There’s nothing like the British Open on a sunny day

AND so we come to the third major of the year and, by and large, the one I like most.

The British Open is some show. There's always a fantastic buzz and you can't help but get caught up in it all. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest there is nothing like it on a sunny day and it's also nice to put the Irish Open in the same context when it is staged by the sea. The galleries are always animated and absorbed in the action and the cheering and the roars carry all over the place.

I've had two top five finishes in the Open which helps make me think positively. So we'll hope for the best, if not this year, then in the future.

There have been some wonderful individual moments. I'll never forget holing a bunker shot at the 18th in the second round of my first Open at Royal Lytham St Annes in 1996. Those awesome grandstands surrounding the fairway and green were packed to capacity and when the ball went in, I'm sure the roar must have been heard five miles away in Blackpool! That was right up there and I went on to finish a very respectable 18th.

Another one that evokes happy memories is holing a putt from just off the front of the 16th in the final round here at Troon in 1997. It came after bogeys at the 13th and 15th and was a huge thrill.

1996 was a good year for the Irish in general. Paul McGinley had a hole in one at the 9th and was joint leader at the halfway stage before eventually tying for 14th. Darren Clarke was in contention until taking six at the 71st hole and he came in 11th. It was a week to remember for me. It was my first year as a professional and everything was so new and I was just thrilled to have a late starting time on the final day. By then, the place was just humming and it felt wonderful to be part of it.

The next year the Open was at Troon and again Darren figured in the shake-up until eventually tying Jesper Parnevik for 2nd behind Justin Leonard. Once more, I was fortunate to be out there in the last few matches on Saturday and Sunday and, while I was never in contention, I fought my way through the field on the final afternoon with a 66 that shot me up to 5th place.

1998 and '99 weren't anything like as good. I missed the cut at Royal Birkdale and tied for 29th in the infamous Open at Carnoustie. Nor was there anything to get excited about at St Andrews in 2000 (20th) and 2001 at Lytham (37th). Which brings us nicely to 2002 which was obviously my best chance so far of winning a major. It's still fresh enough in most people's minds how a par instead of a bogey at the 18th would have put me in the play-off won by Ernie Els. There are people who will always maintain that I was wrong to take a driver off the tee but who was to know at the time all the problems Ernie [Els] was to face over his last few holes?

Last year, of course, I was only 22nd at Royal St Georges.

I feel I have prepared well for this week. Normally I like to play a tournament immediately before a major and you will remember I took in a couple in the States immediately before their Open.

I got into a play-off at Westchester in the Buick Classic on the week before Shinnecock Hills and maybe that caught up with me the longer the Open went on.

However, I never did very well when I play at Loch Lomond. I don't know why, it's a good course but maybe not suited to my type of game. Anyway I'd much prefer to play a links course on the week before the Open. Ernie suggested alternating the Scottish Open between the links at Dundonald and Loch Lomond, both owned by the same man, and I would definitely compete if it were held on a links.

So I took the week off, competitively speaking, but of course that didn't mean I was idle. Far from it. I was happy with the way I played the first 16 holes of my final round at The K-Club and my eight at the 18th certainly provided a bit of excitement but not the kind I was after. I played really solidly apart from that, but still decided to travel over to Largs on Tuesday for a session with my coach Bob Torrance. We went through everything possible and I then travelled the 30 or so miles down the Ayrshire coast to Troon to have my first look at the Open Championship venue since 1997.

I played 48 holes over two days, so I'm not sure how much more practice I will put in on the actual course.

The few people watching me must have been bemused by the fact that I tucked a head cover under my left arm for every long shot I hit. It helps to keep my arms connected and my right elbow functioning correctly, To avoid slipping into the old ways, I do a lot of work to try and maintain the rotation in my right elbow without ever having to think about it.

The course certainly looks terrific and is in wonderful condition. My feeling is that people won't have a bad word to say about it during the practice rounds but, when the tournament begins and the inevitable tricky pin positions come into equation, that's when the fun will start.

After all, it is the Open Championship and if the wind doesn't blow, then tucking away the flags is about the only other good way the R&A have to defend the course against the game's finest professionals who are all the more effective through the ever-improving technology.

My wife, Caroline, is my greatest supporter but she's not coming to Troon. She doesn't feel all that comfortable at the Open and will stay at home with Patrick. He's now ten months old and an absolute joy. He just has to be the happiest baby you ever saw. He has this wonderful toothy smile which he switches on for everybody.

We all want our kids to be successful and good at sports and that kind of thing, but I think he's going to be a jester. He is just fantastic fun and enjoys everything he sees.