The good thing is I am with a great team and we know I can do the job. If I knew that I would never score any points in 2005 I would be pretty disappointed, but knowing that we do have the pace gives you a bit of a boost."The addition of the words "I suppose" to the final sentence is almost wistful and provides insight into his true feelings. Instead of being confirmed as a winner he has once again been obliged to act the role of the man who has to keep everyone's spirits up. That's part of the badge of team leadership, and a tough call for anyone forced to watch rivals getting closer to their own dreams."It's completely different, say, to my first year at Benetton," Button insists, denying that 2005 is his worst season since entering Formula One in 2000. "It would be great to play more links courses," he said, when asked whether an inland warm-up was the best way to prepare for The Open. "But when you have a course as good as this, I wouldn't mind playing it every week.". By now Jenson Button should have parlayed the success he enjoyed at BAR-Honda in 2004 into his first grand prix victory, perhaps even be challenging for the title, or be preparing to walk down the aisle with his long-standing girlfriend, Louise Griffiths.
But none of these things has happened in a bruising season in which, until he crossed the finish line in Magny-Cours last Sunday afternoon, he had not even scored any points. As Fernando Alonso, the man who supplanted him at Renault in 2003, heads towards the title after his fifth win of the season, Button has barely got out of the starting blocks. He is not much given to introspection, but a victory in front of his home crowd at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone on Sunday would do more than just lift the spirits of the battered BAR-Honda team, it would also restore Button's claim to the status of his fellow pretenders Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen. Button and BAR had more right than most to their dreams in 2005, having run Ferrari close in 2004. America's 15-year-old prodigy will today make her third start in a PGA Tour event, in the John Deere Classis in Illinois, an event with one Open place up for grabs for the leading non-exempt player. St Andrews just has a different feel than any course because you just feel the sense of history and the sense of golf being there." Never mind golf, Michelle Wie could conceivably be there. He entered the debate about the changes the Royal and Ancient have made - including moving five tees and bringing a variety of bunkers into play --and disagreed with those, like Tiger Woods, who have voiced scepticism."A lot of the holes are very difficult and challenging because the bunkers are now very strategically placed, so I think it has been very well done," said Mickelson, who spent a couple of days surveying the new-look Open set-up before heading west for this event."It's not tricked up," he added "It's as fair as ever It's really in great shape I'm really impressed with the set-up.
Organisers of the Barclays Scottish Open here breathed a sigh of relief when Ernie Els eventually concluded that a competitive workout on the bonnie banks was the best way to prepare for St Andrews. Next week's golfing feast at The Open was already dominating the agenda yesterday at hors d'oeuvres tournaments from Scotland to Silvis, Illinois. Instead he will be seeking a third Scottish Open to add to those he won in 2000 and 2003. Phil Mickelson, another of the eight top-20 players on the menu here, also had one eye on the Old Course. The world No 3, tired and disappointed after failing to shine at the Masters or US Open, had contemplated having a break this week. Juventus are considering following up their public declaration of interest in Patrick Vieira with an offer of €20m (£14m). That will, undoubtedly, be immediately and decisively dismissed by Arsenal, even if Juventus are understood to regard it as a fair price for a player who is 28 and who is out-of-contract in two years' time.Another Arsenal midfielder, David Bentley, has been told to report back for pre-season training following his season-long loan with Norwich City.. They have already signed another Brazilian, Luis Fabiano, as his replacement.It is believed Arsenal themselves may receive an unwanted approach this week.