Batty puts in some practice at prowling

If favourite Tiger Woods wins the US Open, then he's got a not-so-humble Northland golfer to thank.
When Doug Batty attended Kamo High School and began his long march toward the prestigious US Open at Northland Golf Club at 13,  he would have only dreamed of rubbing shoulders with the world's best golfer.
Having caught the Tiger by the tail, he's now giving him advice. Batty told a radio interviewer after cheekily scoring a practice round with Woods yesterday  he'd fixed  the defending champion's grip and got him ready for the Open. He added there were no friendly wagers: "I didn't want to bring the mortgage out today."
Batty, 29, writes a column for The Cut  magazine, as does Woods' Kiwi caddy, Steve Williams, so he emailed Williams on the off-chance he could play a few holes alongside the world No1. Sure enough, back came a positive reply, resulting in Batty and Woods striding down the New York championship course together.
The former Whangarei man  didn't start well, hitting "the worst slice of my life" but,  over nine practice holes with Woods at the  Bethpage Black course, he  soaked in the atmosphere and quelled a few  nerves. The crowd that watched him yesterday is likely to be bigger than the one he will encounter tomorrow  when he fires his first shot in anger. He will be one of the last to tee off.
Batty came second in a four-way playoff for three spots at the Saticoy Country Club in Somis, California, to qualify.
His parents, Mike and Judith Batty, have found a manager for their Tauranga motel and flown to New York for the  occasion.
Now based in Los Angeles, Batty left Whangarei in the mid-1990s to attend Auckland Grammar School.