Ryder Cup debutante goes for experience

Jarmo Sandelin, the Swede who makes his Ryder Cup debut in 16 days' time, is having a trial separation from his girlfriend this week - but only on the course.

For the British Masters at Woburn starting today, Sandelin has dropped Linda Lundberg as his caddie and will instead use Englishman Tim King.

"This week is basically a trial to see how it works," said the 32-year-old Finland-born player.

"I worked well with Linda but I thought I'd give it a try with a regular tour caddie and try to save some shots.

"I approached Tim last week and the reason I asked him is that he caddied for Per-Ulrik Johansson at both Oak Hill (in 1995) and Valderrama (1997). He is a guy who acts like a true professional and is experienced as well," said Sandelin.

"He has been working with Denmark's Soren Hansen, who said it was fine for Tim to work for me until after the Ryder Cup. We will make a decision at the end of this week."

King, an Oxford chemistry graduate, known as `Toffee Tim' and a brilliant impersonator of leading golfers such as Seve Ballesteros, Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer, added: "I can understand why Jarmo wants to do this."

King added: "I understand how nerve-racking the Ryder Cup is. Nerves can play a big part and the caddie can often help the player to stay calm.

"The phone call came out of the blue. It was a big surprise, I can tell you. I linked up with Jarmo on Tuesday and we managed to get through 18 holes without any disagreements."

With Linda as his caddie Sandelin has won the Spanish and German Opens this season to become one of seven debutantes in the European side.

He is the second new cap to change caddies in the build-up to the defence of the trophy.

Two weeks ago Jean Van de Velde called upon Australian Graeme Heinrich to replace his fellow Frenchman Christophe Angiolini, who he may have held partly responsible for his last-hole triple bogey at the British Open in July.

Four other members of the team are also playing this week - Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Open champion Paul Lawrie.

After his victory in Switzerland last Sunday, Westwood has a chance to equal Nick Faldo's 10-year-old record of four successive European Tour victories.

Montgomerie, however, still leads the Order of Merit by nearly £350,000.

The only other player to have won four successive tour titles is Seve Ballesteros (he did it twice in the 1980s) and the Spaniard, Europe's Ryder Cup captain two years ago, returns now to a course on which he won the British Masters in 1986 and 1991.

Ballesteros played yesterday's pro-am with Gary Lineker - and was then interviewed by the former England footballer.

Inevitably the conversation soon turned to the match at Brookline, which Ballesteros will watch on television like millions of others.

"I feel sorry I'm not going to be there, but what can I do?", he asked before answering his own question: "Play better.

"I think it's going to be a very good match. On paper the Americans look great but in reality it might be different," he said.

As for James' two wild cards - Jesper Parnevik and Andrew Coltart - Ballesteros said: "They were Mark's choice and time will tell if he was wrong or right.

"I don't think it's the right time for me to say too much. All I would say is good luck to the team."

There has been a natural assumption that 19-year-old Sergio Garcia would partner Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal.

But Ballesteros, who formed with Olazabal the most successful combination in Cup history, believes Olazabal could play with Miguel Angel Jimenez and Garcia with Parnevik.