The Open 2010: Ross McGowan eyes St Andrews run

The Open Championship, St Andrews, 15-18 July
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, Red Button, BBC Sport website, with updates on BBC Radio 5 live Full coverage details

Ross McGowan currently lies 56th in the Order of Merit

By Ged Scott
BBC Sport at St Andrews

Surrey's Ross McGowan would be the first to admit that he has not had the ideal preparation coming into his first Open Championship at St Andrews.

McGowan, 28, has only played two rounds of tournament golf since withdrawing after the first round of the BMW Open in Munich with a wrist injury in June.

"It's not ideal preparation," McGowan said. "But if you get off to a good start, then you soon forget about it.

"I had an injection before Loch Lomond last week and it's responded well."

606: DEBATE

There are a lot of contenders this year and a number of English players look capable of sustaining a challenge at the Open

AllSaintsNoCurves

McGowan, who earned more than £500,000 to finish second in last year's Dubai World Championship to catapult him up to 12th on the Order of Merit, has not had such a successful 2010 so far, standing 56th in the rankings.

But his better performances have come in the bigger tournaments - at the two WGC events in Arizona and Florida, as well as top 40 finishes in the PGA at Wentworth and in the US Open at Pebble Beach, the week before his injury.

And the man from Epsom insists that the biggest golfing stage of all can really inspire him.

"It's the home of golf," he said. "And it's a pretty amazing place.

"I played well as an amateur round here a few times. And I love links golf.

"Pebble Beach was pretty special when I played there a few weeks ago. But this is St Andrews. It's a tough course and it's getting tougher. I hit driver and a wood at the 17th and I was still short, so that's going to cause some fun this week."

And the fit-again McGowan believes that he might just have a chance this week.

So much depends on the draw - play well and you can be right up in the mix

Ross McGowan

"It's been a tough last few weeks," he said. "I pulled out of Germany and France and limped round Loch Lomond. But I had a steroid injection last week, it's loosening up now and I can't use that as an excuse.

"So much depends on the draw," he added. "Play well and you can be right up in the mix.

"But I've been drawn with David Duval and Trevor Immelman - two major champions playing together, which will hopefully soon be three."