Waring it well for biggest weekend of his pro career

Jul 19 2008 by Richard Williamson, Liverpool Daily Post

PAUL WARING believes his first experience of playing in an Open last year has proved invaluable at storm-hit Royal Birkdale this week.

The Wirral golfer played at Carnoustie as an amateur, but is making his debut in the tournament as a professional.

The Bromborough-attached player missed the cut 12 months ago after completing the first two rounds in 12 over par.

But after adding a four over par 74 to his first round 73, Waring can look forward to teeing up for the biggest weekend of his career.

The winds that battered the Southport links on Thursday showed no sign of abating yesterday as scores spiralled once more with the players who went out later in the day drenched by the afternoon rains.

Waring could not have started much earlier, being in the third group of the day to tee off at 6.52am.

The support from family and friends along the fairways grew in numbers as the morning progressed and Waring put together a round of two birdies and six bogeys.

“I knew what to expect,” said Waring, “I knew what kind of emotions I was going to feel. I knew the standard of golf I would require.

“Playing at Carnoustie has been a massive help to my career, not just at the Open but on the European Tour as well.

“I felt like I could control the ball out there. Nobody is going to hit all 18 greens, although my short game was not quite where I wanted it.”

Waring spent part of the rest of the day honing his chipping and putting while also spending time with friends in Southport before confirmation that he made the halfway cut.

“It was difficult to get tight to the flag,” he added. “Some of the pins were quite tucked in and the wind was still pumping.”

The former English amateur champion showed plenty of patience to keep his round alive after a couple of wobbles.

The 23-year-old got off to a bad start with a dropped shot at the first. His tee shot found the rough down the right and his approach shot from 190 yards fell short. He elected to putt from 30 yards but failed to make enough ground and then missed his par saver.

He got himself into a good position off the tee at the 346-yard par four fifth, but then his pitch from 105 yards drifted to the right fringe of the green. A tricky putt across the green left him with a four-footer for par which dribbled past the hole.

His third bogey on the front nine came at the par three seventh when he was in a greenside bunker. He had an awkward stance, with one foot out of the sand, but splashed out to eight feet only to miss the putt.

However he responded superbly at the 457-yard eighth when he holed a 20ft putt for birdie.

Waring three-putted the 11th to slip to six over and despite a great saver out of the sand on the par three 12th, he dropped a further shot at the 14th when an attempted flop shot from the edge of the green landed only a few feet in front of him.

His second birdie came at the 572-yard par five 17th where Waring took advantage of the wind at his back to attack the green in two, and although the ball failed to climb the front apron a superb putt left a tap-in for four.

The final twist in the round came on the last when Waring’s five foot putt for par slipped by the hole.

However Waring was delighted to have avoided the kind of disaster that would have de-railed his Open totally.

“I have not had a double bogey in 36 holes of golf and in these conditions that is pleasing,” he added. “Every round here is going to be a mental battle. It is about keeping your mind focussed and on the present. There is no need to play big golf shots every time; it is about getting on the greens and giving yourself a chance.”