Australian Caddy Knows How To Keep His Swedish Friend On The Right Line

Sydney Morning Herald

Monday July 23, 2001

Charles Happell in Lytham

The only Australian within cooee of the final-day lead at this British Open was a 48-year-old from Melbourne who plays off a handicap of 12 John Hort, a long-time caddie.

From Healesville in Melbourne's east, Hort has been a tour caddie for 14 years and has won 13 tournaments nine with Brett Ogle, a Victorian Open with Stephen Leaney and three with Swede Pierre Fulke, with whom he has developed a great friendship and for whom he was caddying in the Open.

Last year, Fulke and Hort finished seventh at St Andrews; this year, they entered the final round at Royal Lytham one shot out off the lead.

``In any caddie's career, a major championship is the ultimate and that's what I'm here to help Pierre do," Hort said after the third round. ``If he does my job, and I do mine, there's no reason we can't do it.

``A few things didn't go our way today, but everyone has an ordinary day during a tournament and hopefully that was ours. We started one off the lead and we finished one off the lead, so we're still right in it."

Playing alongside Colin Montgomerie in the final pairing on Saturday, Fulke struggled for most of the afternoon but managed a brave birdie at the final hole for a one-over 72. That left him in a group of nine players at five under.

Despite their indifferent day, Fulke had time to sing Hort's praises: ``To someone like Monty, John might be the worst caddie on tour, but he's a friend of mine and we both work well together. He knows how to say the right thing at the right time."

The leading Australian was Victorian left-hander Richard Green at even par, six shots from the lead. The gritty Melburnian was three under for the tournament after six holes of his third round, but he took a double bogey at the eighth, fought back to birdie the next two holes, then took another double bogey at the 14th.

``I'm not overly pleased. It could have been so much better," Green said. ``Being the leading Australian is nice, but I'd like to have played a bit better for everyone at home. My initial goal was to make the cut, now it'd be nice to make the top 15 to come back next year."

Of the other Australians to make the cut, Stuart Appleby shot a 72 to be three over, Robert Allenby 71 to remain at two over, Peter Lonard 74 to drop to three over and Adam Scott scored a creditable 70 to be at one over.

THIRD-ROUND SCORES

Royal Lytham and St Annes, par 71

207: David Duval (US) 69 73 65, Bernhard Langer (Ger), 71 69 67, Ian Woosnam (Wales) 72 68 67, Alex Cejka (Ger) 69 69 69

208: Miguel Jimenez (Spn) 69 72 67, Billy Mayfair (US) 69 72 67, Nick Price (Zim) 73 67 68, Darren Clarke (Nth Ire) 70 69 69, Raphael Jacquelin (Fra) 71 68 69, Joe Ogilvie (US) 69 68 71, Jesper Parnevik (Swe) 69 68 71, Colin Montgomerie (Scot) 65 70 73, Pierre Fulke (Swe) 69 67 72

209: Ernie Els (Sth Afr) 71 71 67, Sergio Garcia (Spn) 70 72 67, Retief Goosen (Sth Afr) 74 68 67, Billy Andrade (US) 69 70 70, Des Smyth (Ire) 74 65 70, Greg Owen (Eng) 69 68 72

Australians:

213: Richard Green 71 70 72. 214: Adam Scott 73 71 70. 215: Robert Allenby 73 71 71. 216: Stuart Appleby 69 75 72, Peter Lonard 72 70 74

© 2001 Sydney Morning Herald

Back to News Index | Back to Home