British Open - Royal Liverpool GC, Hoylake 20-23 July 2007

I spent the first day of competition sitting on the practice range to be sure I could see as many tournament players as possible. Here, after smuggling in a video camera, I was able to tape many of the players warming up and practicing their swing before reaching the 1st tee. This footage shows just how precise the top echelon of players is in their approach to all aspects of their game, even practice.

For the 2nd and 3rd rounds, I followed some of the early groups, including some of the Aussies, and took up a place at the 18th green when they finished. From there, I was able to watch the touring pros finish, culminating in the ‘Dream Team’ pairing of Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. One trait was evident in all players - the intense focus and concentration needed to play at this level.

For the final round, I lined up for 90 minutes to get a grandstand seat at the 18th green, and had to rely on text messages from the boys in the Pro Shop to keep me up to date with what was happening. Although half a world away, they were more in the know than those in the audience!

Tiger showed his true talent by defeating a quality field under difficult circumstances. I’ll definitely be back in 2010 for The Open at St Andrews.

Brad Mitchell