Golf: Fulke hoping for better 2002

Swedish golfer Pierre Fulke has talked about the fear he had of letting Europe down if the Ryder Cup had been played last September.

Fulke returned to form in Perth yesterday when he finished second in the Johnnie Walker Classic, eight shots behind Retief Goosen, but ahead of world number four Sergio Garcia and world number five Ernie Els.

It was the 30-year-old’s best display since he reached the final of the Accenture World Match Play Championship in Melbourne last January.

Fulke had not touched his clubs for nine weeks prior to flying to Australia - not because he was injured or ill, but simply because he wanted to get away from the sport just as he did for a while last spring when his game deserted him.

‘‘I wanted to forget about last year, regroup and start all over again,’’ he said.

‘‘I’m not frustrated like I was - I’m fresh and clear in my mind.

‘‘I tried to make some swing changes, but they didn’t go too well and when you play badly and travel a lot it becomes difficult.

‘‘Then there was the scare of not playing well in September. It felt like I had to get my swing working by then.

‘‘I promise you it will be better this year!’’

His Ryder Cup debut, of course, was postponed for 12 months because of the September 11 terrorist attacks.

‘‘I was so focused on it being last year and now it’s this year,’’ he said.

‘‘When August comes, everybody is going to get going again and it’s going to be the same atmosphere as it should have been last year.

‘‘It’s going to be as huge as ever.’’

With two of the highlights of his career coming in Australia, Fulke is delighted to have the chance to follow up his performance at this week’s Heineken Classic back at Royal Melbourne.

‘‘It’s perfect golfing country,’’ he added. ‘‘I came here about 1994 and fell in love with it straightaway.’’

Fulke led the European Order of Merit this time last year, but the man who now heads it is the same man who went on to win it last season Goosen, of course.

The 32-year-old South African immediately made plans to purchase a bigger trophy cabinet after virtually lapping the field at Lake Karrinyup.

Goosen was a European Tour record 13 strokes ahead after his course record 63 on Saturday, but without ever intending it his foot came off the accelerator pedal in the final round.

He even had a nightmare about blowing his massive lead when he set off with a double-bogey six, but a 73 was always going to be good enough to give him the most comfortable win of his career.

His first major title at the US Open, further wins at the Scottish and Madrid Opens and then, after clinching the Order of Merit, a World Cup triumph with Els gave South Africa’s Sportsman of the Year - a tough act to follow this season.

But Goosen has begun his defence of the money list title by finishing fifth, second and first. ‘‘It’s definitely an ambition to try to win it again,’’ he said. ‘‘And I’ve never won as early as this before.

‘‘I’ll see if I can build on it. I’m playing in South Africa this week, then at the Match Play in California next month, but then I’m having about a month’s break.’’

Garcia, who won his first event of the year on the US Tour, is setting his sights so high now that third place was a let-down.

‘‘What Goose did was unbelievable, but there is no way I should have been only five under (nine behind),’’ he said. ‘‘I couldn’t make a single putt.

‘‘It was going to be very difficult to win, but I wanted to get second. The way I hit the ball I should have done easily and that’s very disappointing. But third is not bad.’’