Rohan Blizard: Living The Open Dream
IN: News | European PGA | British Open (2008) | General | by Anthony Powter | 16 Jul 2008
There’s something very different about major championships. You feel it when you arrive at the course and you also see it in the players’ eyes. Everyone is there for one reason only – to win a major and the intensity is high.
Rohan Blizard is one of Australia’s most talented amateurs and will be amongst the field this week at Royal Birkdale after finishing in a share of second place from just under one-hundred hopefuls at Local Final Qualifying at Hillside.
Rohan Blizard Audio Interview
“I was really wrapped in qualifying for The Open,” said the 2007 Australian Amateur champion after experiencing his first practice round at Royal Birkdale.
“It’s things like this that you kind of dream about, playing in a Major and now I’m here amongst all the professionals, it’s a real buzz.”
A reality check after reviewing the qualification list by Blizard confirmed he was on his way to his first major.
“I was playing really well going into the qualification,” he said.
“The second round was really tough and I just gutted it out the whole day to shoot level par, which was lucky enough in the end. At first I did not believe it and it was the most nerve racking experience that I’ve ever had.”
Blizard has travelled extensively and has established himself as a top-class amateur, yet the world number six amateur remains in awe of the surroundings at The Open.
“The whole town is a buzz and the course is just unbelievable,” remarks Blizard with a sense of excitement.
“I’m really looking forward to getting out there when the crowds start to pick up and fill the stands. I’ll be teeing it up against the best players in the world, so I’ll be trying to just soak it all up and learn a few things from the experience.”
Blizard plans to turn professional in November and to base himself in Europe, a traditional starting ground for many Australians. Attracted to the varying conditions and challenges players face in Europe, Blizard believes he’ll gain more experience there as opposed to other tours in Asia and America.
“When the opportunity came up to stay here in the UK it was attractive and I gave it hard thought as to whether it was worth missing two main amateur events in the US to try and get into a major.”
It was a gamble for Blizard and one that ultimately has paid dividends with a start at one of the world’s most sought after major title.
“In the end it was the right decision,” said Blizard.
“At first I did not know if I had made it. I had to wait around for a couple of hours to see if anyone had bettered my score, it was really nail biting and I had never been that nervous before.”
“I was sitting there having a chat with Jean Van De Velde, who had the same score as me and he was just as nervous. When the numbers came in and we were both there, it was a huge relief and I’m still a bit taken aback as to what’s going on.”
Blizard’s form going in to The Open qualifier showed signs of brilliance with UK tournaments punctuated with low round scores, including a 69 on the final day of the Scottish Amateur to finish T8 and a second round 66 at the St Andrews Links Trophy.
His Australian summer results included a win at the NSW Amateur Medal, a top-16 finish at the Australian Amateur and six top-10 finishes in National trial events.
As he prepares for his biggest challenge, he realises it’s a dream come true and cannot wait for the experience.
“Overall I’ve been playing well and I came into the qualifying feeling quietly confident. It’s a great opportunity for me and I’ll be just soaking it all up and it will be one step at a time for me.”
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