GB&I warming to the task

** Back l-r: Cameron Clark, Jason Levermore, Alex Wrigley, Niall Kearney, Mike Watson & Gareth Wright. Front, l-r: Lee Clarke, Paul Hendriksen, Jon Bevan (capt), David Dixon & Graham Fox.

Unlike the bush fires sweeping northern California, it’s been a slow burn to the 27^th PGA Cup for Great Britain & Ireland as they wait for the opening morning fourballs on Friday.

But, after two full practice days, Great Britain & Ireland’s PGA Cup team are slowly getting to grips with the Robert Trent Jones Jnr layout at CordeValle.

Lengthy, and with generous fairways, nevertheless the greens offer a nasty bite similar to the tarantulas that can be found lurking in the nearby undergrowth.

Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney for one has been impressed with the track which next year will host the US Women’s Open.

“It’s not something you play every day, it’s so big,” he said.

“It’s very generous off the tee but the greens are sloping and it’s really tough to make birdies out there, it really is. I think it is going to be solid shooting that is going to win matches out there, guys that can be consistent, really goring it out. It’s tough to shoot fireworks out there.

“You’re hitting a lot of long clubs into the greens and then when you get there, there are big breaks. Nothing easy.”

Enmore Park’s David Dixon echoed Kearney’s sentiments. The Somerset golfer, a European Tour winner, will be plotting and scheming his way round the 7,252-yard course, ‘thinking smart’ as he called it.

“The greens are crucial. You’ve got to have the ball in the right spot. If you don’t think smart, and you’re needing to make birdies if you’re down in a match and you don’t use your brain, you’ll end up losing holes,” he said.

Team spirit in the GB&I camp has been high all week with Dixon’s steady stream of one liners and laid-back approach complementing his easy, big-hitting style.

“I’m not really one of those guys who gets revved up, I am on the inside because I want to win but I don’t show too much emotion and keep things level. Playing for nine other guys, every shot counts. I love it.

“I used to let emotions get the better of me but you learn as you get older that the percentage of bad to good shots normally outweighs the good so you have to work smart. It’s about making a score, not hitting a glory shot.

“You look at all the top players – they just get on and keep going forward, whether they’ve hit a complete dog of a shot or a really good one. That’s what I’ve learned - let things go, you’re not trying to hit a bad shot just do the best you can.

“That’s definitely me going forward and will hopefully get me where I want to be.

“It’s also a good attitude for this week as well. With the Americans, it could be a bit frustrating, especially if you’re down and they are high fiving, shouting and a hollering so being calmer is going to bode well for that.”

One man enjoying the week is Jason Levermore after an inauspicious start to his PGA Cup career when paramedics met him off the plane at San Francisco after he’d been laid low by a bout of food poisoning.

The Channels pro is showing no ill effects and remains his upbeat self with total confidence in his own ability.

“I think all the players do have a belief, me personally, I do think if we play well we’ve got every chance of a win. I don’t think anyone in our team thinks they are any better than us.

“The messages that are up in the team room, they are all well and good but they won’t have anything to do with whether we win or lose, they’re there for the captain to remind us but I don’t think we need reminding. We know what we are capable of.”

** Jon Bevan, centre, with vice captains Martyn Thompson & Albert Mackenzie.

With the opening Friday fourballs drawing ever closer, Bevan is seeing the fruits of months of planning finally coming together. His stress levels and caffeine intake have rocketed but the Rhos on Sea Golf Club pro wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Everything is where we want it to be,” he said.

Bevan, who topped Open Final Qualifying three times despite being one of the shortest hitters, is big on self-belief and it’s that message he is relentlessly drumming into his players.

“There are a few great sayings but ‘winners truly believe’ suggests that if you approach anything with the right attitude, whatever is facing you, you can get the better of.

“The team know what is coming, from tee to green they’ve been very impressive and around the greens have got better each day.

“It’s about crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s. We’ve said all along if you keep adding one per cent of something good then we should be in a good place when the gun goes off.

“The pressure and stress has built but I love it, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Since we’ve been here I’ve had so little sleep but there is plenty of coffee to keep me going and I’m very proud to be in this position.”