It took a throat infection and a high temperature for Jose Maria Olazabal

It took a throat infection and a high temperature for Jose Maria Olazabal to forget his worries about hitting a little white ball as he won the Dubai Classic. Robert Karlsson, the Swede who finished third last week, undergoes body psychotherapy, where sessions with an analyst are conducted while he is placed in strangely contorted positions.For Coltart, it was simpler A few harsh words did the trick “Emma told me to stop being obsessed by it all You’re allowed to have average days, bad days in this job I’ve always found that difficult to accept. “The only answer is to stop kicking yourself up the arse all the time. It got to the stage where I started mucking around with my swing, but the problem was between my ears.”Coltart went to see a sports psychologist who finds a rich source of employment on the tour Help was also closer at hand. “I think you will soon win on tour,” Woosie told him after the Johnnie Walker Classic. “If it is any consolation, I hope you beat me next time we meet in a play-off.”But it has not yet happened.

Coltart’s first European tour victory is still in the future, although it may not be long as he is joint second behind Andrew Sherbourne going into the final round of the Qatar Masters here in Doha. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the 27-year-old Scot could also clinch the Australasian Tour order of merit without playing a shot.In the final event in Canberra only two men, Peter O’Malley, five off the lead, and Greg Chalmers, three behind, could overtake Coltart by winning the ANZ Tour Championship. Coltart is also already assured of an exemption for the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale by finishing in the top three.The value of his winter sojourn cannot be measured in mere statistics It was much more of a cathartic experience “I went down to Australia to find a bit of form,” he said. “It was always going to be a plus whatever happened.”Last season he slipped to 46th on the money list from seventh the year before. He chased a Ryder Cup spot and came to grief in such spectacular fashion he also lost his place in Scotland’s World and Alfred Dunhill Cup teams “You just keep putting yourself under pressure,” he said. “The NSW course is a tough test of golf so obviously he has a lot of game about him I think he is a good guy, too.”
High praise. Ian Woosnam said much the same when he twice pushed Coltart into second place during 1996.

All Norman had to do was enter the Australian PGA Championship. Instead, the Shark went along to watch on the final day and saw Scotland’s Andrew Coltart win the title for the second time. “I have always thought Andrew was a hell of a player,” Norman said. Like the ball he grabbed in the heat of Tuesday’s match, and instinctively shaped to throw back into play, the opportunity to make amends is being seized with both hands.. WHEN Greg Norman was back home Down Under last November he fancied a game at a challenging course in Sydney called the New South Wales Club.

On being informed of his request by an assistant, an official at the club replied that there was no problem that week. Those with a historical bent have noted that when Villa last replaced a big-name incumbent with a “backroom” man before Europe’s quarter- final stage – Tony Barton taking over after Ron Saunders’ abrupt resignation – they went on to win the Champions’ Cup of 1982.One of Gregory’s enduring regrets is that he missed out on that triumph, having left after being offered “a few pennies” to join Brighton. At training on Monday night he had the boys in agony they were laughing so much.”The same venue, 24 hours later, was heaving with 45,000 fanatics. The sights and sounds, said Gregory, “drove home to me why I couldn’t turn this job down”. “I just got them to play more zonally and I was delighted with our improvement in the second half. If we’d played like that from the start we’d have won it.”Gregory’s role in transforming Villa’s performance was acknowledged by his captain, Gareth Southgate.

“At half-time he said, ‘Let’s try to hold on to the ball more,’ and told us that if we were in trouble to start building again from the back.” The England defender, steeped in the importance of retaining possession in Europe, continued: “We kept it far better after that and our pace up front worried them. Towards the end they were happy to hang on to 1-0.”Steve Harrison, Villa’s coach under Graham Taylor, took up his duties as the new No 2 on the trip. He quickly made his presence felt, not least with his legendary humour. “There were things Steve was able to help with during the game,” Gregory explained, “but it was really a question of his getting bedded in. Gregory identified the source of the problems and made the requisite changes.