ball away and that helps you to retain your

height throughout the swing.”

McIlroy meantime, mentioned that he had been on the practice ground as

early as seven o’clock. “There was complete silence and there wasn’t a

soul in sight,” said McIlroy, whose thoughts had inevitably strayed to

how different things would be in a week’s time.

Like Westwood, McIlroy said that his game was shaping well – and that he owed a lot of that to the facilities at Archerfield. “There aren’t too many other courses around the world with practice areas in this

class,” he said.

While keeping half an eye on the Ryder Cup duo, Sir Ian Botham was not

about to give the pair any kid glove treatment because of the impending

pressures.

Though the cricketer does not mind entertaining the thought of nerves

kicking in on the day, he maintains that pressure does not come into it

for sportsmen in Westwood’s and McIlroy’s class.

“They’re the elite of the elite… It’s not about pressure. Both of them want to be in the ultimate spot at the ultimate time because that’s what every top sportsman wants.

“Lee and Rory are fired up and ready for the match. They can’t wait to be in the thick of things.

“All my cricketing days, if there was a six to be made off two deliveries, I wanted to be the man doing the batting.

“If anyone who’s playing in a Test match or, for that matter, a Ryder Cup, doesn’t relish that kind of a scenario, he needs to get out and go and sell the programmes.”

+Pictures by courtesy of Andy Forman: Lee Westwood at the top, Darren Clarke middle, Sir Ian Botham at the bottom.