Austin ready to make a splash

American golfer Woody Austin makes his World Match Play debut this week having just discovered a very fast, very wet way to earn worldwide fame.

The 43-year-old still features on the home page of the US Tour’s website – and others – for his unintended detour into a lake playing a shot at the recent Presidents Cup.

“I was a lifeguard at 11 – I wasn’t worried,” said Austin, who plays Swede Henrik Stenson in tomorrow’s first round.

“I see it all over the place – on the computer, in the papers. Nice spread in ’Golf World’ this week. It’s everywhere.”

He has his own memento of the incident, producing a pair of goggles the following day and getting all his team-mates to autograph them.

Finishing runner-up to Tiger Woods in the US PGA Championship in August earned the former bank worker his chance at Wentworth – and he was delighted to accept despite having played only one Open Championship in his entire career.

Austin turned down the trip to Carnoustie in July saying he did not want to “make a fool of myself”, but he insists that it was all down to how tired he felt after eight events in a row.

“It had nothing to do with not wanting to come because, trust me, I’d love to. If it’s okay for Tiger to play only two weeks in a row and say he’s tired, how do you think I felt? I’m 12 years older than he is. I was exhausted.

“But I have a great chance of being in next year and I plan on being there.”