Tim Henman’s Dunhill blog

Finding my feet DAY TWO: Today’s (Thurs) opening round on Carnoustie went very well with my playing partner Ross Fisher and I ending up with a decent score of five under. I’ve never been on this course in such great conditions: the weather was fantastic and the greens were simply amazing to play on. The only slight glitch was the wind - if you were playing down wind you were okay but playing into it was a real challenge. Ross and I ham and egged it over the round with me making a few decent pars where he had dropped shots. He also played some great holes to keep the score down including the 18th where he hit a ferocious drive which landed just short of the green. He chipped on and two putted for a birdie to end the round, a great result as it’s tough to score well on the closing holes of Carnoustie Carnoustie is definitely the most challenging of the three Alfred Dunhill courses but I was pleased with my overall game today, especially the outcome on the par fives, all of which I managed to birdie today. The 10th was probably my least memorable hole where I hit a tree and went into the gorse and had to play a drop ball. What made matters worse was that this was all witnessed by Alan Hansen who will no doubt be giving me a hard time about it when I next see him! I’ve really enjoyed playing my first round with Ross Fisher who shot a level par 72. He hit some really impressive drives which were inspiring to watch and if it hadn’t been for some very unlucky putting, narrowly missing on a few occasions, he’d have scored even better. But overall, it was a very solid performance from him. To get Carnoustie out of the way first with a good score is a great result which I’m very happy with. Ross and I now need to step on the pedal over the next two rounds at The Old Course and Kingsbarns. If we can do that we have a decent chance of making it into Sunday’s final. Warming Up DAY ONE: The prospect of playing on three of the world’s best golf courses in glorious sunshine is about as good as it gets for a golf addict like me. I started the week with a couple of practice rounds on The Old Course and then yesterday (Wed) I played my final warm up round on Kingsbarns –this has to be the best of the three courses to play in this beautiful weather with such stunning views and amazing scenery. It’s been such a different experience than I’m used to here, playing in the warm sunshine we had yesterday. I’m usually wearing my waterproofs and a warm hat during Dunhill week. Carnoustie is where I start my tournament today. Although very challenging, it is a fantastic course which tests your game from start to finish. The greens on the course are among the best anywhere and for me last three holes of Carnoustie are as good and as tough as it gets in the sport of golf. I’m fortunate that I manage to get out and play two to three times each week, usually on my home course Sunningdale. It’s important to maintain this level to do justice to this tournament every year. While comparing the three courses is a bit like comparing apples and oranges I would say that The Old Course has the edge for me. In the same way that I always loved playing Wimbledon, I find The Old Course special as it is so steeped in tradition. I’m looking forward to playing alongside Ross Fisher who has done well in this event. Partnering with a bona fide professional over three days is another aspect which makes this such a great tournament to participate in. As ever, I’m really up for this year’s Alfred Dunhill. To compete on three great courses with some of the biggest professional names in golf is so enticing to someone who loves the game of golf, and with the good weather forecast over the next few days, what is there not to like!

Tim Henman’s Dunhill blog - Day Two