Vintage iron helps Woosnam recover vintage form

A search in his garage paid huge dividends for Ian Woosnam today as he rediscovered form in the French Open at Le Golf National near Paris.

Thinking ahead to next Monday’s British Open qualifying at Sunningdale, Woosnam unearthed a one-iron he reckoned was 21 years old and decided it might have its uses this week.

How right he was.

On a course where the rough is thicker and higher than at last week’s US Open, the 46-year-old stayed out of trouble to shoot a four under par 67.

It put him only one behind leader Darren Fichardt and Woosnam said of the one-iron: “The loft on it has been bent all sorts of ways and it’s had a few shafts in it, but it’s still in good condition and it’s perfect for here.”

The former world number one, now only 278th in the rankings and 109th on this season’s European Order of Merit, has not won since the 2001 World Match Play at Wentworth and his last strokeplay success was seven years ago.

His revival was not all down to the one-iron, though. Woosnam also changed his swing, went with a new caddie and switched back to a short putter, not without some trepidation.

“I missed a few early on and I still feel nervous with it. Every time I got hold of it I had to have a cigarette.”

Only one over at the turn, no mean feat in itself in the strong wind, the 1991 Masters champion covered the longer front nine in a superb 31 with birdies at the first, third, fifth, seventh and eighth.