Danny Willett recovering from illness as The Open approaches
By Andy Charles
Last Updated: 12/07/16 8:57am
Masters champion Danny Willett is battling to be 100 per cent for The 145th Open after being struck down by illness.
Willett, who won his first major title at Augusta in April, played 11 holes at Royal Troon on Monday but said he was enjoying far from a perfect preparation for the tournament.
He will partner world No 1 Jason Day and Rickie Fowler in the first two rounds, one of the marquee groups for fans to follow on Thursday and Friday.
The Yorkshireman has had only one top-20 finish since his Masters victory, when taking third at the BMW PGA Championship in May, and says he could have done without falling ill so close to such a prestigious event.
"I was a bit sick last week but I am getting round the back of that and went out and played a few holes today," Willett told Sky Sports News HQ.
"Hopefully I can get another good night's sleep and get out there and have another good round on Tuesday.
"We're getting there but I was pretty bad for a couple of days. I'm just getting back on top of everything really, getting the fluids back in and hopefully getting back to full fitness by Thursday.
"It's going to be good playing with them to see where you are at in comparison, and see what they do. I'm relatively new to being around this all the time so it's interesting to see what they do differently. We've got another two days to get a plan together for the golf course and then play our own game."
Willett has been busy away from golf ahead of his bid for The Open, having been at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix and also taking in Wimbledon, and he admitted that might also not have helped his preparations.
"It's not ideal," he added. "It's something I have always wanted to do, and I got invited down [to Silverstone] by Mercedes.
"I also got invited by the chairman of Wimbledon to go and sit in the Royal Box so they were two opportunities you can't really turn down. If you love sport, they are two of the best things I have ever done. But it's not ideal if you add being sick last week into the mix."
Willett felt conditions on Monday in Ayrshire were "brutal" at times and he expects the field to struggle to master the course if wind and rain plagues the tournament.
"I played 11 holes today and it was nice - fun and interesting," he added.
"Visually it doesn't seem as difficult as what I think it plays. You knock it into a couple of the bunkers you are not supposed to be in and you have to come out sideways.
"We played the last five straight into the wind and that was pretty brutal, but it will all be weather dependant, like most Opens are, and I think it's going to be a fantastic test."
