Walker Cup, wind and worry...

Tom Lewis battles the elements at the Royal Aberdeen GC

Kicked back and relaxed this morning with the littl'un and the golf on the telly. Well played the Beeb for broadcasting a fascinating contest but whilst being absorbed by the cream of the amateur game battling it out, but it also got me a tad concerned. I am breaking my links golf duck on Friday and seeing the elements batter a talented crop of young golfing talent has been an unnerving experience.

As Peter Alliss and Ken Brown witter on about chasers, knock downs, punch shots, low running pitches and undulating greens I realise I have none of the necessary shots in my armoury. My golf is pretty floaty you see. Nearly all of our greens are raised and consequently I've felt most comfortable landing a more lofted shot a couple of yards on the green as opposed to bumping it up. Once on the putting surface I rarely face a bumpy, rollercoaster ride to the hole, so reading the mammoth breaks and dealing with the extra pace will be another new challenge.

The toughest element is surely going to be playing into a head wind or left to right crosswind, I've been a broken man in the past when hit by something moderately blustery. But despite these anxieties it promises to be an intriguing battle. Links golf is attested by many to be the real deal and having watched The Open at RSG open mouthed this year I'm looking forward to taking on the challenge.