Scotsman in contention and not missing home at all

HE comes from the home of golf but calls Thailand home, and is now right in contention in Queenstown.

Simon Yates sits on 10underpar after two rounds in the New Zealand Open and is handily enough placed to make a charge over the weekend.

It is the Scotsman’s first time at the New Zealand Open and he would rather be in Queenstown at present than back home in a freezing Scotland.

‘‘I love the heat. This morning wasn’t cold but to me it was cold. I’m not a true Scotsman any more,’’ he said.

‘‘As long as it is fairly warm weather then I’ll be good. I just don’t like the cold weather. I really feel the cold. That is why I came to Asia to play. If it is warmer, I feel looser, I feel good, I’m just more at home. Just rip it and grip it, as they say.’’

Yates, who turns 48 this month, did a fiveyear golf apprenticeship in Scotland and after finishing that went out to Thailand for a sixweek holiday in 1993. He went back to Germany for six months and won the German PGA Championship. From there he picked up a sponsor and headed east and has been on the Asian Tour since 1995.

‘‘So I’ve been 23 years on the Asian Tour. I’m one of the old ones.’’

Yates hit the headlines a few years ago when he was said to have missed a playoff to get into the British Open to go on a skiing holiday.

It was more about missed communication between the organisers and him, he said.

He was happy with his round yesterday at Millbrook but preferred The Hills.

He said hitting the ball straight was the key on both courses.

‘‘Yesterday [Thursday] I played great for the first 12 holes. Today I started cold, it was cold and I was rushing. Everything was a bit rushed. On the back nine I played really good — hit some nice shots but did not make so many putts. Overall, I’m happy to be here for the weekend and not be that far off the lead.”