Parnevik reveals host of issues

Jesper Parnevik will know exactly who to complain to if anything goes wrong in this week’s Scandinavian Masters – and he might even get a sympathetic hearing.

Parnevik is acting as tournament host this year in a bid to boost the event’s profile and admits it has been a real eye-opener.

“The tournament needed a bit of a facelift and I agreed to host it this year,” the former Ryder Cup star told PA Sport.

“It was a lot bigger than I anticipated when I agreed to do it, but I have a very good understanding now and I will never complain to a tournament organiser ever again if anything goes wrong!

“It’s a lot bigger project than you can actually imagine. The logistics are very big, from all these tents to the portaloos and all the players. It’s so much to organise that I’m actually amazed they can have a tournament.

“Last Sunday night, between 10.45pm and 11.30pm, I had a phone call from Tom Lehman standing at the airport saying his elbow was hurting and could I arrange a doctor for him, which is very hard to do at that time of night.

“Five minutes later, John Daly’s manager called and said John was stuck in the US and couldn’t get over here.

“We finally found him a Malaysian Airlines flight at 11pm Monday night and then Bill Murray called and said all the flights were booked from Scotland – he was playing Carnoustie. It was a very hectic half hour but we got them all here.

“The tournament is very close to me my whole life. It’s a very big and important tournament for Sweden, period. For it to go away would be very sad.

“As a kid you watched it, I was 10 or 11 and watched Seve (Ballesteros), Greg Norman and all those guys and when you saw your idols it actually inspired you to practice more and get focused on the game.

“You left the course and the first thing you want to do is go to the range and try something you saw them do.

“I was the first Swede to win it in 1995 and so it was a natural decision to get involved with the tournament when they asked me.”

Parnevik admits his own form might suffer as a result of all the work put into hosting the event at Arlandastad on the outskirts of Stockholm, but has been encouraged by a recent five-week run on the US Tour.

“I broke my finger the second event of the year and then broke my toe in April, but apart from that it’s been pretty good!” joked Parnevik, who was playing alongside Daly and defending champion Marc Warren today.

“But I went over to the States for five weeks recently and the game felt a lot better. It was a little up and down but I had a few chances to win tournaments which was nice to see again. I shot a lot of low scores.

“The whole year has been rounds of 17 pars and a birdie or 16 pars one birdie and one bogey, but now it’s more like nine birdies, two doubles and a bogey but it’s more fun playing that way.

“I shoot 62 one day and 71 the next day but I could feel something was on its way. It was good being up there and playing in the last groups. I was definitely on the right track.”