Edfors follows Hagen's example in solo Turnberry round
TURNBERRY, Scotland (Reuters) - Swede Johan Edfors followed the carefree example of golfing great Walter Hagen by taking his time while making a solo tour of Turnberry in Saturday's third round of the British Open.
The first player out turned down the option of going round with a (scorecard) marker, preferring instead to enjoy the day in the company of his caddie.
"I was told by my coach not to (rush)," Edfors told reporters after carding a two-over-par 72 in around four hours for a six-over total of 216.
"I tried to take my time. I had a nice walk there with my caddie and we really enjoyed the day.
"I had the choice of a marker and the pro at the club would've joined me but I said I'd play on my own," added the 33-year-old.
American Hagen, an 11-times major winner who died in 1969, famously coined the creed: "Don't hurry, don't worry. You're only here for a short visit so be sure to smell the flowers along the way."
Although Edfors could have sniffed local blossoms such as knapweed and lesser stitchwort in the knee-high rough, he spent most of his time on and around the greens.
"I enjoyed it," the three-times European Tour winner said after signing off with back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 and tossing his ball into the crowd.
"I can take my time and especially on a links course, you can walk around the greens more if you have a tricky shot.
"It was quite a nice round there playing on my own and I played a bit better today," Edfors said of a round played in breezy conditions that featured four birdies and six bogeys.
"The score wasn't the best but I hit some decent shots into the wind coming out. The wind then died down a bit on the back nine but I didn't really take advantage of that."
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
