Olazabal basks in major glory

Jose-Maria Olazabal went home to Fuenterrabia, near San Sebastian, in northern Spain this week as US Masters champion to be embraced by his family, and found that everyone wanted a piece of him.

There has been little peace since, but that hasn't bothered him. Yesterday, as the rain pelted down outside his house which lies close to the Real Sebastian course where his father was a greenkeeper and the young "Chema" - his nickname - groomed his own game, the telegrams and flowers continued to be delivered to his door and the phone hardly stopped ringing.

Even the president of Spain, and what now seems like half of the country's government ministers, have been on to Olazabal to offer their congratulations, and journalists have mercilessly hunted down him for interviews. "It's been pretty busy," he confessed. But, then, that's the way it is for major winners.

Yesterday, in an AT&T teleconference organised by his club manufacturers MacGregor, the greatest iron player in the world - who's arguing? - was in effusive mood. Olazabal's latest triumph, a win that seemed unlikely three years ago when a herniated disc in his back forced him to crawl around his house on his hands and knees, has whetted his appetite for more major glory. Number one on the list? "The British Open," he insisted.

"For anyone on this side of the Atlantic, that has to be the main one. I've won all the amateur titles - British Boys, Youths and Amateur - and there is something special about it. If I was asked, `what is your choice?', that would be it," said Olazabal.

More immediately, Olazabal returns to competitive action, appropriately enough, in next week's Spanish Open at El Prat and has mapped out his schedule up to the US Open, a stretch that will also take in the Benson and Hedges, the Volvo PGA and a tournament in Memphis. What about a return to play in the Murphy's Irish Open? "I haven't finalised my schedule beyond the US Open . . . but most likely I'll be there in Druids Glen," he professed.

Further again down the road is the Ryder Cup, and Olazabal's win in Augusta has swept like a wave of relief over those associated with European golf. "Ah, here we go again," laughed Olazabal. "The Ryder Cup. It's all anyone wants to talk about.

"But it is quite far away, and the teams are nowhere near finalised. There can be a lot of changes. I know it is going to be a tough week, however. They (the Americans) will try hard to win it back and will prepare the course more to their liking. We have to prepare ourselves and our minds to go through those conditions."

The Ryder Cup, though, is five months away, in the future, and Olazabal is happier to immerse himself in more recent history. The afterglow of Augusta, and what he achieved there, has left him a happy man.

One of the most precious clubs in his bag in conquering Augusta was a custom-made sand-wedge that was less than four days old. It didn't even have the MacGregor stamp on it, it was rushed to him so fast. "I'll tell you a story," he said. "I got it at the BellSouth in Atlanta, where I missed the cut, and put it straight into my bag. That's unusual for me because I'm quite a perfectionist when it comes to my irons. But this sand wedge just felt so comfortable and it made me save a lot of putts. At Augusta, you know you are going to miss greens, so chipping and putting becomes very important. For a club to give that sort of confidence after just three or four days says a lot about the quality."

Indeed, it is customary for the Masters champion to donate a club to the Trophy Room at Augusta National, but Olazabal insisted the sand wedge would be staying with him. And the club that was previously nameless now has a name: "The Commemorative 1999 Masters".

How important was it to play with Greg Norman in the final round? "Crucial," said Olazabal. "I hadn't been in that position for a long time, challenging for a major, and I was comfortable and confident on that back nine. I thought a lot about my family, and that helped me."

There were, of course, a number of defining moments on his march to victory. The birdie putt on 13th, moments after Norman had holed his eagle putt. "That's the one I remember most," he said. But there were others, too.

Like the 15th. He had 220 yards to the front of the green and admitted, "I could probably have reached it with a one iron - but, at that moment, I was one ahead of Greg and two ahead of Davis Love. Greg had already laid up. I laid up too, it was up to others to catch me. I didn't want to open the door. If I didn't get the green jacket, maybe people would then have criticised me."

And, then there was the approach shot to the 17th green after his tee-shot had hit a tree. "In Europe you have to adopt your game to courses and conditions. Imagine shots, and use creativity. I had 188 yards to a green that was like concrete with the wind behind, and no chance to stop the ball. I punched a five iron around 30 yards short and let the ball run between the left and right bunker. Almost like a shot you would use on a links course. A wonderful shot."

So many great shots to make one great champion. It has been a busy week, but it would have been worse if nobody wanted to talk to him.