Hay fever still causing problems

PAUL McGINLEY quit after playing the opening nine holes at Augusta yesterday still suffering from the hay fever that afflicted him badly during the Players’ Championship at Sawgrass a fortnight ago.

He said that his legs felt a little rubbery and having eaten lunch he was off in search of a prescription from the club doctor. Nevertheless, he was in excellent form and confident that the problem could be quickly rectified. Informed that Phil Mickelson, the runaway winner of the Bell South tournament at the weekend, had put a second driver in his bag to the exclusion of a sand wedge and intended doing the same this week, his face lit up in a total amazement and no little admiration.

“Phil thinks outside the box, that’s one thing you have got to give him credit for,” said McGinley. “He is a leader, not a follower. I’m a fan of Mickelson in general, I think he is good for the game. I mean, here’s me making a big debate as to whether to put in the TaylorMade ball, which is absolutely a world class golf ball and one that I’ll be using very quickly and he is putting in two drivers and taking out a sand wedge. It is a pretty ballsy decision to make. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, he lapped the field last week, didn’t he?”