LEWINE MAIR
PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND |
Oliver Fisher,
who won the Czech Open eight days ago,
would have shaken many more hands
than he hit golf balls at last week’s John-
nie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
Everyone wanted to congratulate him.
“but the more I thought about it the more I
realised there was nothing else I could do.
It was a terrible time. There I was, work-
ing my butt off and asking myself over and
over, ‘Why isn’t anything happening?’ ”
Graeme Storm, one of his best pals on
the European Tour, was among the many
players who took it upon themselves to
remind Fisher just how good he was.
“I kept repeating that old saying about
form being temporary and class perma-
nent,” said Storm.
Fisher’s father, Rupert, who used to do
an early-morning stint in the fruit market
in order to be able to spend time with his
three sons, remained as supportive as
ever, as did his coaches.
At home, he still sees the same Chris
Jenkins who gave him free lessons as a
child; on Tour, he works with Pete Cowen,
most recently on retaining his height
throughout the swing.
Cowen is the straightest of talk-
ers, someone in whom the players have
complete trust. In Fisher’s case, he said,
simply, “Ollie, you’re going to be all right.”
If a 35th place in the Nordea Masters
and a 45th in the Irish Open hardly sug-
gested that a win was just around the
corner, they were at least a step in the
right direction.
Oliver Fisher’s first win was
worth a champagne dousing.
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