South Africa’s Anton Haig says winning the Johnnie Walker Classic last weekend has been a life-changing experience and he is now ready to step up and take his place among the elite.
The top names of the game have been lining up to rave about the 20-year-old and he said he wants to make it back-to-back victories at the Singapore Masters this week.
”I got a phone call from Ernie [Els] and his friends saying congratulations and that there are many more events left and they hope I strike a few more times,” he said.
”Coming from him, that was great. I’ve got so many phone calls from my mates back home. It feels good.
”Everyone’s coming up and congratulating me. Phone call after phone call, it hasn’t stopped. I was woken up twice last night by my friends who were saying that they miss me.”
He said he had been coping with his new-found attention by ”deep breaths — just deep breathing calms me down”.
Haig held off Els, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott and Colin Montgomerie, among others, in Phuket last week to win $410 000 and he admitted his life would never be the same again.
”It’s changed my life,” he said. ”I don’t know what tournaments it’ll get me in but I know there are a few big ones out there. I hope to get into the top-50 for a spot in the Masters.”
He said plans to buy a house in Manchester, England, to base himself for European Tour events, but before that he wants to win the Singapore Masters, and ultimately a Major.
”It’s been a great experience for me these past couple of days,” he said.
”I’ve been mixing around with Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke. [It] feels good to be a part of that group now, being able to play on the European Tour without any invites.
”I have to learn a lot from these guys. I keep learning every day from Darren and Lee and hopefully I will be able to win a big, big one. I’m good enough to win a Major.” — AFP
