Inside the ropes at the Open with Garth Milne

Golf fitness specialist Garth Milne will take you inside the ropes at The Open Championship this week, as he gets Dean Burmester fighting fit for the challenge that lies ahead at The Old Course at St Andrews.

SUNDAY, 18 July – Strong finish

Final day at The Open and we woke to rain falling on our RV, which we actually had to pack up pretty smartly, as the owners were coming to collect it at 09h00.

What that did mean is that I was able to grab a leisurely breakfast at the clubhouse and just reflect on another fantastic week. I was lucky enough to get a spot in the players’ lounge, which was pretty cool.

After that I met up with Zander and took him through another biggish workout in the gym, ahead of his trip to Hillside for the DP World Tour event there this week. It was great to finish off the week with some really good work with him.

But, once I popped outside again, you could really feel the atmosphere and energy building, with obviously plenty of excitement ahead of the final round, particularly with Rory McIlroy in contention to win.

Once I was done with Zander, I took Dean through his warm-up and we focused on doing things a little slower and more deliberate, as I didn’t want him feeling rushed ahead of the final round. I just wanted him perfectly geared up and ready to go.

He had a good session on the range and that fed into his round, with Dean playing really well. Solid start with pars on one and two, before a good birdie on three and then the eagle on five, which really kickstarted his round.

Again, it was a case of what might have been, despite Dean going on to shoot 66 and finish in a tie for 11th. He three-putted nine for par, after driving the green, and missed a makeable putt for birdie on 12, but then again, he made amazing putts for birdie on 13 and 15, and all in all played beautiful golf.

Unfortunately, the Road Hole had his number again, and that 17th at St Andrews really is one of the more difficult holes in all of golf. Then a disappointing par on 18,, when birdie would have got him into the top 10 and ensured qualification for next year’s Open.

But, if we reflect, Dean made the cut on the number and shot 67-66 to finish in a tie for 11th, which I think is an excellent effort. We had a good debrief afterwards and Dean was happy, even with the minor disappointment. He’s made huge strides these past two weeks, playing in strong fields, and I hope this sets him up for a great finish to the year.

Once I was done with Dean, I had a quick shower and headed over to the Fairmont Hotel in St Andrews to attend the final celebration of Sir Nick Faldo’s 65th birthday. Quite incredible, really, rubbing shoulders with some rather interesting people, including one billionaire and the richest woman in fashion! What was nice was that you would never know their wealth, just sitting chatting with them.

All in all, another memorable Open Championship and a really special one, being the 150th. Something I’ll cherish for a long time.

I really feel for Rory, having the title within his grasp, but hats off to Cam Smith – he really did go out and win it, as opposed to Rory losing it, and that round he played was something incredible. The putts he made, the up-and-downs that he executed etc, were top class.

Congrats to him and his team – Cam really deserved to be the Champion Golfer of the Year!

SATURDAY, 16 July - R&A Clubhouse a treasure trove

A really busy day at the Open on Saturday and it kicked off with a bit of a lie-in, before Dean’s agent Ally and myself grabbed breakfast at the clubhouse, and I took Dean through his warm-up before his 09h15 tee time.

We actually woke up to beautiful weather and it was obvious that it would be a great day for scoring, particularly early on, before the wind picked up.

Dean didn’t actually have a great range session, but got off to a good start with a birdie at the first, before a disappointing bogey at the second. Jason, Dean’s caddie, actually did a great job of getting Dean back on track and he promptly reeled off five birdies in a row to close off the front nine.

A bit tougher on the back nine, with the wind picking up and he actually did well to only bogey the 17th, before a disappointing par on 18. So, he definitely had chances to go even lower, but I think if you’d offered Dean 67 before his round, he would have taken it.

As it is, he starts the final round in a tie for 24th place.

I walked the front nine with Dean and then headed back to grab a jacket and tie, as I was fortunate enough to be invited to lunch with my Mom and Step-Dad, Chris, who is a member of the R&A. It was in the R&A clubhouse that overlooks the first tee and 18th green. A real treat. There are so many incredible historic artefacts in there and you really do get a sense of the history of the game by just spending some time in there. A bit ‘hoity-toity’ for me, but a special experience and the sense that I was walking in the footsteps of some of the greats of the game – Vardon, Hagen, Palmer, Nicklaus, Woods etc.

I actually got to watch Dean play the 18th from the bay window of the clubhouse and after that excused myself and went and had a catch-up with him for a bit of a recap and debrief.

After that, I hooked up with Zander in the gym and took him through a pretty big workout. I really pushed him and he responded well. Even though he missed the cut, Zander’s still working hard to improve and take his game to the next level.

From there, I met up with some people in the industry and had a catch-up, which I think is really valuable in my line of work. The Open is such a great networking opportunity and there are so many people who are part of the golf industry here. Golf is certainly growing and gaining popularity on a global scale and it’s really exciting to be part of the industry. There’s a lot happening and when you’re here, you’re exposed to some of the prospects on the horizon.

After that, I made my way back to the RV park, where the Burmester family was having a braai. I managed to catch the second half of the rugby, which put a nice seal on a really busy day.

A really cool evening and a nice way to bring a bit of South Africa to this small part of Scotland.

FRIDAY, 15 July - Emotional Day all-round

Shew, quite an emotional day here at The Open, with Dean making the cut on the number and Zander just missing out by one.

Nice to have a bit of a lie-in after the early starts I’ve had, with both guys off late, although I knew with Zander going off in the third-last group at just before four o’clock, we were going to have to come up with a plan for him for the day, as opposed to leaving him to sit in his room, alone, all day.

So, I met Zander at the course at 10 and took him through a bit of a workout, with some cardio and strength work – nothing too hectic, but enough to get the blood pumping. He then headed to the range to hit balls, so that he could hone in on a feeling he and coach Grant Veenstra have been working on.

Dean then joined me for a warm-up and had a really good one, before heading to the first tee in good spirits – maybe just the putting he wasn’t so happy with, but you have to “dance with the girl you brought”, so he had to deal with it.

He actually got off to a really good start, with a birdie on the first and a great up-and-down on the second, and I thought, here we go. But, after that, a bit of a struggle and not a ‘clean’ day of golf, with a couple of lip-outs, some missed putts, and a couple of bad decisions.

In saying that, Dean definitely got the most challenging conditions, with the wind shifting on him about halfway through the round, making the back nine even tougher. But, you’ve got to play the golf course in front of you.

In the end, an incredible birdie at the last, knowing that he needed to get to even-par to have a sniff of making the cut. He drove it to just short of the Valley of Sin and then hit an outstanding pitch shot to just four feet behind the hole, and then made the putt for birdie. The emotion that he showed after that just shows how much it means, making the cut at an Open at St Andrews.

After that, a pretty nervous wait for him, clicking the ‘refresh’ button on the scoreboard, but lots of relief when it was confirmed that Dean had made the cut.

After taking Dean through a warm-down stretch, I legged it out to the 11th green – the furthest part of the course - where I found Zander, and he was playing great golf. He had very good looks at birdie on 11, 12 and 15, but just couldn’t find that extra one to help him make the cut. It was a real pity, because he really knuckled down and gave it his all.

Zander needed an eagle at the last to make the cut and drove it to just short of the green, opted to chip over the Valley of Sin, and hit an amazing pitch that just stopped three feet short. So, in the end, a birdie and a great 68, but, ultimately, one short, with the damage done on day one, with that 77.

Zander was quite pragmatic about things and he’s got some good stuff to take to the Cazoo Classic at Hillside, which is also a links course, and where I expect him to play well.

Quite a late finish, with us only getting off the golf course at about 21h45, so I’m having a quick beer, before hitting the sack!

THURSDAY, 14 July – Tiger, the icon that inspires fans and pros alike

As you can imagine, another early start for me, with Dean getting an early tee time in round one.

My alarm was set for 04h15 and Dean’s courtesy car picked me up from the top of the road at the RV compound, before we headed to the clubhouse for a quick bite to eat.

As you can imagine, not too many players and fans at that early hour, but plenty of other people, with the staff on hand, I believe, having to get up at around 02h30 to make sure they were ready to man the various food stations etc.

It was funny – when we were driving in, the grandstands were empty and Dean said, “oh, it will be nice to have some fans watching my back nine”, and I just told him that he could expect to see fans a lot earlier than that, as the Brits love their golf and they love the Open.

Sure enough, on the first tee, the stands were packed, including with some South Africans, and Dean got a big cheer when his name was announced.

All in all, Dean had a fairly good day, even though he didn’t have his best stuff with him. He didn’t hit it great, but managed his game as best he could. He missed two makeable birdie putts on 11 and 18, and if those had gone in, it would have been three-under, a 69, and a very good day. Again, small margins. One-under is probably acceptable, considering he didn’t play his best golf.

I walked the first seven holes with Dean and then headed back to warm up Zander, as he was at the back of the morning field. He had a good warm-up and hit the first tee in good spirits, but unfortunately didn’t get off to the best of starts – bogey, bogey, double, and never really recovered from that, even though he felt he didn’t play that badly. I think Zander just got “golfed” or “links golfed”. That’s because in links golf, you can hit good shots and get punished, and likewise, hit bad ones and get a lucky break.

So, a bit frustrating for Zander. He actually drove the ball well, iron play was maybe a little off, and the putting was okay, and the next thing, you’re five-over-par. I guess that’s the nature of links and major championship golf.

What was really interesting was witnessing the attraction of Tiger Woods. I was on the range with Dean after his round and Tiger arrived for his warm-up. The crowd, spectator, media circus that follows him is just insane, and there were even tour players hanging around after their rounds, just to watch him hit balls and go through his routine. He’s just an icon of both golf and sport, in general, and we all hope he’ll still be around for some time to come.

I count myself incredibly lucky to see him do his thing up close.

Once Zander was done, we did a little cool-down, and then I went to link up with one of my very first personal training clients, a guy called Ted Davis, who is a member of the R&A. We met for a drink at Forgan House, which is a place that R&A members can meet and get something to eat and drink. It was great to catch up and that’s definitely one of the cool things about the Open. People really do come from around the world to experience it.

Plenty of South Africans around and great to see Ernie play well, despite the disappointing finish. No surprise, considering how he’s been playing on the PGA TOUR Champions.

It goes to show, you don’t need to be the longest to play links golf well and hopefully Ernie’s ‘nous’ will see him through the weekend, and ensure he’s there and thereabouts.

Another early start on Wednesday, as Dean was down for an early round one tee time, so he wanted to play the course like it would play then.

So, I was up at 05h00, walked the 20 minutes from my RV to the club, took Dean through his warm-up in the gym, and then he teed off around 07h00. Interestingly, the only other player around early was Rory McIlroy, who was also looking to go off early.

I know it’s something Tiger also likes to do with his preparation, as it’s just so much quieter and has none of the madness of the rest of the day. So, Tiger, I believe, likes to play either very early or late in the afternoon.

So, Rory went off before us, at about 06h30, with just his player and his coach, and we weren’t far behind him – Dean, his caddie Jason, his putting coach Andy Paisley, and myself. We did some really good work – Dean played 1-5 and then jumped across and played 14 all the way in. We were also joined by Dean’s parents, who have made the trip out, and it was great that they could also get a pic with Dean on the Swilcan Bridge. There were a couple of tears on 18 and I know it’s an experience they will never forget.

I see Rory played all 18 holes and raced round pretty quickly.

Once Dean was done, I hooked up with Zander and warmed him up, as he was going off later. Once that was done, I was fortunate enough to head across to Sir Nick Faldo’s 65th birthday celebration at the Old Course Hotel. It was champagne and canapes, but I just stuck to water, as I was still on the clock! It was nice to re-connect with some of the CBS guys there, who I see here every year, like Mike Tirico, who is quite a big name in the States.

After that, I went back to the course and did some stretching with Dean and Zander, before sending them on their way to relax, ahead of round one.

Then I spent some time in the players’ lounge and sat down for a pretty late lunch, and I was lucky enough to be joined by Jordan Spieth, who came over for a chat. Such a nice guy and we had a great catch-up, before he headed off to get a haircut! Quite a nice touch from the R&A – they have a barber in the players’ locker room and they and their caddies can get a haircut any time. One of the caddies told me that this isn’t something you get at every major and it really is a nice touch.

Dean’s parents are staying in the RV campsite with us, so we all had dinner together, and it was a nice, chilled end to the day, ahead of game day!

TUESDAY, 12 July - Hungry Tiger

Consider “equilibrium” the word of the day!

That’s because these prep days before a major tournament are largely about not only getting that preparation in, but also maintaining energy levels, so you have what you need in the tank to manage what’s ahead, in terms of a long and demanding week.

That’s what I was trying to achieve with both Zander and Dean today, particularly with Zander getting an early start and wanting to get out there at 08h00. It meant a 05h30 start for myself and I took him through his warm-up before he headed out on the back nine with Justin Harding and New Zealander Ryan Fox.

It certainly was a little cold on the range, but definitely warmed up as the day wore on.

I then headed off to the merchandise tent to make sure I got my usual “peace offerings” for the family back home. As always, the Open merchandise tent didn’t disappoint and you really can get anything in there with an Open logo on. Obviously, there is some pretty expensive stuff, with your big brands like Peter Millar, but you can also get a t-shirt for £30 (R600) or cap for £25-30, so relatively affordable.

I then went back to pick up Dean and take him through his warm-up, after which he was meant to play the front nine with Erik van Rooyen, but unfortunately Erik woke up with a crick in his neck, so he couldn’t make it. Dean, instead, ended up hooking up with Canadians Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes, and they played the back nine, which is where I joined him on the course.

I never get tired of walking some of those iconic holes on the back nine at St Andrews, like 17 and 18, and we made sure we got the obligatory team photo on the Swilcan Bridge on 18, which I think will go up in the pub one day. Dean also had his family join him for one of those and it really is something you just absolutely have to get, when you come to this special place.

Once off the course, Dean grabbed some lunch and did some short game work, including a session with putting coach Andy Paisley.

Once I was done with Dean, I re-joined Zander and took him through a light session, focusing on mobility and stability, before sending him back home to rest up and preserve those energy levels. That’s particularly with an eye on his late Friday tee time, where he’s off around 16h00. I’ve got some work to do there, making sure he can deal with that late time and manage a very late finish to that day.

After that, I headed back to the RV for a shower, as I planned to have dinner with my Mom and Step-Father, Chris, who happens to be a R&A member. Those members are all staying at the St Andrews University residence.

On my way to meeting up with them, I bumped into Joe LaCava, Tiger Woods’s caddie, who was taking advantage of a beautiful evening to mark out some of the course. I asked him how his boss was and he conceded that the leg wasn’t great and a bit sore, but that Tiger was ‘hungry’.

I think we all know what that means, and a hungry Tiger is a dangerous animal! Looking forward to seeing how he goes this week and he certainly knows how to win at the Home of Golf.

MONDAY, 11 JULY - GLAMPING DIGS

Great to be at the 150th Open Championship and nice to arrive with Dean in some form!

A tie for 10th place at the Scottish Open is pretty good preparation and a reminder that Dean does like links golf, and he has certainly acclimatised nicely, getting used to the fescue grass, for example.

The Open organisers were kind enough to send a swanky Mercedes to pick us up from Edinburgh airport and bring us to St Andrews, where I’m quickly getting used to my ‘digs’ for the week. I’m sharing with Dean’s agent, Ally Mellor, and we’re in one of the RVs they’ve parked on the New Course at St Andrews, because there is just no accommodation in St Andrews, and what accommodation there is, is helluva expensive. For example, I know that the house we’ve stayed in before, for the Dunhill Links, and which usually costs us about £1000-1500 for the week, is now going for £7000 this week!

Anyway, looks like we’re keeping close company with the Poulters and the Lowrys, I think.

Great vibe here, already, and lots of people out on the Monday of the tournament, and I think it’s going to be a great celebration of golf.

First up this morning we headed to the players’ main marquee, which is just for the players, their caddies, families and support staff, and it’s right behind the driving range. It has a gym, physio area, restaurant, and dining rooms for the players (upstairs) and support staff (downstairs).

We got checked in and received our accreditation, which means everything in the tent is for free – teas, coffees, food etc. We really are well looked after here.

I’m also working with Zander Lombard this week, so did some work with him this morning, before he headed to the range with his coach, Grant Veenstra. It was a slower start for Dean, after his full week last week, so he just headed to the merchandise tent with his family. So, I hooked up with him after that, and he then joined Zander and Grant on the front nine.

Good for the guys to get a close look at the course, because it’s a completely different proposition to when it’s played in late-September/early-October for the Dunhill Links. The grass is longer and it’s obviously drier, and it’s playing hard and fast, with the front nine playing downwind with the prevailing breeze. So, it’s definitely ‘gettable’ and Dean managed to drive to the front edge of a couple of greens. But, we’ll wait to see how the back nine plays on Tuesday.

There were no shuttles back, because they were being used for the Celebration of Champions, which had them playing one, two, 17, and 18. So, we jumped across and played 14, 15, and half of 16 with Tony Finau and Haotong Li.

Good to get a first look at the golf course, and after that, I did some work with Zander and Dean, with the focus for Dean on keeping his speed up.

My day ended with me grabbing a curry with Shaun Norris, his brother (and caddie) Alain, Ally, and a couple of other guys. We headed to Jahangirs, which is a famous curry house here in St Andrews and has some of the best curry you’ll get, outside of India.

It’s quite funny – the main guy is Indian, but speaks with a really heavy Scottish accent, which takes some getting used to!

Anyway, a good first day, and looking forward to day two.