Price in dark over cup standings

Phillip Price, one of Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes two years ago, admits he does not have a clue how he is doing in the current race for places.

“I could be 60th or 40th. I don’t know – I am so far away it does not matter,” said the Welshman as he prepared for the start of his European Open title defence at the K Club near Dublin today.

Actually, Price is closer than that and a repeat of last year’s performance would take him right into the thick of things with nine more qualifying tournaments still to come.

The 37-year-old, who memorably beat Phil Mickelson in the singles at The Belfry, lies 36th in the standings and there is a massive £366,660 on offer this weekend.

“I would really like to play in the match again and I am just waiting to play well,” he added. “I had a real purple patch this time last year, but it is difficult to keep it going and for the rest of the season I was not as motivated.

“I probably played a little bit too much. I think statistically you only play well four or five times a year.”

Price’s last competitive round was actually a round of 84, but since that was on the final day of the United States Open and all but a few came a cropper then it should be easily dismissed from his mind.

He is fiercely critical of the way the United States Golf Association allowed Shinnecock Hills to get away from them on that Sunday.

“It was fantastic for three days, but my patience went when I took eight on the 10th and kept the honour. Craig Parry took eight as well.

“I probably was not paying attention at the end. I think they have got close to the limit before and this time they went so far over it that the powers-that-be should be changed.

“That was awful. The crowds hardly made a noise – they were laughing more than cheering and I can’t see the point in that.

“I think they took too big a risk. They didn’t like six under leading after two days.”

Anybody who gets to six under by tomorrow night will have done well too. This year’s European Open is not on the Palmer course where Price shot 16 under last year, but on the Smurfit course the other side of the River Liffey.

His abiding memory is, not surprisingly, of his winning putt – and also his fired-up reaction to it.

“I looked at the programme here and I was frothing on the front page,” he said.