The Open / Ralph Ellis / 12 July 2010 /

Simon Khan's triumph at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth made him one of nine Englishmen to win tournaments in Europe or America in as many months. Betfair went to find out what the home secret is, and whether there could be more glory at St Andrew's this week

Hi Simon, and first of all congratulations on that win at Wentworth
Thanks. It was pretty special, really - to come through with so many top players, and on that course which was playing really tough, was a top feeling.

It must have taken some stress away so soon after getting your tour card back?
To be honest it's still hitting home. Some of the players I've not seen for a while have been coming up and saying 'well done'. So it's nice to have it in my mind and it's done a lot for my confidence, but actually I'm trying to draw a line under it and look forward. Winning makes you want to win some more.

When you lost your tour card it must have been tempting to step away and think you'd had a few good years but now it was time to have a proper job. What kept you going?
I must admit at times I was questioning what I was doing. You do ask: 'What else would I do?' I've got other goals in business and stuff, but I sort of realised that I didn't start playing just for money or being on tour, the things that inspired me were places like Wentworth and weeks like this at St Andrews, and I felt I still had stuff to achieve. I kept the bigger picture in mind and even when the start of this year wasn't great I kept thinking I was back where I wanted to be, and it happened.

So how are you feeling about your game now?
Pretty good. I've had some good and some bad results - but even though I've missed a couple of cuts it's only been by a shot here or there. I played well at the US Open especially on the second day, but went and three-putted the last two greens. Looking back I wouldn't have done a lot differently, so I'm just getting ready to get cracking again.

Is St Andrews a favourite course?
Oh definitely, the way you can pretty much run the ball into the green and shape shots. It suits my game. But I love links golf altogether. I did a sponsor's day last week that was near Muirfield and just driving past the gates got me tingling. I've played well at St Andrews before in the Dunhill Links, and I was going really well there in The Open in 2005 but had a dodgy third round, so it's just about putting a week together. I'm really looking forward to it.

We read that going there with your granddad as a 12-year-old was what inspired you to play the game seriously
That story has a bit of poetic licence because it was actually the first tournament that I'd seriously followed on the telly. I was staying with my grandad, and us both watching Seve against Watson and Langer, and his reaction on the last when he holed the putt, really caught my imagination. My granddad gave me my first set of clubs and they lived near Lytham so that's another course I'm fond of.

It seems like an exciting time to be an English golfer
It is. You've got the likes of Luke Donald and Paul Casey, and then there's Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter. Everybody feeds off each other. Actually I had a practice round with Ian in Pebble Beach and he's an inspiring person to be around. When you look at what the British players in general have done this year we've got some serious contenders for The Open.

What's the secret of why golf has produced so many top players but not a sport like tennis?
Difficult, but I think back to when I joined Chingford Golf Club as a junior in the mid-eighties. It was a public course but had a really good section run by enthusiastic people and if you had a set of clubs you were made welcome. I don't see that in tennis, it doesn't seem as well structured. Golf's system is good and that's why it is turning out a lot of good young players. I notice kids are starting to choose golf above traditional sports, even football. The FA have spent £900million on a stadium with a dodgy pitch but don't have their own national centre of excellence any more. They could learn a lot from golf.

Going back to The Open, Tiger is favourite, but should he be?
I suppose when you look at his record there, St Andrews suits him - you still have to drive it well, but you can get away with some shots and his recovery game has always been so good. So much of it is about position and controlling the ball. He' s also a great long putter and that's another essential. But I don't really want to talk about anybody else. In my own mind I have to make myself favourite.

Lastly you're an Arsenal fan. Will Fabregas stay?
I hope so. But if he does go I'm one of those who will just wish him well and remember the great years we've had. I look at him as God's Chess Piece on a football field, he just seems to know where to move to all the time. I'm a glass half full man, and I think what Wenger's done is fantastic there. I think you'll see some more great young players, and a lot of them English, coming through there in the next few years.

Thanks for your time and we've a free £50 bet for a favourite charity
I've just started doing some work for an Essex charity called The Dream Factory which looks after children with serious illnesses, and I'll back Arsenal at [8.0] to win The Premier League. We weren't far away last year and with or without Cesc I think it could be our season

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