View from the fans

We slept in the dunes the first night and then last night we got taken in by the scout hall, it s been brilliant! Welcome to the world of the extreme golf fan. With the weather flexing it s muscles it was time to find out what the fans here thought about it all.

Simon, Ivor and Jayden are all from Australia a fact you might have gathered had you come across them at Birkdale thanks to the shorts, home-made shirts bearing the names of Norman, Allenby and Scott, the prerequisite cans of Fosters and perhaps most tellingly of all, the massive grins. We here as caddies for the Aussies, said Ivor ah that explains the toy plastic golf sets they were carrying. We re winging it from London to support our boys and we re having a wild time, confirmed Simon a fact I was beginning to understand.

Refreshingly the boys were very complimentary about the welcome Southport had given them, with some mention of the fact that people are so much friendlier north of Watford. While the Great White Shark remains in the hunt this trio of lightly sauced Antipodeans were not going anywhere. We re loving all the action, Jayden laughed I am not 100% confident he was only talking about the golf but there we go.

Meanwhile the 7-strong Milne family were having a riot of their own with some disagreements at 13 about where best to go. We ve been at the 12th for most of the first two days, said the man in charge. It s been brilliant, we like to watch the players struggle in the wind and yesterday we saw one player hit it into a spectator s pocket!

Despite murmurings to the contrary around the press tent, the youngest Milne was adamant that he would tee it up in such conditions and that at Headingley GC in Yorkshire they regularly have much stronger winds .

Nick, Mick, Andy and Sean were a little more reserved as to where they were most happy in this kind of weather the bar was the unequivocal answer. The men from Oldham were also though really enjoying watching the players struggle. It makes them more like us, said Sean. Before Mick added, I don t know what they are whingeing about, it s great for golfing. Indeed.

The last word went to home fan David, who lives just a few miles from the course; It s an absolute pleasure to be here, I don t care what they weather is like! I know what he means.