Rusty Olazabal fears Wentworth test

Jose Maria Olazabal, third in the Open last July and third again at the Masters a month ago, is a golfer enjoying a new lease of life.

But whether the 40-year-old can produce more of the same when the BMW Championship starts at Wentworth tomorrow remains to be seen.

That has nothing to do with the radical changes Ernie Els has made to the world famous West Course since the stars of the European Tour last came to play.

Olazabal, on course for a return to the Ryder Cup side this September after a seven-year gap, is playing his first tournament since a five-week break.

And after practice on the new layout – 30 more bunkers and an extra 236 yards – the Spaniard was hardly in confident mood for the tough task ahead.

“I’m feeling really rusty, it’s like starting all over again,” Olazabal said. “I played the last two weeks at home and I haven’t hit the ball well to be honest. I’m really concerned about that.

“It’s the first time I’ve taken five weeks off during the season. I’d played 10 weeks out of 12 and decided that it could be a good idea just to take a longer break.

“I spent most of the time the first three weeks in the gym and then just practised a little bit. I wanted to play the Irish Open (last week), but if I had the US Open would have been the fifth week in a row so that was out of the question.”

He knows it is asking a lot of himself to click straight back into gear on what is now a totally different West Course – one which Colin Montgomerie reckons could bring the winning total down by as much as 10 shots.

“There are a lot of bunkers now that are really in play and once you get in them, most of the time you’re not going to have a chance to go for the green,” added Olazabal.

“I think Ernie has done a pretty good job at it. No complaints at all. They’ve widened the fairways, which is fair, but it’s a tougher test, that’s for sure.

“You have to hit the ball straight and long off the tee and you have to be as accurate as before with the irons.”

A week of heavy rain is making the course play even longer, but one man who does not mind that at all is defending champion Angel Cabrera.

The Argentinian, who also finished second in 2001 and 2004, says simply: “The longer the better.”

In practice yesterday Cabrera, twice the European Tour’s longest driver, was still able to reach the par five 17th with a driver and three-wood, despite it being lengthened to 610 yards and the fact that his drive ran only a few yards on landing on the sodden fairway.

He also needed just two three-woods to be on in two at the 538-yard last, where the green is now encircled by bunkers.

“It’s actually easier to get out of the sand than it is to chip out of the rough,” commented Cabrera about the closing hole, while on the 17th he said: “It’s going to be harder to make a big mistake because putting the tee back gives a bigger target.

“It’s going to be harder to hit it out of bounds.”

Cabrera beat Paul McGinley by two last year and it will be a miracle if the Irishman even starts the event tomorrow.

McGinley’s name appeared in the draw only five days after he underwent surgery to remove a piece of floating bone in his left knee.

It was expected he would not return until next week’s Wales Open at the earliest or even the US Open on June 15-18, but his manager Andrew Chandler said yesterday: “He is keeping his options open for this week.

“He has not tried the knee yet and is on crutches, but is going to leave it until late Wednesday or even early Thursday.”

Stablemate David Howell, currently top of the European Order of Merit and, at sixth in the Ryder Cup standings one place ahead of McGinley, returns to action after deciding not to play in Ireland.

The Swindon golfer had a month off after the Masters because of back trouble and although he managed 11th place on his comeback appearance at the British Masters two weeks ago, felt the need to rest again.

“My back’s better, but not perfect,” said Howell. “It’s vastly improved to two weeks ago.

“I feel like I can stand up there and give it a whack, whereas at The Belfry I was really quite nervous with it still. You want to be 100% at this time of year, so it’s a bit frustrating, but I’m obviously more positive with it.

“I don’t really have any expectations. To come through the week healthy would be great. I can’t expect to compete with the best players in Europe with a dodgy back, but that doesn’t mean I can’t.”