Golf: Upbeat Price will learn on the job

Terry Price is not in vintage form. He has never played Gulf Harbour and hadn't even heard of it until it was named as the venue for this year's New Zealand Open.

But despite that, the defending champion remains chipper about his chances of retaining the title.

He plans to ease back into game mode by playing in Singapore next week and then the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne.

He'll arrive in Auckland on the Monday before the Open, play a couple of practice rounds and tee off for real with his game in reasonably good shape.

Well, that's the plan.

"Right as we speak I don't have a lot of expectation. I'm only getting back into it for the year and I'm a bit rusty.

"But hopefully I'll pick things up over the next couple of weeks with a few tournaments under my belt."

The presence of European Tour players will hardly faze him. The 44-year-old plays alongside them every other week of his career. His limited knowledge of the course is not a problem either. It's the norm for pros to only get a couple of rounds in before a tournament.

"I'll have to learn on the job that week. But I guess everyone else apart from a handful of Kiwi players will be in the same position as well. I don't feel any pressure. Pressure is self-imposed."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY