Forsyth splits from Torrance in search for consistency

Published on Thursday 20 November 2008 21:42

ALASTAIR Forsyth, Scotland's highest-ranked golfer, has parted company with coach Bob Torrance after two years in a bid to find greater consistency in 2009 and challenge for victories on a more regular basis.

The Paisley golfer enjoyed some high points over the past year, winning the Madeira Islands Open, losing the Estoril Open in Portugal in a play-off, and posting his first top-ten finish in the majors when he was ninth at the US PGA Championship.

On the other hand, there were too many weeks when Forsyth made the cut only to finish among the also-rans. After his terrific display at Oakland Hills, Forsyth didn't improve on 40th place in his last four events. Indeed, there were no fewer than 19 tournaments in 2008 when the Scot wasn't inside the top 50.

Though he respects and admires Torrance, who has coached Padraig Harrington to three majors in the past two years, and knows his ball-striking greatly improved under the tutelage of Scotland's leading tutor, Forsyth decided he needed a fresh pair of ears and eyes to get him in shape for next term. Consequently, he has returned to Ian Rae, who was previously his coach for four years.

"That is no slight on Bob," observed the 32-year-old. "He's terrific, but my game wasn't getting any better and when I explained this to him he was very good about it. He wished me all the best and I hope when we meet up at various tournaments we will still get on well because we had some great laughs down at his place at Inverclyde.

"It's part of a golfer's life that relationships with coaches and caddies come and go. And sometimes we go back to the ones we used to have, as I have done with Ian Rae."

It's the same change made by his compatriot Marc Warren earlier this year, though Forsyth has engineered the switch with more tact.

He'll partner Colin Montgomerie in the World Cup at Mission Hills next week but won't start work on revising his technique until the close season.

The Scots are defending champions in China after Monty and Warren tasted success together 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, in the Hong Kong Open yesterday Montgomerie showed a welcome return to form when he shot a 68 to finish four strokes behind joint first-round leaders, Richard Sterne, of South Africa, and China's Liang Wen-chong. Also on 68 was fellow-Scot Scott Drummond, with Paul Lawrie only one behind.

Sterne hopes his decision to take a more relaxed approach can pay dividends and bring an end to an inconsistent year on the European Tour.

The 27-year-old could not have started 2008 better after capturing his third European Tour victory at the Joburg Open in January, but then failed to carry momentum from that win as he managed just one top-20 finish in 18 tournaments.

Sterne hopes tweaks to his game will bear fruit come Sunday. "I think I have found a few right things here and there. This is the first week I am trying it so we'll see what happens." Liang, 30, meanwhile, is hoping to become the first Asian player in a decade to win here.

Sterne and Liang are one shot ahead of Chinese Taipei's Lin Wen-tang and Frankie Minoza of the Philippines. Oliver Wilson is the highest-placed Briton on 66. Nick Faldo, playing in his first professional tournament in over a year, finished on two over par while Simon Griffiths hit a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th to earn himself a solid gold bar worth around 16,000.