Fuente: © Southern Africa Tour
http://www.sunshinetour.com/

GOLF: SOUTHERN AFRICA TOUR: Aiken welcomes lessons from Open

/noticias.info/ South Africa’s Thomas Aiken picked up valuable lessons at a wind-lashed Open Championship, saying the experience would make him a better competitor.

The Sunshine Tour winner battled to a 16-over-par 196 at Royal Birkdale that was battered by strong gusts of winds that hit up to 45mph and sent scores soaring in the year’s third major.

Aiken closed out with a superb 68 in the final round to take the sting out of a wretched third round 80 that saw him drop from a strong position to the bottom echelons of the leaderboard.

The only South African qualifier to survive the cut, Aiken hopes that his run at Royal Birkdale would be a further boost for the second half of his European Tour Rookie season.

“Although it was tough, I was happy with my play except for the third day. I made a couple of errors in club selection and got caught out by the swirling winds. Still, I’m quite happy overall as I managed to fight back strongly on the final day.

He added that lessons learnt at this week’s Open would be put to good use as he chases his dream of winning a title in Europe this year to secure his exemption for 2009.

His share of 39th coined the 25-year-old from Johannesburg a cheque worth €20,830 and launched him to 159th on the European Tour Order of Merit. Although he still is a long way off the magic mark at 116, Aiken is positive that the week at Royal Birkdale will have its pay-off.

“Every time I play in a tournament, I learn more about my weaknesses. This week, I’ve learned how to hit knockdown shots against the wind and to be really patient in tough conditions,” he said. “The winds were very strong, very tricky. When the winds blow from the side, you have to make your decision very clearly on how you want to shape your shot otherwise the winds will magnify your mistakes.”

DID YOU KNOW?
Thomas Aiken first picked up a club at the age of four when his brother taught him the grip. By the age of nine he was receiving instruction from the renowned coach Martin Witcher, who included Tony Johnstone and Mark McNulty among his pupils, and at the age of 14 joined his academy at Randpark Golf Club.

He loved all sport, especially rugby, and played cricket at Provincial level as a fast bowler but ultimately in his mid-teens had to choose between tennis and golf, opting for the latter on the basis the scenery was more interesting. Sporting genes run in the family with his mother, father and uncle all competing in various sports at Provincial level, a brother was one of the country’s top tennis players and his girlfriend, Kirsty Ray, played squash for South Africa.

On the golfing front he enjoyed a glittering amateur career and in 2001 was crowned South African Amateur of the Year in recognition of his 10 wins and 15 top-three finishes.

Aiken, who topped the Sunshine Tour’s 2005 and 2006 Winter Swing, holds six titles on the local Tour. He competed on the Nationwide Tour in America before earning his European Tour card through the Qualifying School - Final Stage at the end of 2007. notas_de_prensa_archivo