Golf Tour news: He's keeping his cards close to his chest, to be sure.
Nope, Ian Woosnam hasn't yet made a 'phone call to his prospective vice-captain for next year's Ryder Cup match at the K Club. Nope, he won't give any clue as to who it's likely to be. "I'm not telling you who it is either," said Woosie on the eve of the BellSouth Classic at the TPC at Sugarloaf, his first appearance of the season on the US Tour.
Des Smyth, Christy O'Connor Jnr and Eamon Darcy are the leading candidates to be Woosnam's assistant when the Ryder Cup - when Europe will attempt an unprecedented third win over the United States in a row - takes place at the K Club in Straffan in 18 months' time.
Woosnam has already stated he will have an Irish vice-captain, to be announced during the Smurfit European Open in July. It's a case of, who will it be?
"I haven't talked to anyone yet," admitted Woosnam, "but I will be doing that in the next few weeks. After I get home from the Masters, I'll have the time to talk to people. I've been in Dubai, Qatar and China for the past few weeks and, to be honest, I haven't really been at home long enough to do anything. Once I get some time, I'll sit down in the office and make some telephone calls."
Although the actual match is some time away, Woosnam's mind is already drifting ahead. "I'm thinking about how things are going to run, how the golf course is going to be prepared and things like that. I'm even thinking about speeches."
All of which isn't exactly conducive to chasing titles. "What golf game?" he responded rhetorically when questioned about the state of his game, as he prepares to play in the BellSouth for the first time since 2001 when he was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Incidentally, Jose-Maria Olazabal, who is relying on sponsor's invites to play in the USA this year, has indicated he will play in the Nissan Irish Open at Carton House in May. As things stand, the Spaniard - ranked 97th in the world - is not exempt for the US Open at Pinehurst in June, needing to move into the world's top 50 to earn an exemption.
To that end, he has lined up a provisional itinerary that includes playing the Irish Open and the following week's BMW Championship at Wentworth before returning to the United States.
Zach Johnson returns to the TPC at Sugarloaf to defend a title he won last year, when Padraig Harrington - who withdrew from this event to return home to be with his unwell father, but who is scheduled to fly back next Sunday to prepare for the US Masters - finished fourth.
The tournament has attracted a strong field that includes US Tour money leader Phil Mickelson, Retief Goosen and Luke Donald, who was tied-second in the Players Championship.
On Tuesday, Mickelson played a practice round at Augusta National - where he defends his major title next week - and, including post-round practice, spent almost 10 hours at the course.
Meanwhile, the Masters is a dream come through for Ireland's Graeme McDowell.
"I've watched that tournament since I was a boy," said McDowell. "For me it's the pinnacle of the golf world really - it's the golf tournament."
Masters officials announced 101 players had been invited but they expect nine ageing former champions to decline. Four-times champion Arnold Palmer will attend but not play while six-times winner Jack Nicklaus could be absent following the recent death of his 17-month-old grandson.
EUROPEAN TOUR: Peter Lawrie leads a five-man Irish challenge as the European Tour returns to home soil this week for the Estoril Open de Portugal Caixa Geral de Depositos, the first event of the 2005 International schedule to be staged in Europe after trips to Asia, Africa, Australasia, the United States and The Gulf.
Lawrie will be joined at the outstanding Oitavos Golf Club, Quinta da Marinha, Portugal, which has hosted both the European Challenge Tour and the European Seniors Tour in the past two seasons, by Philip Walton, Gary Murphy, Damien McGrane and Stephen Browne.
