Late starter's wake up call

Jul 20 2008 By Brian Mcsweeney

SIMON WAKEFIELD used to cop pelters from his dad for knocking holes in his garden wall with stolen golf balls.

Now he's ready to build bridges with his old man by cementing his place at the top of The Open leaderboard.

The 35-year-old tamed the nightmare conditions at Birkdale yesterday with a level-par 70 that leaves him five over and in contention for a place in golfing history.

Stoke City fan Wakefield was one of only a handful of players who didn't card over par but he's refusing to get carried away with his lofty position on the leaderboard.

He only took the game up when he was 15 but admitted his schoolboy backyard pranks could have put paid to his golfing dreams.

The amiable Englishman, playing in just his fourth Open, said: "I took up the game seriously when I was 15. But when I was about 13 I got half a dozen of dad's brand new Wilson Ultra balls and started pitching on the grass.

"Sometimes I overshot and hit the wall, putting a few gouges in the side.

"When dad came home from work and saw the mess he went ballistic. He has plenty of balls off me now so it levels itself out."

Wakefield admits he will probably wake up this morning after a restless night spent dreaming of lifting the Claret Jug on the 18th green.

He said: "I might not sleep because this is unfamiliar territory for me.

"I was leading going into a final round at the Johnnie Walker at Gleneagles last year but lost in a play-off. However, winning The Open is a long way off my mind at the moment. It's a world-class field and I'm just happy to be in contention.

"It's a fairytale situation. I believe the weather will be friendlier tomorrow and I'm sure the home support will help carry me round."

Justin Rose (right) hopes Wakefield or another Brit can finally end our eight-year wait for an Open champ.

Rose, who limped in with a nightmare 82 for 18 over, said: "There's a lot of focus on a British winner because it has been so long.

"It does add pressure because we have a lot of fantastic British guys on the tour."