Goosen has sights set on rejoining the elite

TOUR NEWS:THIS IS when the heart beats a little faster, and dreams start forming. For many, this week's Bay Hill Invitational – two weeks ahead of the US Masters at Augusta National – is the time when players get into game mode for the season's first major and Irish duo Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell are among those using the Arnold Palmer-hosted tournament as the launch pad towards a green jacket.

Yet, they’ll do so aware that a one-time world beater has shown signs of a comeback. No, not Tiger Woods, who is playing the third tournament of his comeback after an eight-month recuperation period following knee surgery, but rather Retief Goosen, whose win in the Transitions Championship on Sunday enabled him to jump up 17 places to number 22 in the latest world rankings.

The greater significance is that Goosen, a former world number three, has rediscovered his capacity to win tournaments. The two-time US Open champion’s win in Tampa on Sunday may have been his first in four years in America (since the 2005 International tournament), but it was his third win worldwide in the past four months following successes in Malaysia in November and in South Africa in January.

Once part of the so-called “Big Five” that also featured Woods, Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els, Goosen’s fall down the rankings, which saw him drop to 49th in the world last October before his revival, has been arrested by a new dedication to a fitness regime that has seen him shed nine kilos (20lbs) and even had him in the gym for an hour before his final round on Sunday, where he held off Brett Quigley and Charles Howell.

Of his new, lighter frame, Goosen remarked: “I feel better now than I’ve felt for a very long time. Probably the last time I was this fit was when I was in the army, so I feel pretty good about myself. At the beginning of last year I was looking at myself in the mirror thinking I look a bit out of shape. I just thought I might as well try and turn everything around.

“I started working very hard in the gym. I thought that instead of getting totally out of shape and struggling, I might as well be fit and struggling!”

On ending a four-year win drought in the United States, he added: “It’s great. Eventually you wonder if you can still do it . . . I always keep reminding myself that Vijay (Singh) started playing his best golf when he turned 40, so I’m looking forward to the next five years.”

Goosen turned 40 last month.

Apart from his newly found fitness, Goosen, who had used a broom handle putter for his past three tournaments, attributed his play on the greens to going back to his old putter, the one he had used in his two US Open successes (in 2001 and 2004). When informed he was 55 for 55 from putts inside six feet at Tampa, Goosen quipped: “Almost sounds like Tiger Woods, doesn’t it?”

Goosen will aim to continue his winning ways in the Bay Hill Invitational, where Woods tees up as the defending champion.

As of now, there are three Irish players confirmed for the Masters and two of them, Harrington and McDowell, are also in the field at Bay Hill. Rory McIlroy is not due to resume tournament play until next week’s Houston Open, but he has plans to play a practice round at Augusta this coming Sunday en route to Texas.

McDowell, who finally showed some form in winning the neighbourly Tavistock Cup in Orlando last week, can take some inspiration from the fact Goosen also used that match to regain confidence. “I feel my game’s good enough now where I can start competing in the majors and the WGCs. It’s been a frustrating start to the season, but I think I’m putting all the right things into place,” said McDowell.

Meanwhile, Paul McGinley, who has fallen some 33 places down to 139th in the world rankings since the start of the year, resumes play at this week’s Andalucian Open in Seville where Colin Montgomerie will compete in his 500th European Tour event.

McGinley, who hasn’t played on the European Tour since missing the cut in Dubai in January, is joined in the field by Damien McGrane, who had his second top-five finish of the season in Madeira last week, Peter Lawrie, Gary Murphy, Michael Hoey and Jonathan Caldwell.